This document provides information about a book titled "British Poetry" published by Spring Season Publications in India. It includes details such as the publisher, authors, date of first publication in 2020, ISBN number, and copyright information. The book is part of the SPSN series and focuses on British poetry. It contains preface information and a table of contents listing 10 solution series/chapters from June 2015 to December 2019 with sample questions and answers related to British poetry.

3. Sam
ple
SPRING SEASON PUBLICATIONS
Navi Mumbai, INDIA

4. SPSN Series: MEG-001 British Poetry
Author: Dr Vasant Kothari & Ms Inderpreet Kaur Gupta
First Published – 2020
Spring Season Publications
Kandla Road, Near Milk Dairy, Chikhli, MS, INDIA, 443201
www.springseason.in
ISBN: 978-81-943314-8-3
is registered trademark of Spring Season Publications
© 2020 Dr Vasant Kothari
All Rights Reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electrical, mechanical,
Photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior Written permission of the author
All data were deemed correct at time of creation
Author/Publisher is not liable for errors or omissions
Printed at: Printwell International Pvt. Ltd., Aurangabad, MS, India
Cover Image by Max Kleinen on Unsplashed

5. Content
Solution Series
1 June 15 1
2 Dec 15 12
3 June 16 26
4 Dec 16 39
5 June 17 52
6 Dec 17 65
7 June 18 75
8 Dec 18 86
9 June 19 97
10 Dec 19 109

6. Preface
This book is written with the aim to provide a clear understanding of the
important topics and concepts which are extremely crucial from the exam
point of view.
A careful analysis of the topics frequently asked during examination has
been done and the book is a compilation of solved solutions of the
previous year papers, with short notes about the topics that must be read
thoroughly to attempt the exam successfully.
To get the best result from this handy reference guide, begin with reading
the short notes thoroughly to gain an understanding of the topic. Then,
after preparing extensively from detailed study texts, practice from the
solved solutions provided in the book to understand how to attempt
questions during exams.
The information specified in this book will make learning easy and
provide complete revision in a short span of time.

7. 1
June 2015
Q. No. 1. Explain with critical comments any two of the following passages
with reference to their contexts: 10+10 Marks
a. And specially from every shires ende
of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they
were seeke.
Answer: These lines are from the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales
written by Geoffrey Chaucer. One spring day, the Narrator of The Canterbury
Tales rents a room at the Tabard Inn before he continues his journey to
Canterbury. That evening, a group of people arrive at the inn. These 29 pilgrims
are travelling to Canterbury to receive the blessings of “the holy blissful martyr,”
St. Thomas à Becket. The travelers were a diverse group who are also on their
way to Canterbury. They happily agreed to let him join them. That night, the group
slept at the Tabard, and woke up early the next morning to set off on their journey.
The Host at the inn, Harry Bailey, suggests that, to make the trip to Canterbury
pass more pleasant, each member should narrate two tales on the journey to
Canterbury and two more tales on the journey back.
Analysis of the Lines: People want to go on religious pilgrimages to spiritual
places in the springtime, when the April rains have soaked deep into the dry
ground to water the flowers roots. When Zephyrus, the God of the west wind, has
helped new flowers to grow everywhere and when you can see the constellation
Aries in the sky. When the birds sing all the time. Some people go to other
countries, but many people in England choose to go to the city of Canterbury in
south-eastern England to visit the remains of Thomas Becket, the Christian martyr
who had the power of healing people when they were ill. (250 Words)
b. But see the Virgin blest,
Hath laid her Babe to rest.
Time is our tedious Song should here
have ending.
Answer: These lines are from the famous poem On The Morning Of Christ’s
Nativity, a twenty-seven stanza poem written by John Milton. The lines mentioned
comprise the 27th
stanza of the poem. It is an ode to the birth of Christ and by
extension, his victory over all other Gods. The hero here is an infant. God’s first
battle as Christ- on- Earth is fought from a manager-crib.
Analysis of the Lines: The lines taken from the final stanza show that the poem

8. June 2015
2
returns to the Nativity scene but the final image is not of the Christ child and
Mary, but of “Bright-harnessed Angels”. The angels are wearing armors and
sitting about the stable in battle formation. In the evening as the sun lets down his
red bed curtains and rests his head for the night on his ocean-pillow, the night-
horses will gallop across the sky, making it black, the Gods will trudge off to the
prison Christ had built for them, to die. Back at the stable, the blessed Virgin Mary
laid her baby to sleep, and the young Lady Star has parked her chariot directly
above the scene and holds up a lantern to it, while outside the stable a troop of
angels in brightly colored armors stands ready in the service of their Lord.
(213 Words)
c. Oh there is blessing in this gentle breeze,
A visitant that while it fans my cheek
Doth seem half-conscious of the joy it brings
From the green fields, and from yon azure sky.
Answer: These lines have been taken from poem ‘The Prelude’ by William
Wordsworth. It is a very long autobiographical poem. It is a personal poem written
and developed over a span of 50 years, revealing the details of his life. It also
describes the growth of the poet’s mind. Written in blank verse it is a poetic
reflection of his poetic journey throughout his life. The Prelude consists of 8000
words. The poem begins in his boyhood (1798) and continues till he is mature, his
adulthood. It was actually finished in 1805 but was carefully and constantly
revised until 1850, it was published posthumously after Wordsworth’s death.
Analysis of the Lines: These are the opening lines of the poem; the poet
remembers the childhood memories of his native place. Here he is deciding to live
a life outside London and return to the Lake District, where he will be close to
nature and develop philosophic ideas for his poems which will be inspired by
nature. He is reminiscing the memories of the refreshing gentle breeze which
caressed his cheeks softly as he would absorb the feeling of joy of being back to
the place of green fields and deep blue sky he used to love so much.
Wordsworth treasured nature. He felt transported to some mysterious divine land
in the presence of pristine nature which surrounded his village which always made
him ecstatic. (233 Words)
d. ‘We two,’ she said, ‘will seek the groves
Where the lady Mary is
With her five handmaidens, whose names
Are five sweet symphonies.’
Answer: The following lines have been taken from ‘The Blessed Damozel’
written by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. It is a traditional ballad devoted to the theme

9. British Poetry
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of love between a woman confined in heaven and a man stuck on Earth. It is
written in iambic tetrameter and iambic trimester. The Rhyme scheme maintained
throughout is ABCBDB. These lines are stanza 18 of the poem.
Analysis of the Lines: Here the reader returns to heaven and to the central plot
that the damsel is dreaming. The damsel, is speaking loudly for everyone to hear.
She sounds like a bird’s song. She is hopeful that like the other lovers being
united, she too will be united with her lover. She beautifully describes the deep
love they both share and how hard they have prayed to God to be united soon.
Here they will meet Virgin Mary, who will introduce them to Christ, and Christ
will bless their love and relationship. She will show him around and finally
receive the peace and solitude they were unable to get on earth.
Soon the Damsel realizes that she has been dreaming and reality makes her
breakdown. She cries loudly once more at the thought of separation from her love.
She cries so loudly that her lover can hears her tears here on earth. (212 Words)
Q. No. 2. Discuss Chaucer’s handling of the fable in ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale’.
20 Marks
Answer: ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale’ taken from The Canterbury Tales is an
exceptional illustration of the beast fable in which animals behave like human.
When we say that animals behave like humans, it is to indicate that people often
act like animals. A fable is a very old form of story related to folkore, brief tale in
verse or prose that communicates a moral lesson. The key feature being that it
gives human speech and manners to animals and inanimate things. Fables end
with a moral, which is delivered in a form of epigram.
After the Monk has told his tale, the Knight pleads that no more tragedies should
be narrated. He asks that someone should tell a tale that is opposite of adversity,
one that narrates the extreme good fortune of someone previously brought low.
The Host picks the Nun’s Priest, the priest traveling with the Prioress and her nun,
and requests that he tell a tale that will cheer the hearts of the other pilgrims. The
Nun’s Priest voluntarily agrees and begins telling his tale.
A poor, elderly widow lives a simple life in a cottage with her two daughters. Her
few possessions include three sows, three cows, a sheep, and some chickens. One
chicken, her rooster, is named Chanticleer, which in French means “sings clearly.”
True to his name, Chanticleer’s “cock-a-doodle-doo” makes him the master of all
roosters. Chanticleer has many hen-wives, but he loves most truly a hen named
Pertelote. She is as lovely as Chanticleer is magnificent. As Chanticleer, Pertelote,
and all of Chanticleer’s ancillary hen-wives are roosting one night, Chanticleer
has a terrible nightmare about an orange houndlike beast who threatens to kill him
while he is in the yard.

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One night, a hungry fox stalks Chanticleer and his wives, watching their every
move. The next day, Chanticleer notices the fox while watching a butterfly, and
the fox confronts him with dissimulating courtesy, telling the rooster not to be
afraid. Chanticleer relishes the fox’s flattery of his singing. He beats his wings
with pride, stands on his toes, stretches his neck, closes his eyes, and crows loudly.
The fox reaches out and grabs Chanticleer by the throat, and then sneaks away
with him back toward the woods. No one is around to witness what has happened.
Once Pertelote finds out what has happened, she burns her feathers with grief, and
a great wail arises from the henhouse.
The widow and her daughters hear the screaming and spy the fox running away
with the rooster. The dogs follow, and pretty soon the whole barnyard joins in the
hullabaloo. Chanticleer suggests that the fox turn and boast to his pursuers. The
fox opens his mouth to do so and Chanticleer flies out of the fox’s mouth and into
a high tree. The fox tries to flatter the bird into coming down, but Chanticleer has
learned his lesson. He tells the fox that flattery will work for him no more. The
moral of the story, concludes the Nun’s Priest, is never to trust a flatterer.
(500 Words)
Q. No. 3. Consider ‘The Garden’ by Andrew Marvell as a didactic poem.
20 Marks
Answer: Didactic Poetry is a form of poetry intended for instruction such as for
knowledge or to teach. The poem is set in a ‘Garden’, which becomes the poet’s
place of relaxation and stress-free environment, undisturbed by the troubles of
society and public life. The Rhyme scheme of the poem is AABBCCDD.
The tone of the poem changes as it develops. Marvell begins with mockery, where
he criticizes men about ‘vanity’ over their never-ending toil to be praised for their
contribution in various fields. He declares that life in the lap of nature is far more
significant and incomparable with life humans live in a man-made society. As we
progress through the poem, the tone becomes contemplative and meditative where
the poet compares his soul to a bird and the garden with the galaxy.
Marvell begins “The Garden” by reflecting upon the vanity and inferiority of
man’s devoutness to public life in politics, war, and civic service. Instead, he
values a departure from such a man-made life to “Fair Quiet” and its sister,
“Innocence,” in a private garden. To Marvell the garden portrays a space of
“sacred plants,” removed from society and its “rude” demands.
The poet asserts that when passion has run its course, love turns people towards
an introspective life bounded by nature. The bounty of nature retreats his mind
into a state of internal pleasure which then transmigrates him to create and

11. British Poetry
5
contemplate “other worlds and other seas.” Marvell equates his garden to that of
Eden, the paradise mentioned in the Bible, which God had created for Adam and
Eve. The poem ends with the poet visualizing the garden as its own cosmos, with
a sun running through a “fragrant zodiac” and an “industrious bee” whose work
figures the passage of time.
In ‘The Garden’ Marvell highlights the ecstasy of the gifts nature has bestowed
us with, rather than focusing on humans being driven by the pretentious man-
made world.
The poet criticizes humans for their disrespect towards Mother Nature. He states
that men cannot see the harmony and serenity she has to offer and are blinded by
their chase for earthly gains. Marvell through The Garden venerates nature and
tells us to celebrate its purity.
Along with teaching us to worship mother nature, Marvell also instructs us about
the importance of isolation, which is also as an important theme of the poem. This
world is full of materialistic pleasure, and traps man in the artificial realm thus
leaving us disconnected from ourselves.
In the end, the poet praises God, and calls him a ‘skillful gardener’ He can see art
in this garden, full of elements like herbs & flowers that act like a sundial and
bees who work to calculate time.
Thus, we can call The Garden a didactic poem as through the central themes
Marvell teaches us to revere Mother Nature and its gifts, and the importance of
solitude to disconnect with the material world, connect with oneself and enjoy the
bounty of nature in peace and tranquility. (500 Words)
Q. No. 4. What ‘truth and the sentiment’ does ‘An Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot’
by Alexander Pope possess? Explain with suitable examples from the text.
20 Marks
Answer: The Epistle is a satire in verse form written by Pope. Pope wrote this
poem dedicating it to ‘Dr. Arbuthnot’ his close friend, when he came to know that
he was suffering from a fatal disease. Since Pope was a bold satirist, he was quite
commonly criticized for his writing. Dr. Arbuthnot had warned him against
disclosing famous names in his satires, which could end up into imprisonment for
Pope. Pope wrote this epistle as a reply in 1734 to his friend as a symbol of
gratitude for his care and also defended his work and reputation.
Truth and Sentiment in the Epistle
The epistle can be divided into seven parts. In the first part, the poet articulates
his dislike for fake admirers. He states that he was tired of meeting such people
and he wanted to maintain a distance from them. Here Pope mentions the

12. June 2015
6
disadvantages of being famous. He says that artists who are not worthy at all are
condemning Pope to change his ways.
In the second part, Pope articulates openly that he is more afraid of fake friends
than enemies. He assures Dr. Arbuthnot that all the dignitaries he mentions in his
satires would want him to change the way he writes and not attack him. Though
it is subtly mentioned that he is sure that they would be annoyed.
Pope attempts to summarize his journey as a writer in Part three. He mentions
how his physical disability left him with no other profession rather than being a
writer. His gravity is reflected in the way he dealt with part 3.
In Part four, Pope counter attacked those who criticized him. He feels that some
criticizers baffled him by condemning his poems that were harmless and were
early attempts. Some critics were editors who deliberately wanted to look for
irrelevant errors. He tells Dr. Arbuthnot that he would be attacked for whatever
he did. He also mentions Addison as a bad example, who considers himself
perfect.
In Part five, Pope tried to link intellectual and financial independence. He
evaluates intelligence as a way to earn money by giving his own example. He
feels that though this money got him independence it also drew a lot of fools.
In part six, Pope justifies his satirical work. He feels that if a writer has potential
and power of words, he must make his duty to rebuke insolence. He talks of Lord
Hervey who had ridiculed his work and personality quite rudely.
Finally, Pope tries to convince Arbuthnot that he was neither proud nor
submissive. Threats from his opponents and societies views never mattered to him
as he had had to face really serious things like his father’s death, which had made
him indifferent to such opinions.
The epistle is a response to Dr. Arbuthnot’s concern for Pope but also mentions
the truth and sentiment Pope felt at that time. The epistle gives expression of his
personal views, qualities as a poet and harsh feelings and counterattack towards
some critics that tried to mar his image. (507 Words)
Q. No. 5. Attempt a critical appreciation of ‘The Triumph of Life’ by P.B.
Shelley. 20 Marks
Answer: The Triumph of Life was the last major work by Percy Bysshe Shelley
before his death in 1822. The poem is written in terza rima, on Petrarch’s Trionfi
and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Shelley uses the Roman triumph of life motif in the
poem to criticize religious and monarchical institutions of power, the social and
political ideals provide the framework for Shelley’s criticism of life in nineteenth
century Europe. Shelley divides his poem into five dream narratives or

13. British Poetry
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“triumphs.” Each narrative constitutes part of a journey that the narrator takes to
challenge and usurp Life’s victory over humanity.
The poem begins with a description of the sun rising and nature awakening. The
speaker of the poem, whose “thoughts must remain untold,” is turned away from
the dawn, he finds himself sitting “beside a public way” and watching hosts of
confused people going past like fallen leaves. A chariot appears with a deformed
“Shape” which is driven by a four-faced charioteer who has all of his eyes banded.
The “Shape” presides over a triumphal pageant which has enslaved everyone
except “the sacred few.” This free group is not specified, although Socrates and
Jesus (“they of Athens and Jerusalem”) are said to be part of it. Disheartened by
the sight of the frenzied and helpless captives following the chariot, the poet
wonders aloud about the Shape and the pageant. His questions are answered by
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, is a deformed figure who has holes for eyes. Rousseau’s narrative
begins with him asleep in a cavern under a mountain. Through this cavern runs a
rivulet whose waters induce forgetfulness. Rousseau has no memory of his life
before awakening.
Rousseau asks this shape the same questions the poet had asked him: “Shew when
I came, and where I am, and why.” Instead of answering him, the shape offers him
a drink from her cup of nepenthe, and Rousseau’s “shape all light” is abruptly
replaced by the bright, glaring vision of the deformed shape of Life and his
triumph. The fragment ends with the poet’s question, “Then, what is Life?” and
Rousseau’s incomplete response to that question.
Shelley in ‘The Triumph of Life’ gives, paradoxically, an imaginative perception
of the worldly scene, to understand its reality, origin and purpose. Paradise Lost
explains man’s fall, The Triumph of Life shows what happens to him afterward.
The Triumph demonstrates the suffering which Christians believe was to follow
Adam’s fall. We see each human repeating that fall and living its consequences.
Shelley has said what he could about life even before he introduces Rousseau as
his guide. He learns nothing new from this guide. The ideas of inevitable surrender
to life, of consequent suffering, and of apparent purposelessness of the whole
pageant are repeated in both the parts of The Triumph of Life. A question,
therefore, arises: “Could a third part that is promised by the way the poem ends
be somehow new or different?” What is Life? Even if he had lived to complete
his poem, it is not likely that Shelley would have supplied answers to his own
questions he had asked so many times. (518 Words)

14. June 2015
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Q. No. 6. Discuss the chief features of the poetry of the Pre-Raphaelite
movement. 20 Marks
Answer: The Pre-Raphaelite movement, initiated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in
the mid-nineteenth century, was not a literary but an artistic movement. The Pre-
Raphaelites were a group of Victorian poets, painters, illustrators and designers
whose tenure lasted from 1848 to roughly the turn of the century. They drew
inspiration from visual art and literature, and their work majorly depicted
medieval subjects, artistic reflection, female beauty, sexual yearning and altered
states of consciousness. To present a rebellious opposition to the utilitarian
philosophy that formed the dominant ideology of the mid-century, the Pre-
Raphaelites popularized the notion of ‘art for art’s sake’. Pre-Raphaelite work
incorporated elements of 19th-century realism and reflection of the natural world.
Features of Pre-Raphaelite Poetry
1. Diversion from Tradition and Social Transformation
Pre-Raphaelite poetry transformed the fixed tradition of poets like Tennyson and
ongoing socio-political issues. They escaped to a dream world through their
poetry, moving away from a world full of mundane and despicable realism.
2. Medievalism
The dream world evident in the Middle Ages even before the Pre-Raphaelites,
effected the minds of some Romantics like Coleridge, Keats, and Scott.
Medieval Italy was the land of artists. The medievalism of the Pre-Raphaelites
had “a subtle something” which distinguishes them from the Romantics before
them. The interest in late medieval and early Renaissance art from Italy and
northern Europe was extended by Rossetti, Morris, and Burne-Jones, who also
delved into the legends of medieval England.
3. Attention to Detail
The Pre-Raphaelites, were more concerned about the particular than general. They
focused on every detail in their poetry and paintings, however minute it may have
been. They believed in painting the actual thing and not create its replica. They
described and emphasized every stroke, so much so that it left the viewer with an
impactful freshness of observation in the visual. In poetry too, they created a
visual as well as auditory impact with attention to detail.
4. Sensuousness
Like Rossetti most Pre-Raphaelites were painters and poets too, making their
poetry full of sensuousness and details. Much of their poetry is as concrete as
painting. They thought and felt in pigments, which led to add concern to detail

15. British Poetry
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and colorful decoration.
5. Fleshly School of Poetry
The sensuousness of the Pre-Raphaelite art and poetry was looked down upon by
the Victorians. They did not appreciate the graphical details when it came to the
beauties of the human body. Though they cannot be accused of immorality they
were termed fleshly.
6. Metre and Melody
Pre-Raphaelite poetry was rich in illustration and rhythm. Pre-Raphaelites
exceeded in both. Swinburne exhibits both the merits and demerits of being over-
musical. The excessive use of alliteration and onomatopoeic effects for an
overpowering sweetness. Legouis observes: “Vowels call to vowels and
consonants to consonants, and these links often seem stronger than the links of
thought or imagery.” (472 Words)
Q. No. 7. Discuss ‘The Waste Land’ as a modernist poem 20 Marks
Answer: The Great War from 1914 to 1918 was a crucial moment in European
and world history. The First World War shaped literature in many other ways,
leading to the evolution of “modernism” a cultural and literary movement that
emerged in the early-20th century.
The Waste Land is regarded as the most instrumental poem of the 20th century.
Eliot’s 432-line poem is infused by the effects of the first World War. The title of
the poem is a representation of the devastation caused by the war, a metaphor for
the devastated landscape of post-war Europe.
The poems opening line, is an ironic rephrasing of Chaucer’s prologue to The
Canterbury Tales. A clear signal that what will follow will be sad, and desolate
work.
From here, the poet takes the reader on a complex literary journey, that holds up
a mirror to post-war life. The opening stanza brings the poem to a post-war world.
The poet describes a hazy image of a summer in Germany, where he mentions of
an “archduke” immediately evoking memories of Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
whose assassination led to the first World War. The ghastly visuals of crowds
flowing across the bridge, as “each man fixed his eyes before his feet”, evokes the
erasure of the individual in a mechanized, post-war world, as well as the faceless
crowds of the trenches. The poet deeply presents a disgusting and hollow image
of Modern London life in contrast to classical literature.
The Waste Land is the archetypal modernist text. The poem is richly referential
and is constructed around fragments of literature a “heap of broken images” as

16. June 2015
10
described in the first verse. Eliot’s use of literary ethnicities and texts as a source
for experimentation is a typical modernist trope.
The poem’s structure is divided into five sections.
• The first section, “The Burial of the Dead,” commences the distinct
themes of disillusionment and despair
• The second, “A Game of Chess,” engages alternating narrations, in
which illustrations of several characters address those themes
experientially
• “The Fire Sermon,” the third section, offers a philosophical meditation
in relation to the imagery of death and views of self-denial in
juxtaposition influenced by Augustine of Hippo and eastern religions
• The fourth section, “Death by Water,” includes a brief lyrical petition,
the culminating
• The fifth section, “What the Thunder Said,” concludes with an image of
judgment
The Waste Land was ground-breaking in its time, rejecting the standards of form
and rhyme, in favor of uneven lines, clipped stanzas, and scraps of quotations.
The disorderly form echo’s the chaos and disillusionment of post-war life that the
poem is trying to arouse. The absence of a single poetic voice, and the mix of high
and low styles throughout the poem emphasizes the absence of a solitary presence
in the work, beckoning the absence of one unifying God-like presence in a post-
war, post-religious world that has been torn apart by the Great War. (477 Words)
Q. No. 8. Bring out the theme of ‘Church Going’ by Philip Larkin
20 Marks
Answer: ‘The Church Going’ is one of Larkins best poem. It gives us two
meanings. One might mean that it is a regular visit to the church, the other may
mean losing faith in God and religion. Church Going is a medium length lyrical
poem that explores the issue of the church as a spiritual base. It is a seven-stanza
poem that is made up of sets of nine lines.
Church Going portrays the sentiments of the speaker who is mysteriously
attracted to the exploration of churches. The poem begins with the speaker
entering into a building, the reader later discovers is a church. He is not sure why
exactly he wants to be there, and is even more confused by what he sees inside.
He has seen many altars, pews, and bibles before and does not feel any type of
reverence towards them. The speaker reads briefly from the Bible and exits.
Upon leaving the church he contemplates what the building represents and what

17. British Poetry
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it will mean when all the believers are long dead. He pictures the very last explorer
of the building and wonders whether he or she will be like him, curious but
emotionless.
The poem concludes with the speaker deciding that no matter what the building
might mean, it is important for humanity that churches be maintained. He sees
them as a place of coming together and accepting one’s common humanity with
the rest of the world.
Themes of The Church Going
1. Religion
“Church Going” is about the tension between religion and spirituality. Religion
here refers to the answers that spiritual faith gives to big life questions like, “Why
are we here?” In contrast, “spirituality” tends to ask questions. In this poem, you
have a speaker who only has a slight knowledge of religion, yet this knowledge
has a huge impact on him because he often wonders whether or not he’s
approaching spiritual questions in the “right way.”
2. Spirituality
“Church Going” distinguishes between spirituality and religion. Spirituality refers
to the basic human longing that leads people toward religion. According to Larkin,
religion provides hard answers to life’s big questions, while spirituality is what
keeps us asking these questions.
3. Man, and the Natural World
“Church Going” explores the relationship between humanity and nature. At
several points in this poem, the natural world serves as a foil to religion, since
nature is a symbol of the inevitable decay. It may not seem like it but humanity is
a fleeting thing while nature, on the other hand, will keep on living long after
we’re dead.
4. Time
Like nature, time comes up as a theme in “Church Going” mostly for the purpose
of showing how temporary humanity’s time on earth actually is. In fact, Larkin’s
speaker suggests that it’s because our time is so limited that we have a longing
for some higher purpose, or for some sense that our lives will still be meaningful
after we’re gone. (491 Words)

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19. Content
Short Notes
1 The Medieval Poet Chaucer 1
2 A Study of Spenser 8
3 The Metaphysical Poets: Donne, Herbert 14
4 Studying Milton 21
5 The Neoclassical Poets: Dryden and Pope 25
6 The Romantic Poets: Blake, Wordsworth & Coleridge 28
7
The Second-Generation Romantic Poets: Shelley &
Keats
33
8
The Victorian Poets: Browning, D.G. and Christina
Rossetti & Oscar Wilde
36
9 The Modernist Poets 45
10
Some Modernist and Postmodernist Poets: Dylan
Thomas, Philip Larkin & Sylvia Plath
49

20. 1
Chapter 1
The Medieval Poet Chaucer
Quick Facts
Title Canterbury Tales
Poet Chaucer
Type of Work Poetry
Genre Epic Poetry, Satire
Language English
Written 1387 – 1400
Published 1400
Age Medieval Age
1.1 Chaucer (1343 – 1400)
• English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the unfinished work, ‘The
Canterbury Tales’
• Considered as one of the greatest poetic works in English
• Public servant of Countess Elizabeth of Ulster and continued in that
capacity with the British court throughout his lifetime
• Was the first to be buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner
Famous Works
• The Canterbury Tales
• Troilus and Cressida
• Anelida and Arcite
1.2 Canterbury Tales Literary and Historical Significance
The Canterbury Tales is one of the best loved works in the history of English
literature. Written in Middle English, the story follows a group of pilgrims who
are travelling the long journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. Setting off
from a London inn, the innkeeper suggests that during the journey each pilgrim
should tell two tales to help pass the time. The best storyteller, he says, will be
rewarded with a free supper on his return.
Chaucer introduces us to a vivid cast of characters, including a carpenter, a cook,
a knight, a monk, a prioress, a haberdasher, a dyer, a clerk, a merchant and a very
bawdy miller. These characters come from all corners of 14th
century society, and
give Chaucer the chance to speak in many different voices. Some of the
characters’ tales are humorous, rude and naughty, while others have morals and
are reflective.

21. Short Notes
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The text is in Middle English, a version of English spoken in what is present-day
England from approximately 1100 to 1500.
1.3 Canterbury Tales Plot Summary
One spring day, the Narrator of The Canterbury Tales rents a room at the Tabard
Inn before he continues his journey to Canterbury.
That evening, a group of people arrive at the inn. These 29 pilgrims are travelling
to Canterbury to receive the blessings of “the holy blissful martyr,” St. Thomas à
Becket. The travelers were a diverse group who are also on their way to
Canterbury. They happily agreed to let him join them. The Host at the inn, Harry

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Bailey, suggests that, to make the trip to Canterbury pass more pleasant, each
member should narrate two tales on the journey to Canterbury and two more tales
on the journey back.
• The Knight tells the first tale, about two knights who fall in love with the
same woman
• The Miller tells a funny, crude story about an old carpenter who has a
young wife
• Reeve, the offended carpenter pays the Miller back by telling a story
about a dishonest miller
• Cook tells a story of a young apprentice with a weakness for gambling,
but the story remains unfinished
• Man of Law tells a story about Constance, daughter of the Roman
emperor
• The Wife of Bath tells a story about a knight who is sentenced to death
for rape
• The Friar tells a story about a dishonest summoner, who makes a deal
with a Fiend from Hell and ends up being taken there
• The Clerk’s story focuses on a wife of unending patience and obedience
to her husband
• The Merchant tells a story about an unfaithful young wife
• The Squire tells a story about a beautiful young woman whose magic
ring allows her to understand the speech of animals
• The Franklin tells a story about a faithful wife who is nearly, but not
tricked into unfaithfulness
• The Physician tale is about a beautiful young woman who must choose
between death and dishonor
• The Pardoner tells a story about three young men who meet Death
• The Shipman’s tale is of a merchant whose wife has an affair with a
monk
• The Prioress tells of a young boy who sings, miraculously, after he is
FICTIONAL tale of 29 pilgrims traveling to and from Canterbury
A series of stories within a story, The Canterbury Tales are actually
the “tales” told by the pilgrims on their trip
Chaucer’s original plan was to have each pilgrim tell 4 stories (2 on
the way, 2 on the way back), but he died after completing only 24

23. Short Notes
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dead
• Next, Chaucer tells a story that is more of a long argument about whether
revenge should be taken to repay a violent act
• The Monk then tells a long string of short stories about how powerful
people are brought low
• The Nun’s priest narrates a fable about a rooster and a fox
• The Second Nun then tells the story of Saint Cecilia, a Christian martyr
• The Parson gives a sermon about sin and forgiveness
• Finally, Chaucer apologizes for his work and asks forgiveness of anyone
who is offended by his tales
1.4 The General Prologue Summary
One spring day, the Narrator of The Canterbury Tales rents a room at the Tabard
Inn before he continues his journey to Canterbury. That evening, a group of people
arrive at the inn. These 29 pilgrims are travelling to Canterbury to receive the
blessings of “the holy blissful martyr,” St. Thomas à Becket. The travelers were
a diverse group who were also on their way to Canterbury. They happily agreed
to let him join them. The Host at the inn, Harry Bailey, suggests that, to make the
trip to Canterbury pass more pleasant, each member should narrate two tales on
the journey to Canterbury and two more tales on the journey back.

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1.5 The Knights Tale Summary
The Knight’s Tale is the story of Palamon and Arcite. They are captured by
Theseus, the king of Thebes, and imprisoned in a tower together. The tower has
one window, which the knights spend their days looking out of.
One day, they see Emilye, the queen’s young sister, walking in her garden. Both
Palamon and Arcite fall in love with her instantly Several years later, Arcite
manages to escape the tower with the help of a friend. Meanwhile, Palamon
spends several more years in prison before escaping.
Palamon and Arcite are each given one year to build an army and return to Thebes.
They agree to have a tournament in which the winner of the tournament will
receive Emilye’s hand in marriage.
The next day, the tournament begins. After much fighting, Arcite emerges as the
winner of the tournament, but he is thrown from his horse and suffers a fatal
injury. On his deathbed, he announces his wish for Palamon to marry Emilye.
1.6 The Nun’s Priest’s Tale Summary
The Nun’s Priest’s tale is a Fable. A poor widow and her daughters owned a small
cottage with a fenced-in yard, where they kept a number of chickens, including a
rooster named Chanticleer, who was described as very beautiful.
Chanticleer had seven wives (the hens), his favorite of whom was called Pertelote.
One morning, Chanticleer wakes up from a bad dream and describes it to
Pertelote. He dreamed that while walking around the yard, he was attacked by an
animal like a hound.
Pertelote makes fun of Chanticleer for this. Near the end of March, Chanticleer is
strutting about in the yard with the hens when a fox breaks through the fence into
the yard.
The fox watches Chanticleer for a while, then addresses the rooster, claiming to
be his friend. He asks Chanticleer if he can sing like his father did.
When Chanticleer starts to demonstrate his singing, the fox grabs him by the
throat and runs off into the woods. The poor widow, her daughters, and the
townspeople chase the fox.
Chanticleer convinces the fox to turn and curse at the people chasing him, but
when the fox opens his mouth, Chanticleer jumps free and flies up into a tree. The
fox tries to convince Chanticleer to come down, but to no avail.

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1.7 Characters
1.8 Themes
1.8.1 Women and Society
Several of the Canterbury Tales explore questions of what roles women should
play in society, what power or choices were available to them, and what results

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these situations produced.
1.8.2 Christianity
The setting for the Tales as a whole is on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury,
and ends with a “Retraction” that begs God’s forgiveness.
1.8.3 Love, Sex, and Fellowship
Chaucer explores human relationships. The tales discuss brotherly love and the
betrayal of it, as well as the partnerships among thieves and rogues.
1.8.4 Social Class
The diverse social classes of the pilgrims are an important part of the Prologue.
The stereotypes about these classes and the conflicts between them emerge in the
frame story and individual tales.