Studies in English Language and Literature

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s love for India whispered into his ears to pay a homage to the land with the aid of his poem,  To India, My Native Land .  He is the first poet of Modern India to express his fiercely intense patriotism in poetry.  To India, My Native Land is a magnificent sonnet that depicts his pure patriotism. This sonnet also delineates his utmost will to emancipate India from the British bondage. In this patriotic poem, the speaker persona recalls India's past glory before the era of British bondage. She was suffused with name and fame, only glory but no worry during those days. She was over brimmed with cultural and spiritual richness at that time. Anyway, after the British reign, such abstracts went away in the twinkling of an eye. She became bereft of all such richness. In this poem, we come across rhetorical questions. Again, the image of eagle in this poem symbolise the royalty of the land in the then times. Dust  epitomises death, decay

In Derek Walcott’s play Dream on Monkey Mountain , we come across the character of Corporal Lestrade as well as the character of Makak. Makak is an older black man. He is the protagonist of the play. He used to live alone on the Monkey Mountain. There is a search for one’s own identity in the play. The play opens in a small West Indian jail. In the play, t he action occurs in  real as well as in imagined locations. The most real place is the jail. Again, on the other hand, Makak is a dreamer and full of human emotions to some extent. On a country road, Makak heals a sick man. This act throws ample light to his sense of humanity.  The play has been given manifold interpretations. by many critics. Some of the interpreters have compared Makak to Christ, while the others have stressed on his name meaning ‘monkey’. The play depicts African myths and customs. Corporal Lestrade was pretty oppressing. He cannot accept his lack of identity. Since he is a Mulatto or a M