Literary Lantern

 Charles Lamb Introduction Charles Lamb (1775–1834) was one of the most loved essayists of the Romantic Age. He is remembered for his warmth, gentle humor, and simple style. Lamb’s essays are personal, full of charm, and often based on his own experiences. He is best known by his pen name “Elia” , under which he published his famous essays. Early Life Lamb was born in London in 1775. He studied at Christ’s Hospital School, where he became a lifelong friend of the poet S. T. Coleridge. He worked as a clerk in the East India Company for most of his life. Lamb had a difficult family life; he remained unmarried because he devoted himself to caring for his sister Mary, who suffered from mental illness. Literary Career Lamb first tried poetry and drama, but he found his true success in prose. With his sister Mary, he published Tales from Shakespeare (1807), a book that retold Shakespeare’s plays for children. This work is still popular today. Later, he wrote essays that appeared in...

 George Gordon, Lord Byron Introduction George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788–1824), was one of the most famous poets of the English Romantic Age. Known for his passionate life as much as for his poetry, Byron became a legendary figure in his own time. He is remembered for his lyrical beauty, strong emotions, and the creation of the “Byronic hero”—a dark, rebellious, and mysterious character that influenced literature for generations. Early Life Byron was born in London in 1788. He inherited the title of “Lord” at the age of ten and grew up with both privilege and personal struggles. He had a clubfoot, which caused him pain, but he became proud, bold, and adventurous. He studied at Cambridge University, where he began writing poetry and gained fame with his early works. Poetic Career Byron’s first major success came with Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812), a long poem that made him instantly famous. He famously said, “I awoke one morning and found myself famous.” This work reflected...

  John Keats Introduction John Keats (1795–1821) was one of the most important poets of the English Romantic Age. Though he lived only 25 years, his poetry is admired for its beauty, rich imagery, and deep emotions. Keats is often called the poet of beauty because he believed that truth and beauty are closely linked. His works, especially his odes, are considered some of the finest poems in English literature. Early Life Keats was born in London in 1795. His father died when he was very young, and his mother also passed away a few years later. He trained to be a doctor but soon devoted himself fully to poetry. Keats faced poverty, ill health, and harsh criticism from reviewers during his lifetime, but he continued to write with passion and dedication. Poetic Career Keats began publishing poetry in 1817. His early works showed promise but were not well received by critics. However, in 1819, he wrote a series of odes that made him famous after his death. These poems, including O...

 Percy Bysshe Shelley Introduction Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was one of the greatest poets of the English Romantic Age. He is remembered for his passion for freedom, his love of beauty, and his belief in the power of imagination. Shelley’s poetry is filled with idealism, strong emotions, and a hope for a better world. Though not fully appreciated in his lifetime, today he is celebrated as one of the finest lyrical poets in English literature. Early Life Shelley was born into a wealthy family in Sussex, England. He studied at Eton and later at Oxford, where he became known for his independent and rebellious ideas. His radical pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism led to his expulsion from Oxford. Shelley’s early life was full of controversies and struggles, as he often clashed with social and religious traditions. Poetic Career Shelley’s poetry reflects his revolutionary spirit. He believed in liberty, justice, and equality. His poems were often inspired by political and s...

 Samuel Taylor Coleridge Introduction Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) was one of the greatest English Romantic poets and critics. He is remembered as a poet of imagination and mystery. Along with William Wordsworth, he helped to launch the Romantic Movement in English literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798. Coleridge is also known for his literary criticism, his lectures on Shakespeare, and his role as a philosopher of poetry. Early Life Coleridge was born in Ottery St Mary, Devon, in 1772. His father was a clergyman and schoolmaster. After his father’s death, Coleridge studied at Christ’s Hospital School in London and later at Cambridge University. From an early age, he showed great talent for reading, writing, and speaking. He was deeply interested in philosophy, religion, and politics, but his health problems and financial difficulties often troubled his life. Poetic Career Coleridge’s name is closely linked with Wordsworth. Together, they published...

 William Wordsworth Introduction William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was one of the greatest English poets and a central figure of the Romantic Movement. He is remembered as the “poet of nature” because of his deep love for the natural world. His poems celebrate the beauty of landscapes, the simplicity of rural life, and the power of human emotions. Wordsworth believed that poetry should be written in simple language and should express ordinary experiences in a truthful way. Early Life Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth, in the Lake District of England, an area of great natural beauty. The hills, lakes, and valleys of this region strongly influenced his imagination and inspired many of his poems. He studied at Cambridge University but preferred walking in the countryside to academic life. His early experiences of nature shaped his poetic vision throughout his career. Poetic Career In 1798, Wordsworth and his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads . This book is co...

 P astoral Introduction The word pastoral comes from the Latin word pastor , meaning “shepherd.” The pastoral is a type of poetry and literature that presents an idealized picture of rural life. It often shows shepherds and simple country folk living in peace and harmony with nature. The pastoral does not usually describe real country life but a dream of it, created by poets, often from cities, who looked back with nostalgia to the simplicity of the countryside. Origins The origin of the pastoral form goes back to the Greek poet Theocritus in the third century B.C. He wrote poems about the lives of Sicilian shepherds. Later, the Roman poet Virgil imitated him in his Eclogues . Virgil’s work became the model for later pastoral writing. His poems showed shepherds singing, competing in song, falling in love, or mourning the death of fellow shepherds. From these traditions grew the pastoral elegy , a poem mourning the death of a friend or poet in a rural, idealized setting. Variet...

Gothic Novel Introduction The word Gothic first meant the Goths, a Germanic tribe. Later it came to mean “medieval,” especially in architecture with pointed arches and dark, heavy designs. In literature, the Gothic novel or Gothic romance started in the eighteenth century. It became famous for stories full of mystery, fear, and supernatural events. Beginning of the Gothic Novel The first Gothic novel was The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. It was set in the Middle Ages. The story had a gloomy castle, secret passages, and strange happenings. This novel became the model for many others. Later writers often placed their stories in castles or monasteries, mostly in Italy or Spain. The common story was about an innocent heroine suffering under a cruel villain, with ghosts, secrets, and terrifying events. Important Writers and Works William Beckford’s Vathek (1786) mixed medieval and Eastern settings with shocking and strange events. Ann Radcliffe wrote The Mysteries of...

Pathetic Fallacy  Introduction The term pathetic fallacy was first used by the English critic John Ruskin in 1856 in his book Modern Painters . It refers to a literary device in which human feelings, emotions, or qualities are given to objects of nature or other inanimate things. The word “pathetic” here means emotional, not pitiful, and “fallacy” means false appearance. According to Ruskin, such descriptions happen when poets are deeply moved and project their emotions onto nature. Ruskin’s View Ruskin originally used the term in a critical and negative sense. He believed that art should represent truth. For him, attributing human emotions to objects of nature was “false” or “morbid” because it showed not reality but the influence of the poet’s feelings. He gave examples such as describing the crocus flower as “naked and shivering” or a single red leaf as “dancing.” While these are beautiful images, Ruskin argued they do not represent nature as it truly is. Use in Poetry Des...

Expressionism Introduction Expressionism was a major German movement in art and literature. It rose between 1910 and 1925, around the time of World War I. Unlike realism, which shows life as it is, expressionism focuses on inner feelings and emotions. Artists and writers used distorted forms, strong colors, and symbolic images to express personal visions of fear, despair, or hope. It was not a fixed or united movement, but it left a lasting mark on modern literature, drama, painting, and cinema. Origins and Precursors The roots of expressionism can be found in earlier artists and writers. In painting, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Edvard Munch are considered precursors. Munch’s famous work The Cry (1894), showing a screaming figure with a twisted face, became a symbol of expressionist art. In literature, poets like Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche influenced the movement. The Swedish ...

 Problem Play Introduction A problem play is a special kind of drama. It became popular in the nineteenth century, especially through the works of Henrik Ibsen, the great Norwegian playwright. A problem play deals with social issues of its own time. The story is not only about individual characters but also about the larger problems faced by society. It reflects real struggles and offers new ways of thinking, often against traditional beliefs. Features of a Problem Play The main feature of a problem play is that it presents a serious social issue. The protagonist faces difficulties that represent the struggles of ordinary people. The dramatist uses characters, dialogue, and plot to highlight the problem. Sometimes one character speaks for the author’s views, suggesting a solution that may challenge common opinion. The tone of such plays is often realistic and thought-provoking rather than purely entertaining. Examples in Modern Drama Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879) is th...

Allegory: A Literary Form Introduction Allegory is a powerful literary form. It is a narrative in prose or verse that carries two levels of meaning. On the surface, it tells a simple story. But underneath, it gives a deeper moral, political, religious, or philosophical message. Writers use allegory to explain big truths through simple characters, events, and settings. This double meaning makes allegory both enjoyable and thought-provoking. Types of Allegory There are mainly two types of allegory. The first is historical and political allegory . In this type, real historical people and events are represented through symbolic characters and actions. For example, in John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel , the biblical figure King David stands for Charles II of England, while Absalom represents the Duke of Monmouth. The biblical story of rebellion becomes a way of showing the political conflict of Dryden’s own time. The second type is the allegory of ideas . Here, characters and events ...