Special relativity - special relativity

In physics, special relativity (SR, also known as the special theory of relativity or STR) is the generally accepted physical theory regarding the relationship between space and time. It is based on two postulates: (1) that the laws of physics are invariant (i.e. identical) in all inertial systems (non-accelerating frames of reference); and (2) that the speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of the motion of the light source. It was originally proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in the paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies". The inconsistency of Newtonian mechanics with Maxwell’s equations of electromagnetism and the inability to discover Earth's motion through a luminiferous aether led to the development of special relativity, which corrects mechanics to handle situations involving motions nearing the speed of light. As of today, special relativity is the most accurate model of motion at any speed. Even so, Newtonian mechanics is still useful (due to its simplicity and high accuracy) as an approximation at small velocities relative to the speed of light.

Special relativity implies a wide range of consequences, which have been experimentally verified, including length contraction, time dilation, relativistic mass, mass–energy equivalence, a universal speed limit, and relativity of simultaneity. It has replaced the conventional notion of an absolute universal time with the notion of a time that is dependent on reference frame and spatial position. Rather than an invariant time interval between two events, there is an invariant spacetime interval. Combined with other laws of physics, the two postulates of special relativity predict the equivalence of mass and energy, as expressed in the mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc², where c is the speed of light in vacuum.

A defining feature of special relativity is the replacement of the Galilean transformations of Newtonian mechanics with the Lorentz transformations. Time and space cannot be defined separately from each other. Rather space and time are interwoven into a single continuum known as space time. Events that occur at the same time for one observer could occur at different times for another.

The theory is "special" in that it only applies the principle of relativity to the special case of inertial reference frames. Einstein published his treatment of the general case – general relativity, where the principle is equipped to handle generalized coordinate transformations and the effects of gravity – in 1915.

As Galilean relativity is now considered an approximation of special relativity that is valid for low speeds, special relativity is considered an approximation of general relativity that is valid for weak gravitational fields, i.e. at a sufficiently small scale and in conditions of free fall. Whereas general relativity incorporates noneuclidean geometry in order to represent gravitational effects as the geometric curvature of spacetime, special relativity is restricted to the flat space time known as Minkowski space. A locally Lorentz-invariant frame that abides by special relativity can be defined at sufficiently small scales, even in curved space time.

Galileo Galilei had already postulated that there is no absolute and well-defined state of rest (no privileged reference frames), a principle now called Galileo's principle of relativity. Einstein extended this principle so that it accounted for the constant speed of light, a phenomenon that had been recently observed in the Michelson–Morley experiment. He also postulated that it holds for all the laws of physics, including both the laws of mechanics and of electrodynamics

Gravity - natural phenomenon

gravity (or gravitation) is a natural phenomenon by which all things attract one another including stars, planets, galaxies and even light and sub-atomic particles. Gravity is responsible for the formation of the universe (e.g. creating spheres of hydrogen, igniting them under pressure to form stars and grouping them in to galaxies). Gravity is a cause of time dilation (time lapses more slowly in strong gravitation). Without gravity, the universe would be without thermal energy and composed only of equally spaced particles. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects and causes the tides. Gravity has an infinite range, and it cannot be absorbed, transformed, or shielded against.

Gravity is most accurately described by the general theory of relativity (proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915) which describes gravity, not as a force, but as a consequence of the curvature of space time caused by the uneven distribution of mass/energy. For most applications, gravity is well approximated by Newton's law of universal gravitation, which postulates that the gravitational force of two bodies of mass is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental interactions of nature. The gravitational force is approximately 10⁻³⁸ times the strength of the strong force (i.e. gravity is 38 orders of magnitude weaker), 10⁻³⁶ times the strength of the electromagnetic force, and 10⁻²⁹ times the strength of the weak force. As a consequence, gravity has a negligible influence on the behavior of sub-atomic particles, and plays no role in determining the internal properties of everyday matter. On the other hand, gravity is the dominant force at the macroscopic scale, that is the cause of the formation, shape, and trajectory (orbit) of astronomical bodies, including those of asteroids, comets, planets, stars, and galaxies. It is responsible for causing the Earth and the other planets to orbit the Sun; for causing the Moon to orbit the Earth; for the formation of tides; for natural convection, by which fluid flow occurs under the influence of a density gradient and gravity; for heating the interiors of forming stars and planets to very high temperatures; for solar system, galaxy, stellar formation and evolution; and for various other phenomena observed on Earth and throughout the universe.

In pursuit of a theory of everything, the merging of general relativity and quantum mechanics (or quantum field theory) into a more general theory of quantum gravity has become an area of research.

What is Personality ?

Personality has to do with individual differences among people in behaviour patterns, cognition and emotion. Different personality theorists present their own definitions of the word based on their theoretical positions.Individual differences in personality have many real life consequences.

The term "personality trait" refers to enduring personal characteristics that are revealed in a particular pattern of behaviour in a variety of situations.Personality can be determined through a variety of tests, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2), Rorschach Inkblot test, Neurotic Personality Questionnaire KON-2006  or the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The most popular technique is the self-report inventory — a series of answers to a questionnaire that asks participants to indicate the extent to which sets of statements or adjectives accurately describe their own behavior or mental state.

The study of personality started with Hippocrates' four humours and gave rise to four temperaments. The explanation was further refined by his successor Galen during the second century CE. The "Four Humours" theory held that a person's personality was based on the balance of bodily humours; yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood.Choleric people were characterized as having an excess of yellow bile, making them irascible. High levels of black bile were held to induce melancholy, signified by a sombre, gloomy, pessimistic outlook. Phlegmatic people were thought to have an excess of phlegm, leading to their sluggish, calm temperaments. Finally, people thought to have high levels of blood were said to be sanguine and were characterized by their cheerful, passionate dispositions.

what is confidence ?

Confidence is generally described as a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Self-confidence is having confidence in oneself. Arrogance or hubris in this comparison is having unmerited confidence—believing something or someone is capable or correct when they are not. Overconfidence or presumptuousness is excessive belief in someone (or something) succeeding, without any regard for failure. Confidence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy as those without it may fail or not try because they lack it and those with it may succeed because they have it rather than because of an innate ability.

Self-confidence does not necessarily imply "self-belief" or a belief in one's ability to succeed. For instance, one may be inept at a particular sport or activity, but remain "confident" in one's demeanor, simply because one does not place a great deal of emphasis on the outcome of the activity. When one does not dwell on negative consequences one can be more "self-confident" because one is worrying far less about failure or the disapproval of others following potential failure. One is then more likely to focus on the actual situation which means that enjoyment and success in that situation is also more probable. Belief in one's abilities to perform an activity comes through successful experience and may add to, or consolidate, a general sense of self-confidence. Studies have also found a link between high levels of confidence and wages. Seemingly, those who self-report they were confident earlier in schooling earned better wages and were promoted more quickly over the life course

DIEGO FORLAN CORAZZO - FOOTBALLER

Diego Forlán Corazzo ( born 19 May 1979) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays as a forward for Cerezo Osaka in Japan. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup. He was also the former leading scorer for the Uruguayan national team only to be dethroned by Luis Suárez.

Forlán was born into a family of footballers – his father Pablo having played for São Paulo (1970–1975) and Uruguay in the 1966 and 1974 World Cups and his maternal grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, for Independiente in Argentina.

Forlán joined Independiente himself after rising through their youth team, and after a successful four-year spell, he signed for Manchester United of England. His form for United was not as successful as at Independiente, although he won the Premier League in 2002–03 and the FA Cup in 2003–04. In the summer of 2004, he moved on to Spanish side Villarreal.

In his first season in Spanish football with Villarreal, Forlán scored 25 league goals and won the Pichichi Trophy. After two more successful seasons with Villarreal, Forlán joined Atlético Madrid, where he once again became the league's top scorer, and became the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy twice since Ronaldo achieved this feat in the 2003–04 season. Forlán scored in Atlético's 2010 Europa League final victory against Fulham. In 2011, he joined Internazionale of Italy before moving to Internacional in 2012.

Forlán also has a successful international career, having scored record 33 times for his country since his 2002 debut. He scored once at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He was the joint top scorer by scoring five times at the 2010 World Cup, in which he scored twice against the host nation South Africa, once against Ghana in the quarter-finals, once against the Netherlands in the semi-finals and once against Germany in the third place play-off. Despite being the joint top scorer in the tournament, Forlán did not receive an award for his goals due to tiebreakers. Forlán was however recognised with the Golden Ball award, given to the best player at the tournament.

On 12 July 2011, at the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, Forlán earned his 79th international cap, against Mexico, breaking the record held by former goalkeeper Rodolfo Rodríguez since 1986. On 20 June 2013, in a match against Nigeria at the 2013 Confederations Cup, he became the first Uruguayan to win 100 caps. Forlán was Uruguay's all-time leading top scorer at international level until Luis Suárez overtook him on 23 June 2013. He retired from international football on 11 March 2015.

MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF STRESS - TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE EVERYDAY STRESS

When we face a stressful event, our bodies respond by activating the nervous system and releasing hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones cause physical changes in the body which help us to react quickly and effectively to get through the stressful situation. This is sometimes called the ‘fight or flight’ response. The hormones increase our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, metabolism and muscle tension. Our pupils dilate and our perspiration rate increases. While these physical changes help us try to meet the challenges of the stressful situation, they can cause other physical or psychological symptoms if the stress is ongoing and the physical changes don’t settle down.

These symptoms can include: 

• Headaches, other aches and pains • Sleep disturbance, insomnia • Upset stomach, indigestion, diarrhoea • Anxiety • Anger, irritability • Depression • Fatigue • Feeling overwhelmed and out of control • Feeling moody, tearful • Difficulty concentrating • Low self-esteem, lack of confidence • High blood pressure • Weakened immune system • Heart disease

TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE EVERYDAY STRESS

  Identify warning signs and triggers of stress.  Establish effective and meaningful routines.  Find time with people who care and love.  Practice relaxation and find time for meditation, yoga and exercises to improve concentration.  Notice self talk- avoid negative self talk and develop positive self talk.  Improve self control.  Do self assessment  Be assertive to express your views, feelings and thoughts whenever necessary.  Learn effective conflict resolution skills  Manage your emotions and develop EQ.  Set effective time management.  Prepare work schedule and give priority to most urgent/important work.  Select/choose work according to your capacity and ability.  Practice good health habits and maintain good health.  Develop effective communication and maintain healthy inter personal relationship.  Develop empathetic attitudes.  Identify your strength and limitations.

"Good stress is quite useful and necessary" ?

To a scientist, stress is any action or situation that places special physical or psychological demands upon a person, anything that can unbalance his individual equilibrium. And while the physiological response to such demand is surprisingly uniform, the forms of stress are innumerable. Stress may be even but unconscious like the noise of a city or the daily chore of driving the car. Perhaps the one incontestable statement that can be made about stress is that it belongs to every one to businessmen and professors, to mother and their children, to factory workers. Stress is a part of fabric of life.

 Nothing can isolate stress from human beings as is evident from various researches and studies.Stress can be managed but not simply done away with. Today, widely accepted ideas about stress are challenged by new research, and conclusions once firmly established may be turned completely around. The latest evidence suggested (Ogden Tanner,1979): - - Some stress is necessary to the well being and a lack can be harmful. - Stress definitely causes some serious ailments. -Severe stress makes people accident-prone.

The concept of stress was first introduced in the life science by Hans Selye in 1936. It is a concept borrowed from the natural sciences. Derived from the Latin word ‘Sringere’, stress was popularly used in the seventeenth century to mean hardship, strain, adversity or affliction. It was used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to denote force, pressure, strain or strong effort with reference to an object or person. Stress is a complex phenomenon. It is very subjective experience. What may be challenge for one will be a stress or for another. It depends largely on background experiences, temperament and environmental conditions. Stress is a part of life and is generated by constantly changing situations that a person must face. The term stress refers to an internal state, which results from frustrating or unsatisfying conditions. A certain level of stress is unavoidable. Because of its complex nature stress has been studied for many years by researchers in psychology, sociology and medicine.

 Usually when people discuss stress, they are talking about bad stress. And of these two types, this site also mainly focuses on management of the bad kind, but it’s also important to understand that some stress is good for you. Good stress (also called "eustress") can get your blood flowing and help you through situations when you need an extra push. An example of this is the extra strength and anxiety you may feel before a big presentation or meeting. 

The anxiety and excitement of it can be beneficial to help you accomplish the things you need to accomplish in work and in many other parts of your life. Good stress is generally under-discussed because many of us are too focused on the bad stress in our lives to remember and fully experience the good. This is why it is so important to recognize these two very different types of stress, and figure out how to distinguish between the two, and utilize the good to motivate you. Good stress is generally under-discussed because many of us are too focused on the bad stress in our lives to remember and fully experience the good. This is why it is so important to recognize these two very different types of stress, and figure out how to distinguish between the two, and utilize the good to motivate you. We all experience both types. For obvious reasons, 

we wouldn't want to eliminate the good, and it's nearly impossible to completely eliminate the bad (also known as "dis-stress"). But it is more than possible to get a handle on the bad stress and live a very happy, less-stressful life. Like good stress, bad stress is also a physical and emotional feeling and reaction caused by many different events or changes (real or imagined) in our lives. However, gone untreated, or unmanaged, this type can lead to very serious mental and physical problems

ANECDOTE OF THE JAR ( poem) - Wallace Stevens - ANALYSIS OF THE POEM

Wallace Stevens is one of America's most respected poets. He was a master stylist, employing an extraordinary vocabulary and a rigorous precision in crafting his poems. But he was also a philosopher of aesthetics, vigorously exploring the notion of poetry as the supreme fusion of the creative imagination and objective reality. Because of the extreme technical and thematic complexity of his work, Stevens was sometimes considered a willfully difficult poet. But he was also acknowledged as an eminent abstractionist and a provocative thinker, and that reputation has continued since his death. In 1975, for instance, noted literary critic Harold Bloom called him "the best and most representative American poet of our time.

The poem is about a single subject –the relation between imagination and reality. His view is that it is the man who imposes some kind of order upon nature through his artistic creation (jar). In many of the poems he tries to resolve the conflict between reality and imagination as it appeared to him. Ultimately, he found that reality is indispensable to a poet while composing verses, but his imagination has the right to play upon reality and even transform it when necessary. The idea is that art which is the product of imagination can impose order upon a chaotic state of affairs. But Steven’s modernist austerity nakedly reveals that his theme is power. In an American context the poem engages with Emerson's Transcendentalist emphasis on the possessive power of the eye The poem celebrates a moment of aesthetic triumph. 

The poet transfers his own imaginative activity to an inhuman medium-jar. It serves as an extension of the poet’s own drive to order, but it achieves dominion over the chaotic wilderness precisely because it is inanimate. The jar in Tennessee represents a purely formal principle of order and this kind of order cannot satisfy the deepest needs of Stevens’ imagination. The jar is not placed in Tennessee, on the hills of Tennessee. 

The jar is round upon a rounded piece of ground, a hill. Hills are calmer and softer than the mountains. We can imagine that this jar is sitting perfectly on the crust of the hill. The jar is looking down upon everything around it and it is affecting the world around it. There is a lot of wilderness around the place where the jar is placed. This place is slovenly unclean and unmaintained. As the jar is placed on the hill, we can imagine that the crust of that hill is bare and grey.

 The wilderness-the trees, vines, birds, shrunk and rabbits around the hill are being raised up to the hill. There is something man made in the wilderness now, tarnishing its purity. It could also be a statement about how men and manmade objects often overtake the wild and the natural. Being placed on the top of a hill the jar gives an apex of human purpose through nature.

 But the jar asserts authority even more through the implied design of its own rotundity. It is the design of a created object embodying a human, cultural purpose. "Anecdote of a Jar" is a metaphor about the magnetic power of mind and art to order a void (and the void). Stress is laid upon its non- naturalness to accentuate the crucial power of artistic and thus human purpose. Art (mind) governs its antithesis, nature—"It took dominion everywhere," even, indeed, especially, in a non- civilized, non-human place.

I HEAR AMERICA SINGING( poem) - Walt Whitman - Summary :

Walt Whitman is a famous American poet. He was a prophet of democracy. Whitman is considered as the father of free verse. Walt Whitman is a typical American poet. He always breaks away from the tradition and creates a new trial.

The poem underscores Whitman’s basic attitude towards America ,which is part of his ideal human life. The American nation has based its faith on the creativeness of labour which is glorified in the poem. The catalogue of craftsmen covers not only the length and breadth of the American continent but also the large and varied field of American achievement. This poem expresses Whitman’s love of America-its vitality, variety and the massive achievement which is the outcome of the creative endeavor of its entire people. It also illustrates Whitman’s technique of using catalogues consisting of a list of people. The poet hears the varied carols of all the people who contribute to the life and culture of America. 

The mechanic, the carpenter, the mason, the boatman, the shoe maker and the wood cutter all join in the chorus of the nation. The singing of the mother, the wife and the girl at work expresses their joy and their feeling of fruition. They are highly individualistic men and women. Each person sings ‘what belongs to him or her and to none else.’ At night young men sing loud ‘melodious ‘ songs. All of the workers mentioned are that of the labour class, they do manual labour not desk work. Most likely they all ‘sing’ because the work they do causes some sort of sound. Whitman is emphasising that each man can have pride in what he does, even if he doesn’t make a lot of money .Each one is important to contribute to the strength of this country. He recognises the value of women’s work. Whitman shows the value of work in the American society. 

This poem elucidates that an individual had a particular role to play on the society in which he\she thrives. He encourages industry in America to be heard as something pleasant ,as a chorus of many songs. The poet decides to glorify and celebrate work as well as a perception of nationalism. Whitman is celebrating the greatness of America by celebrating the greatness of its individuals. The democratic nature of Whitman’s poetry is reflected by his subject matter .He celebrates mechanics, carpenter s, masons, mothers-the type of people usually not discussed in poems. For Whitman, it is the individual freedom that allows him to be great.

Human Nature - SOCIOLOGY

Human beings are physical objects, according to Hobbes, sophisticated machines all of whose functions and activities can be described and explained in purely mechanistic terms. In Hobbes‘s view, human beings are governed by a selfish and “perpetual and restless desire for power after power”. This lust for individual power continues until death .Specific desires and appetites arise in the human body and are experienced as discomforts or pains which must be overcome. Thus, each of us is motivated to act in such ways as we believe likely to relieve our discomfort, to preserve and promote our own well-being. Everything we choose to do is strictly determined by this natural inclination to relieve the physical pressures that impinge upon our bodies.

 Human volition is nothing but the determination of the will by the strongest present desire. This account of human nature emphasizes our animal nature, leaving each of us to live independently of everyone else, acting only in his or her own self-interest, without regard for others. This produces what he called the "state of war," a way of life that is certain to prove "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." The only escape is by entering into contracts with each other—mutually beneficial agreements to surrender our individual interests in order to achieve the advantages of security that only a social existence can provide. According to Hobbes, the lives of individuals in the state of nature were "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short", a state in which self-interest and the absence of rights and contracts prevented the 'social', or society. Life was 'anarchic' (without leadership or the concept of sovereignty). Individuals in the state of nature were a political and a social. This state of nature is followed by the social contract. 

The social contract was an 'occurrence' during which individuals came together and ceded some of their individual rights so that others would cede theirs (e.g. person A gives up his/her right to kill person B if person B does the same). This resulted in the establishment of the state, a sovereign entity like the individuals now under its rule used to be, which would create laws to regulate social interactions. Human life was thus no longer "a war of all against all". But the state system, which grew out of the social contract, was also anarchic (without leadership) with respect to each other. Just like the state of nature, states were thus bound to be in conflict because there was no sovereign over and above the state (i.e. more powerful) capable of imposing some system such as social-contract laws on everyone by force.

NOBEL PRIZE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH , Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist Minister and one of America’s greatest Human Rights Activists. He supported non-violent racial integration in America and founded the Southern Leadership Conference to provide new leadership for the Afro-American Civil Rights Movements. King travelled over six million miles and spoke over 2500 times, from 1957 to 1968, protesting against injustice. In 1963 he won Time Magazine’s Man of the Year Award and in 1964 he became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Prize for peace. His works include Why we can’t wait, Where do we go from here and Chaos and Community.

 This speech was delivered by King on 10 – 12 – 1964 at the University of Oslo and it is considered as one among the great speeches delivered in the history of the world.King begins his speech by saying that he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the 22 million Negroes of America who are engaged in the Civil Rights Movement to end racial injustice and to establish the rule of freedom and justice. He is aware that in many places like Bermingham,

 Philadelphia and Mississipi peaceful protesters were brutally attacked and murdered and many houses of worship in the state of Mississipi were bombed and burned because they offered sanctuary to those in protest against racial segregation. He is also mindful of the fact that his people have been chained down by poverty and that the movement for peace and brotherhood has not yet won its goal which is the essence of the Nobel Prize. King feels that the award is a profound recognition that non-violence is the answer to the political and moral problems of our times. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. The negroes of America, like the people of India have shown that non-violence is not a sterile passivity but a moral force that can transform society.

 The people of the world will soon have to find a way to live together in peace. To do this the people must reject revenge and aggression and take the path of love and progress like the Negroes of America. This path has opened a new era of hope for all Americans. It has lead to a new Civil Rights Bill and King is sure that it will bring justice to all in future. King has great faith in the future of America and of all mankind. He does not think that man is doomed to war violence and despair; drifting in the current of life incapable of influencing and shaping the events around him. Thermonuclear destruction cannot be the future reality of the nations of the world. Unarmed truth and love will triumph over evil in the end.

 He expresses the hope that wounded justice will one day rise to glory and the world destroyed by self-centered men will be rebuilt by “Men other-centered”. The promise of an ideal world given in the Bible (Isaiah. 11:6) will then be fulfilled. He also says that this hope and faith will give courage to his people to face present uncertainties and to carry on the struggle for freedom and justice.In concluding the speech, King comments that he accepts the award as a trustee of all those who love peace and brotherhood. He remembers the sacrifices of such leaders as chief (Albert) Lutuli of South Africa and also the suffering and dedication of the countless unknown people who have contributed to the struggle for freedom and peace. The award honours them all and they will be remembered by future generations as the makers of a better world.

WHAT IA A SHORT STORY ?

A short story is a concise form of prose fiction. Stories, myths and fairy tales of ancient times and middle ages can be considered as the precursors of modern short story. Unlike an anecdote, the unelaborated narration of a single incident, short story organizes the action, thought and dialogue of its characters into the pattern of a proper plot. The plot may be comic, tragic, romantic or satiric presented from one of many points of view using the narrative mode of fantasy, realism or naturalism. The short narrative is one of the oldest literary forms. For instance, the Hebrew bible has stories of Jonah, Ruth and Esther. Also the device of Frame- story; a narrative frame within which one or more of the characters proceeds to tell a series of short narratives ( E.g.: Boccaccio's Deccameron, 

The Arabian Nights & Canterbury Tales) has the elements of modern short story in it. The short story emerged as a more or less independent text type at the end of the eighteenth century along with the development of the novel and the newspaper. Regularly issued magazines of the 19th century such as Tatler and Spectator provided an ideal medium for their publication. The short story differs from the novel in its magnitude or length. Edgar Allen Poe, who is referred to as the originator as well as the father of modern short story defines short story as a narrative which can be read at one sitting of from half an hour to two hours, and is limited to a “ certain unique or single effect” to which every detail is subordinate. Due to this limitation of length short story writer introduces a very limited number of characters and focuses on one central moment of action. 

The action of the short story, therefore often commences close to the climax, in medias res ( in the middle of the matter) , minimizes both prior exposition and the details of the setting. The central incident is presented in such a way to manifest the protagonist's life and characters to the maximum. Short stories tend to be less complex than novels. Usually a short story focuses on one incident; has a single plot, a single setting, and a small number of characters; and covers a short period of time. In the tale or “story of incident” the focus is on the course and the results of an event as in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Golden Bug where as the story of character deals with the state of mind or the psychological and moral qualities of the protagonist. When short stories intend to convey a specific ethical or moral perspective, they fall into a more specific sub- category called parables (or fables). This specific kind of short story has been used by spiritual and religious leaders worldwide to inspire, enlighten, and educate their followers. Short stories date back to oral story-telling traditions which originally produced epics such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. 

Oral narratives were often told in the form of rhyming or rhythmic verse, often including recurring sections or, in the case of Homer, Homeric epithets. Fables, succinct tales with an explicit "moral," said by the Greek historian Herodotus is said to have been invented in the 6th century BCE by a Greek slave named Aesop, though other times and nationalities have also been given for him. These ancient fables are today known as Aesop’s fables.The other ancient form of short story, the anecdote, was popular under the Roman Empire. Anecdotes functioned as a sort of parable, a brief realistic narrative that embodies a point. Many surviving Roman anecdotes were collected in the 13th or 14th century as the Gesta Romanorum. Anecdotes remained popular in Europe well into the 18th century, when the fictional anecdotal letters of Sir Roger de Coverley were published.In Europe, the oral story-telling tradition began to develop into written stories in the early 14th century, most notably with Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterburry Tales and Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron.

 Both of these books are composed of individual short stories (which range from farce or humorous anecdotes to well-crafted literary fictions) set within a larger narrative story (a frame story), although the frame-tale device was not adopted by all writers. At the end of the 16th century, some of the most popular short stories in Europe were the darkly tragic "novella" of Matteo Bandello (especially in their French translation). The mid 17th century in France saw the development of a refined short novel, the "nouvelle", by such authors as Madame de Lafayette. In the 1690s, traditional fairy tales began to be published (one of the most famous collections was by Charles Perrault). 

The appearance of Antoine Galland’s first modern translation of the Thousand and One Nights (or Arabian Nights) (from 1704; another translation appeared in 1710–12) would have an enormous influence on the 18th century European short stories of Voltaire, Diderot and others. The term short story covers a great diversity of prose fiction from a short short story (flash fiction) of perhaps five hundred words to a novelette or novella which is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. This form was especially exploited in Germany where it was introduced by Goethe in 1795.

 Among the early practitioners of short story were Washington Irving, Hawthorne and Poe in America, Sir Walter Scott and Mary Shelly in England, E.T.A Hoffmann in Germany Balzac in France and Gogol, Pushkin and Turgenev in Russia. Authors such as Charles Dickens, Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, William Trevor, Herman Hesse, Vladimir Nabakov, Virginia Woolf, Rudyard Kipling, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, P.G Wodehouse, J.D Salinger, H.P Lovecraft, D.H Lawrence, Thomas Mann, Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and Earnest Hemingway were highly accomplished writers of both short stories and novels

Developing self control

1) Asses your day to day life and identify in what areas of your life you need to gain more self- control. Where do you find yourself lacking in self-control

2) Try identifying the emotions that lack control, such as anger, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, resentment, pleasure or fear.

3) Identify the thoughts and beliefs that push you to behave in uncontrolled manner.

4) Several times a day, especially when you need to display self control, repeat for a minute or two one of the following affirmations: 

 I have the power to choose my emotions and thoughts. 

 Self-control brings me inner strength and leads me to success.

  Iam confident about my abilities and strengths 

 I am aware of my limitations 

 I am in charge of my behavior. 

 I am gaining control of my emotions and reactions

5) Visualize yourself acting with self-control and self-restraint. Take one of the instances where you usually act with lack of control, and visualize that you are acting calmly and with self- mastery.

6) Your self control will improve considerably, if you work on developing and strengthening your willpower and self-discipline through appropriate exercises.

This is actually the most important step for developing self control. Self control is vital for controlling and overcoming obsessions, fears, addictions and any kind of unsuitable behavior. It puts you in control of your life, your behavior and your reactions. It improves your relationships, develops patience and tolerance and is an important tool for attaining success and happiness.

SELF AWARENESS - perception of personality

Awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self Awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them in the moment. Self awareness means ‘a state of consciousness in which we focus our attention inward, upon ourselves. . Self-awareness is a cognitive process requiring integration of information from both external reality and inner experience. This is reflected in the definition of self-awareness as "the capacity to perceive the self in relatively objective terms whilst maintaining a sense of subjectivity" (Prigatano and Schacter 1991, 13).

 Therefore, self-awareness involves an interaction between thoughts and feelings. It is this subjective or affective component that distinguishes self- awareness from self-knowledge. In addition to an appreciation of one's present state (and how it differs from the pre-morbid state), self-awareness involves the ability to determine one's future state, or set realistic goals for the future. The ability to observe one’s behaviour, to be aware of one’s own actions, and to appreciate one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions, is now understood to be essential as a foundation for exceptional leadership. Leaders, who are self-aware, understand how their environment affects them and how they affect their environments. They know what affects them positively and negatively and how that impacts on their job performance (Shay, J. M., 2003). 

SELF ESTEEM

The term self-esteem comes from Greek word meaning “reverence for self.” The ‘self” part of self –esteem pertains to the values, beliefs and attitudes that we hold about ourselves. The esteem part of self-esteem describes the values and worth that one gives oneself. Simplistically self- esteem is the acceptance of ourselves for who and what we are at any given time in our lives. Self-esteem means pride in oneself self respect. Self-esteem can be defined as our basic sense of self-worth that comes from all the thoughts, feelings and experiences we have accumulated about ourselves in life, These impressions and evaluations add up to our feeling good about ourselves or feeling inadequate. 

Webster’s Dictionary defined self-esteem as “A confidence and satisfaction in oneself.” High self –esteem is the most positive phrase in the English language.In the simple sense self esteem means a confidence and satisfaction in oneself. Self-esteem is a state of mind or One’s positive image of self. Self-esteem is self – confidence, self-worth and self-respect. It involves respecting others, as well as feeling a sense of harmony and peace with in oneself. Self-esteem is not a fixed or static. It changes self-esteem does not happen overnight or by chance. It can be learned. In Psychology, 

The term self esteem is used to describe a person’s overall sense of self- worth or personal value. Self-esteem is often seen as a personality tract, which means that it tends to be stable and enduring. Self-esteem can involve a variety of beliefs about the self, such as the appraisal of one’s own appearance, beliefs, emotions and behaviour.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW

1. Be on time.

 2. Know the company and why you want to work there: learn as much as you can about the company’s mission, objectives, goals and future plans.

 3. Bring resumes: Your interviewer(s) will likely have a copy of your resume but bring spares. It shows you are prepared and serious about getting the job.

4. Dress in a clean conservative manner: Make sure you go into a job interview having showered and wearing clean clothes. If you like wearing cologne or perfume, don’t wear any on the day of interview. What is subtle smelling to you may be overwhelming to your interviewer. 

5. Don’t make jokes: Too many people think they are funny when in reality they are not. A job interview isn’t the place to test your material. Be friendly and outgoing, save the jokes.

 6. Don’t babble: When answering a question, answer the question. Don’t start out answering a question and then veer off to talk about something else. Make sure your answer directly reflects the question being asked. 

7. Don’t badmouth a boss: Bad mouthing a previous boss in a job interview is a huge negative. They may have been the worst boss in the world but expressing that in a job interview is a huge mistake.

 8. Don’t play with your face/hair: Interviews can be a nervous experience but rubbing your chin, twirling your hair, or anything else along those lines makes you look like you are lying or lacking confidence, both not good.

 9. Less is more: Sometimes certain details of your life are better left unsaid. 

10. Have good eye contact: Staring at the floor, ceiling or wall when speaking or listening makes you appear disinterested. Again, simple and obvious but happens way more then you had thought.

 11. Have goals: May be you don’t have any idea where you want to be in a few years professionally but figure out something to say. If you don’t and you’re asked, you appear unambitious, which leads an interviewer to think you’d be a lazy employee. 

12. Have accomplishment: Be prepared to talk about something that you’re proud of accomplishing, whether professionally or personally (or a failure and what you learned from it). 

13. Have passion: be able to express why you want to work in that field/industry and what you do to further your knowledge. The more intelligent or informed you are the more impressive you will look. 

14. Ask questions: At the end of the job interview make sure you have some questions to ask. If the interviewer doesn’t offer you chance, ask to ask. Again, it reinforces your strong interest in the job.

 15. Send a thank you note: it’s easy to send an email but take the extra effort to mail your interviewer a hand written thank you note. It reinforces your interest in the job. It doesn’t need to belong, just make it sincere.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking is the process of speaking to group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence or entertain the listeners. It is closely allied to ‘presenting’ although the latter has more of a commercial connotation. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as ‘who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?’ The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Public speaking can also be considered a discourse community. Interpersonal communication and public speaking have several components that embrace such things as motivational speaking, leadership/personal development, business, customer service, large group communication and mass communication. Public speaking can be a powerful tool to use for purposes such as motivation, influence, persuasion, informing, translation or simply entertaining.

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations.

1. Know your material: Pick a topic you are interested in. know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language-that way you won’t easily forget what to say.

 2. Practice: Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected. 

3. Know the audience: Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.

 4. Know the room: arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

 5. Relax: begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. transform nervous energy into enthusiasm. 

6. Visualize yourself giving your speech: Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping-it will boost your confidence. 

7. Realize that people want you to succeed: Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They are rooting for you. 

8. Don’t apologize: Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem-the audience probably never noticed it. 

9. Concentrate on the message-not the medium: Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience 

10. Gain experience: Mainly, your speech should represent you-as an authority and as a person. 

Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. Know the needs of your audience and match your contents to their needs.

Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence. Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Practice and rehearse your speech at home or where you can be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, your family, friends or colleagues. Use a tape-recorder and listen to yourself. Videotape your presentation and analyze it. Know what tour strong and weak points are. 

Emphasize your strong points during your presentation. When you are presenting in front of an audience, you are performing as an actor is on stage. How you are being perceived is very important. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Be solemn if your topic is serious. Present the desired image to your audience. Look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident, proud, but not arrogant. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Speak slowly, enunciate clearly and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic. 

Establish rapport with your audience. Speak to the person farthest away from you to ensure your voice is loud enough to project to the back of the room. Vary the tone of your voice and dramatize if necessary. If a microphone is available, adjust and adapt your voice accordingly. Body language is important. Standing, walking or moving about with appropriate hand gesture or facial expression is preferred to sitting down or standing still with head down and reading from a prepared speech. Use audio-visual aids or props for enhancement if appropriate and necessary. Master the use of presentation software such as power point well before your presentation. Do not over-dazzle your audience with excessive use of animation, sound clips, or gaudy colors which are inappropriate for your topic. Do not torture your audience by putting a lengthy document in tiny print on an overhead and reading it out to them. Speak with conviction as if you really believe in what you are saying. Persuade your audience effectively. The material you present orally should have the same ingredients as that which are required for a written research paper, i.e. a logical progression from INTRODUCTION (Thesis statement) to BODY (strong supporting arguments, accurate and up-to-date information) to CONCLUSION (restate thesis and logical conclusion). 

Do not read from notes for any extended length of time although it is quite acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently. Speak loudly and clearly. Sound confident. Do not mumble. If you made an error, correct it, and continue. No need to make excuses or apologize profusely. Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. Use the 3-second method, e.g. look straight into the eyes of a person in the audience for 3 seconds at a time. Have direct eye contact with a number of people in the audience, and every now and then glance at the whole audience while speaking.

 Use your eye contact to make everyone in your audience feel involved. Speak to your audience, listen to their questions, respond to their reactions, adjust and adapt. If what you have prepared is obviously not getting across to your audience change your strategy mid-stream if you are well prepared to do so. Remember that communication is the key to a successful presentation. If you are short of time, know what can be safely left out. If you have extra time, know what could be effectively added. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Pause, allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think.

 Don’t race through your presentation and leave your audience, as well as yourself, feeling out of breath. Add humor whenever appropriate and possible. Keep audience interested throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same. When using audio-visual aids to enhance your presentation, be sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good working order prior to the presentation. If possible, have an emergency backup system readily available.

 Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc are suitable for your presentation. Have handouts ready and give them out at the appropriate time. Tell audience ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your presentation. Know when to STOP talking. Use a timer to time your presentation when preparing it at home. Just as you don’t use unnecessary words in our written paper, you don’t bore your audience with repetitious or unnecessary words in your oral presentation.

 To end your presentation, summarize your main points in the same way as you normally do in the CONCLUSION of a written paper. Remember, however that there is a difference between spoken words appropriate for the ear and formally written words intended for reading. Terminate your presentation with an interesting remark or an appropriate punch line. Leave your listeners with a positive impression and a sense of completion. Do not belabor your closing remarks. Thank you audience and sit down.

Early History of Banking

As early as 2000 B.C., the Babylonians had developed a banking system. There is evidence to show that the temples of Babylon were used as banks and such great temples as those of Ephesus and of Delbhi were the most powerful of the Greek banking institutions. But the spread of irreligion soon destroyed the public sense of security in depositing money and valuables in temples, and the priests were no longer acting as financial agents.

 The Romans did not organize State Banks as did the Greeks, but their minute regulations, as to the conduct of private banking, were calculated to create the utmost confidence in it. With the end of the civilization of antiquity, and as a result of administrative decentralization and demoralization of the Government authority, with its inevitable counterpart of commercial insecurity, banking degenerated for a period of some centuries into a system of financial make shifts. But that was not the only cause. Old prejudices die hard, and Aristotle’s dictum, that the charging of interest was unnatural and consequently immoral was adhered to fanatically. Even now some Mohammedans, in obedience to the commands contained in that behalf in their religious books, refuse to accept interest on money loans. 

The followers of Aristotle’s dictum forgot that the ancient world, the Hebres included, although it had to system of banks that would be considered adequate from the modern point of view, and maintained moneylenders and made no sin of interest, but only of usury. However, upon the revival of civilization, growing necessity forced the issue in the middle of the 12th century, and banks were established at Venice and Genoa, though in fact they did not become banks as we understood them today, till long after. Again the origin of modern banking may be traced to the money dealers in Florence, who received money on deposit, and were lenders of money in the 14th century, and the names of the Bardi, Acciajuoli, Peruzzi, Pitti and Medici soon became famous throughout Europe, as bankers. At one time, Florence is said to have had eighty bankers, though it could boast of no public bank. Some experts briefed the history of modern banking as: 

The first public banking institution was The Bank of Venice, founded in 1157. The Bank of Barcelona and the bank of Genoa were established in 1401 and 1407 respectively. These are the recognized forerunners of modern commercial banks. Exchange banking was developed after the installation of the Bank of Amsterdam in 1609 and Bank of Hamburg in 1690. The credit for laying the foundation of modern banking in England goes to the Lombard’s of Italy who had migrated to other European countries and England. The bankers of Lombardy developed the money lending business in England. The Bank of England was established in 1694. The development of joint stock commercial banking started functioning in 1833. The modern banking system actually developed only in the nineteenth century

Meaning of Modernization

The term modernization “does not denote any philosophy or movement, but it only symbolises a process of change. In fact, “Modernisation” is understood as a process which indicates the adoption of the modern ways of life and values”. The term was being used previously to refer only "to change in economy and its related effect on social values and practices". It was also described as a process that changed the society, from primarily agricultural to primarily industrial economy. As a result of the change in the economy, the society itself underwent changes in values, beliefs and norms. But, today the term is given a broader meaning.

 Today, the term, ‘Modernisation’ is understood as an attempt, on the part of the people, particularly those who are custom-bound, to adopt themselves to the present time, conditions, styles, and ways in general. It indicates a change in people's food habits, dress habits, speaking styles, tastes, choices, preferences, ideas, values, recreational facilities and so on. It is alsb described as “social change involving the elements of science and technology”. 

The scientific and technological inventions have brought about remarkable changes in the whole system of social relationship and installed new ideologies in the place of traditional ones. M.N. Srinivas, however, criticises the concept of Modernisation, according to him, it is a value-loaded term. He says that “Modernisation is normally used in the sense that it is good. He, therefore, prefer to use the term ‘Westernisation’ which characterises the changes brought about in Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule”. Yogendra Singh, on the other hand, defends the concept of modernisation. According to him, it is broader than the two processes of Sanskritisation and Westernisation. It is, indeed a 'cultural universal' and not necessarily confined to any single society.

 Like science, modernity is not an exclusive possession of any one ethnic or cultural group. It belongs to the humanity as a whole. This does not mean that everywhere it should reveal the same pattern. It need not always take place on the model of England, Germany, France or America. It can take place on the model of Russia, India, Japan, Australia, or any other country for that matter. What is essential to modernisation is this - a commitment to “scientific world view” and a belief in the humanistic and philosophical viewpoint of science on contemprorary problems.

As it has already been mentioned, the process of modernisation has different dimensions. The spirit of modernisation is expressed in different areas such as - social organisation, culture, political field, economy, education, etc., in different ways. Broadly speaking, the process of modernization reveals the following important characteristics: Modernisation includes – “a temple of science, reason and rationalism, secularism, high aspiration and achievement orientation, overall transformation of attitudes norms and values, creation of new functional institutions, investment In human resources, a growth oriented economy, a national interest rather than kin, caste, religion, region or language oriented interests, an open society, and a mobile person” - (Ram Ahuja in his “Indian Social System”).

 According to B. Kuppuswamy, “the main feature of Modernisation is the building up of an ‘open society’ in which individuals of talent, enterprise and training can find places in the society appropriate to their achievement... The process of Modernisation involves an increase in social unrest till the social system is responsive to the new aspirations built up by the Modernisation process”. It should, however, be noted that the same process of modernisation institutes appropriate change in the social system to meet the rising expectations of the people.

The Affliction of Margaret as a “poem founded on the affections”.

The poem The Affliction of Margaret is written in the form of monologue in which a rustic widow expresses the desperation and pain of not knowing the whereabouts of her son. Her son left home seven years ago and has not heard about him since then. Seven years seem like eternity to her. The mother does not even know he is alive as there is no news from her son. She says that her son was the gem of a child. He was well born and well bred. He was honest, innocent and bold and so she was always proud of him. She recollects those happy days with her son but now she misses those happy moments. She says that children are not aware of a mother’s pain. As the child grows older, the mother’s anxiety and fear grows too, but her love does not diminish. Margaret gives vent to her pent up feelings of loneliness and anger. She claims that she had been a kind mother to him and she felt proud of it. But now she mourns in private over her son’s disappearance.

 The loss of her son has changed her views and values. She has learned to dismiss and think nothing of what this world has to offer. Now all that matters to her is her son. She pleads with her son to return home even if he is in a bad situation. The mother wishes her son had wings, so that he could fly home like the fowls of heaven. But she knows that her wishes will remain unfulfilled. She is full of apprehensions about her son that she imagines all the worst possible things that might have happened to him. She fears that her son may be in some dungeon or attacked by wild animals or killed in a shipwreck.

 Margaret is almost sure that her son is dead. She does not believe in ghosts because she has never seen any ghost. If ghosts exist, she is very sure that her son would certainly come to her for her love for her son is deep and sincere. Her tears and worries are overwhelming and she trembles at every shadow or slightest sound. She asks herself so many questions but finds no answer. Her grief makes her feel that the whole world is unkind to her. She says that no one can share her grief and her miseries are beyond relief. She laments that she has no companion in this world except his son. And so she again pleads with her son to return home or at least send some news about him so that her miseries will have an end.

. C LONGING-(Poem) ;Theme of love and longing in the poem Longing :- MATTHEW ARNOLD

Come to me in my dreams, and then
 By day I shall be well again! 
For so the night will more than pay 
The hopeless longing of the day.
 Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times, 
A messenger from radiant climes, 
And smile on thy new world, and be 
As kind to others as to me! 
Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
 Come now, and let me dream it truth, 
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
 And say, My love why sufferest thou? 
Come to me in my dreams, and then
 By day I shall be well again! 
For so the night will more than pay 
The hopeless longing of the day.

Matthew Arnold(1822-1888) one of the major poets of the Victorian period, was born in Laleham, in the valley of the Thames, in 1822. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famous headmaster of Rugby School. He was educated at Winchester, Rugby and Balliol College, Oxford, where he was distinguished by winning prizes in poetry and by general excellence in the classics. Arnold started his career as a teacher of classics at Rugby.

 Then in 1847, he became private secretary to Lord Lansdowne. In 1851, he was appointed the Inspector of schools and he served in this position for 35 years. For ten years (1857-1867) he was professor of poetry at oxford, where his famous lectures On Translating Homer were given. Matthew Arnold published his first Volume of poems, The Strayed Reveller and Other Poems in 1849. Some years later he published Empedocles on Etna and Other Poems (1852), Poems (1853), Poem’s Second Series (1855) and Merope (1858).

 His most important poems are Dover Beach, Scholar-Gipsy, Thyrsis, and The Forsaken Merman and these works are well noted for their variety of poetic expression. Another most significant work is Essays in Criticism (two volumes) which made Arnold one of the best known literary men in England.

 Culture and Anarchy which is a prose work, was published in 1869. These works were followed by four books on religious subjects- St. Paul and Protestantism (1870), Literature and Dogma (1873), God and the Bible (1875), and Last Essays on Church and Religion (1877). At the height of his fame and influence he died suddenly, in 1888, and was buried in the churchyard at Laleham.

The poem Longing by the famous Victorian poet Matthew Arnold is a typical love poem. This poem is an expression of the poet’s longing for the presence of his beloved. The poet’s love is very intense and sincere. The poet seems to be much worried about the absence of his beloved during the day. So the poet wants his beloved to come to him in his dreams and he hopes that it will make him happy throughout the day. He really wants to have a great time with his beloved during day time, but she doesn’t come to him. He pleads his beloved to visit him in his dreams so that he can compensate his hopeless longing of the day through his dreams at night.

 The poet wants her to come as she has visited him a thousand times. He considers her as one who comes from a new world which is bright and shining. She brings happiness and relief to the poet’s life. He does not want his beloved to show any hostility as she is new to this world but to smile on her new world. His love is so sincere that he tells her to be as kind to others as to himself. The poet sadly admits the fact that his beloved has never come to him in reality.

 Even then he does not reject her love. He believes that what he sees in his dreams are real. He pleads his beloved to come to him in his dreams and delight him by parting his hair and kissing his brow and wants her to say there is no need to suffer any more as she is with him always. The poet once again asks his beloved to visit him in his dreams and to make his day happy. This poem is a true expression of the poet’s love and longing for his beloved

How do I Love Thee(Poem) - ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING

  How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
 I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
 My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
 For the ends of being and ideal grace.
 I love thee to the level of every day's
 Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. 
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
 I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
 I love thee with the passion put to use
 In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
 I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 
With my lost saints,- I love thee with the breath,
 Smiles, tears, of all my life!- and, if God choose,
 I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barret Browning (1806-1861) was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. She was born on 6 March 1806, in Coxhoe Hall, near Durham. She was the eldest of the 12 children of Edward Barrett Moulton and Mary Graham Clarke. Elizabeth’s childhood was spent in the country, chiefly at Hope End, a house bought by her father in the beautiful country in sight of the Malvern Hills. A precocious and ardent student, Elizabeth Barrett studied with a governess and undertook to share her brother’s lessons in Latin and Greek. 

A severe respiratory ailment at the age of 15, along with spine injury from a horse riding accident made her a recluse. A voracious reader, she found solace in books. She began to write verse at an early age. In 1832, Mr. Barrett sold his house of Hope End, and brought his family to Sid mouth, Devon, for some three years. There Elizabeth made a translation of the Prometheus Bound of Aeschylus. In 1838, she published a collection of poems titled The Seraphim and Other Poems. The volume of Poems published in 1844 won her much critical acclaim.

 Robert Browning was very much captivated by her poetic charms and he was prompted to write expressing his appreciation: ‘I do, as I say, love these books with all my heart and I love you too.’ This was the beginning of their life-long relationship. They were married secretly in 1846 and moved to Italy. Her best known poems were the ones that she wrote for her love Robert Browning between 1845 and 1847 under the title Sonnets from the Portuguese. After the death of William Wordsworth, her name was even suggested as his successor as Poet Laureate of England. In June 1861, saddened by the death of her sister, she fell ill at Casa Guidi and died there.

The sonnet How do I Love Thee is written by the famous Victorian poet Elizabeth Barret Browning. This poem is the 43rd sonnet in her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese. The poet addresses the poem to her husband Robert Browning. Love is the most prominent theme of this sonnet. She wants to express her love which is intense and sincere. The poet deeply loves her husband and she wants to measure her love. Love is not a concrete object but an abstract feeling which can’t be measured. But the poet says that with her soul she can measure the depth, breadth and height of her love. Her love is three dimensional, i.e., deep, noble and that transcends space.

 The very essence of her existence is to attain salvation and to her, salvation is belonging to her love. The poet goes on to explain how much she loves her husband. She loves him enough to meet all his simple needs during the day and also during the night. She loves him sincerely as men who struggle for freedom. Her love is so genuine that she does not expect any personal gain from it. She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering during times of grief. 

She loves him with the blind faith of a child and her love is so innocent as a child. She loves him with a child like fervour for saints and holiness. Happiness and sorrow do not make any difference in her love for her love is not an earthly concept but it is eternal and sincere. The poet proclaims that she will continue to love him and also says that she will love him better after death. This sonnet celebrates true love which will go beyond the cold grave.