Studies in English Language and Literature

  William Wordsworth’s The Solitary Reaper is said to be a ballad that tells us of the enigma of the reaper’s song, which the Romantic Nature poet endeavours to figure out. She and her sweet melody are considered to be a part and parcel of Nature altogether. In this connection, we must note that ‘reaping’ connotes ‘the cutting and collecting of the grains’. In the first stanza of the poem, we come to know that the speaker of the poem tells the readers to watch the lonely reaper girl in the field. He draws our attention to the “solitary Highland Lass”. The very word ‘Highland’ indicates that it was a mountainous region that has been used as the backdrop of the poem. ‘Yon’ means ‘yonder’ or ‘over there’ or ‘at a distance within vision’. The reaper girl, while gathering the grains, keeps “singing by herself”. She is nonchalant to the world of riches and complexity. She is pure, she is simple, and she is contented. Her mesmerising melody soothes the heart of the speaker. Although he...

Today, let us discuss about a few single word expressions or one word substitutions in a nutshell: Agoraphobia: the fear of being in an open place Altruist: one who is very unselfish by nature Amnesia: one kind of forgetfulness Amnesty: a usual pardon for offenders Antagonist: the opponent to a protagonist Anthology: a collection of poems Anthropology: the study of birds Apiculture: the science of keeping bees Atheist: who believes that there is no God Author: who writes a book Autobiography: an account of one’s own life written by oneself Bacon: the meat of the backside of a hog Bibliography: a list of the source materials mentioned which are consulted in a writing Biblioklept: a person who steals books Bibliophile: one who loves books Biography: an account of one’s life written by someone else Bovine: related to cows, bulls, oxen, buffaloes etc. Bursar: one who is a treasurer in a college or in a university Canine: related to dogs Cannibal: one...

Today, we shall learn, in a nutshell, the basic differences between a homonym and a homophone . Homonyms When two or more words have the same spelling as well as the same pronunciation, although they are different in meaning as well as in origin, those words are called to be homonyms . Examples: Can you hear the screeching sound of the bats ? [Here, the word ‘bat’ (‘bats’ in plural) refers to one kind of living being. Bats are mammals.] Hold your cricket bat properly. [Here, the word ‘bat’ means equipment for sports.] This bag is very light ; so, we can carry it easily. [Here, the word ‘light’ refers to something lightweight or not heavy.] The sun gives us light , warmth and life. [Here, the word ‘light’ refers to the sunbeams that illuminate the world.] Homophones When two or more words have the same pronunciation, though they are different in spelling, meaning and origin, those words are known to be homophones . Examples: Add two spoons of sugar to the food. ...

  Today, in our discussion, we shall learn about Countable Nouns and Uncountable Nouns. As we see, the root word of these two words—‘Countable’ and ‘Uncountable’—‘count’. Hence, those nouns that we can count in number (like 1, 2, 3 etc.) are called Countable Nouns. Again, those nouns that we cannot count are called Uncountable Nouns. Why not look at the following examples? Examples of Countable Nouns: man, boy, sheep, ship, egg, star, sheet of paper, grain of sand, a bottle of water, an act of kindness, a glass of milk, a drop of water, etc. Examples of Uncountable Nouns: rice, sand, water, honesty, modesty, dust, milk, paper, some egg, etc. Let’s take a glance at the following sentences: 1.      Add two eggs to this batter. ( Countable ) There is some egg on your frock. ( Uncountable ) 2.      Give me some water , please. ( Uncountable ) Little drops of water make the mighty ocean. ( Countable ) 3.      We...