Showing posts with label Charles Lamb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Lamb. Show all posts
Why does Lamb use the reference of Sir Robert Howard in "The Superannuated Man"?
In the notable Romantic essay, "The Superannuated Man", extracted from " The Last Essays of Elia"(1833) by Charles Lamb, 'Prince of English essayists', the author uses the reference of Sir Robert Howard, a 17th century English poet, dramatist and historian. Lamb here quotes the line from his Tragedy, "The Vestal Virgin", which he wrote down in the lamentation of his friend's death. These lines are-
".....'Twas but just now he went away
I have not since had time to shed a tear;
And if he had been a thousand years from me
Time takes no measure in Eternity."
Actually Sir Robert Howard wrote this poem after a day of his friend's death and he had yet got no time to shed tears for the dear friend and strangely it appeared to him that his friend died a long span of years before. And after the death of his friend, the concept of time ceased altogether. Eternity was bound in no clock of time.
Lamb here uses this reference to vivify his feelings after his sudden retirement with 'a pension for life to the amount of two-thirds' of his 'accustomed salary'. He felt 'stunned-overwhelmed' for 'the first day or two'. But he 'could not conceive of it as an affair of yesterday'. He was in a confusing condition. In his mind, 'strange fantacies' were coming at the 'commencement' of his freedom. Actually he was adjusted with the hard drudgery of the counting office, but suddenly when freedom and time came to him, he was astonished and thought that he would not meet with his partners and clerks for 'a vast track of time'. And he also thought that his friends and colleagues with whom he had " for so many years, and for so many hours in each day of the year, been closely associated - being suddenly removed from them - they seemed as dead" to him.
Lamb uses this passage to justify his contention about the strange sensation of the superannuated clerk after his retirement from his office all on a sudden. Here the author expresses his psychological condition after the superannuation.
".....'Twas but just now he went away
I have not since had time to shed a tear;
And if he had been a thousand years from me
Time takes no measure in Eternity."
Actually Sir Robert Howard wrote this poem after a day of his friend's death and he had yet got no time to shed tears for the dear friend and strangely it appeared to him that his friend died a long span of years before. And after the death of his friend, the concept of time ceased altogether. Eternity was bound in no clock of time.
Lamb here uses this reference to vivify his feelings after his sudden retirement with 'a pension for life to the amount of two-thirds' of his 'accustomed salary'. He felt 'stunned-overwhelmed' for 'the first day or two'. But he 'could not conceive of it as an affair of yesterday'. He was in a confusing condition. In his mind, 'strange fantacies' were coming at the 'commencement' of his freedom. Actually he was adjusted with the hard drudgery of the counting office, but suddenly when freedom and time came to him, he was astonished and thought that he would not meet with his partners and clerks for 'a vast track of time'. And he also thought that his friends and colleagues with whom he had " for so many years, and for so many hours in each day of the year, been closely associated - being suddenly removed from them - they seemed as dead" to him.
Lamb uses this passage to justify his contention about the strange sensation of the superannuated clerk after his retirement from his office all on a sudden. Here the author expresses his psychological condition after the superannuation.
Explain the line, "Before I had a taste of it, it was vanished" from The Superannuated Man.
This statement quoted from a notable Elian essay, "The Superannuated Man", a celebrated autobiographical essay by the most popular Romantic essayist Charles Lamb, " Prince of English essayists" expresses his feelings and experiences on the 'full week in the summer' vacation.
"The Superannuated Man" is a pen-picture of Lamb's life before and after superannuation. Lamb had to drudge 'eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day' for long 'six and thirty years' from fourte,, 'the abundant playtime', 'the frequently intervening vacations of school days' thruogh 'middle age down to decrepitude and silver hairs' in 'the irksome confinement' of the South Sea House and India Office.
In the hard life of Lamb, holidays are the rarest things. He had his Sundays and three other vacations --- "I had a day of Easter, and a day at Christmas, with a full week in the Summer." This last vacation is the longest and the special privilege to Lamb. And Lamb had been waiting for that particular week through 'fifty one tedious weeks'. This week long vacation had a special impact on his mind and made his 'durance tolerable'. He had 'glittering phanton' to do on those days, but before he had the taste of it, 'it was vanished'. Actually he became excited to ''find out how to make the most of them? Where was the quiet, where the promised rest?" Thus his 'wearisome anxiety' did not allow him to spend his days in 'restless pursuit of pleasure'. Before he could settle himself to his vacatio, it passed away leaving him restless, pining. He had to reprepare himself for his daily 'thralldom'.
Lamb's eager yearning for holidays is well evident here. He rightly refers to the usual human nature to derive maximum pleasure out of the minimum time at disposal. Lamb here gives him personal feelings but it becomes universal. This is actually the experience of all persons grown old in drudgery and craving constantly for relief, a repose. Lamb is here a critic of life and an essayist, in Bacon's language, "is a critic of life in his own way."
"The Superannuated Man" is a pen-picture of Lamb's life before and after superannuation. Lamb had to drudge 'eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day' for long 'six and thirty years' from fourte,, 'the abundant playtime', 'the frequently intervening vacations of school days' thruogh 'middle age down to decrepitude and silver hairs' in 'the irksome confinement' of the South Sea House and India Office.
In the hard life of Lamb, holidays are the rarest things. He had his Sundays and three other vacations --- "I had a day of Easter, and a day at Christmas, with a full week in the Summer." This last vacation is the longest and the special privilege to Lamb. And Lamb had been waiting for that particular week through 'fifty one tedious weeks'. This week long vacation had a special impact on his mind and made his 'durance tolerable'. He had 'glittering phanton' to do on those days, but before he had the taste of it, 'it was vanished'. Actually he became excited to ''find out how to make the most of them? Where was the quiet, where the promised rest?" Thus his 'wearisome anxiety' did not allow him to spend his days in 'restless pursuit of pleasure'. Before he could settle himself to his vacatio, it passed away leaving him restless, pining. He had to reprepare himself for his daily 'thralldom'.
Lamb's eager yearning for holidays is well evident here. He rightly refers to the usual human nature to derive maximum pleasure out of the minimum time at disposal. Lamb here gives him personal feelings but it becomes universal. This is actually the experience of all persons grown old in drudgery and craving constantly for relief, a repose. Lamb is here a critic of life and an essayist, in Bacon's language, "is a critic of life in his own way."
Explain the line "I was in the condition of a prisoner in the old Bastille" from "The Superannuated Man".
The quoted statement from a notable essay, "The Superannuated Man", a most celebrated personal essay by the most bright Romantic essayist Charles Lamb, 'Prince of English essayists' vivifies Lamb's feelings of confusion and bewilderment after his sudden release from India Office.
" The Superannuated Man" is a pen picture of Lamb's life before & after retirement. Lamb had to drudge "eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day" for long "six and thirty years" from fourteen-- 'the abundant playtime' and 'the frequently intervening vacations of school days' upto the age of fifty - the time of 'decrepitude and silver hairs' in the 'irksome confinement' of the South Sea House and India Office.
After his sudden retirement with 'a pension for life to the amount of two-thirds' of his 'accustomed salary', he felt 'stunned - overwhelmed' for 'the first day or two.' But his life of drudgery was a long one and it was natural to him and he was well adjusted to it. But suddenly he was thrown to retirement. He eas not ready for that. Naturally, he wad at a loss.
To describe his condition, he compares himself to the prisoner, imprisoned for long forty years at the fort of Bastille, which had been the political prison in France before French Revolution. But after 'a forty years of confinement' they were suddenly released & they would be definitely puzzled. Same of the condition of the superannuated clerk who 'had grown' to his 'desk, as it were and the wood had entered his soul.' Lamb was happy and equally shocked -- " I wandered about, thinking I was happy, and knowing that I was not."
This statement is an authentic instance of Elian humour. The analogy of old Bastille is well conceived here and psychologically impressive. Lamb's practical realism and knowledge in human psychology are remarkably revealed here.
" The Superannuated Man" is a pen picture of Lamb's life before & after retirement. Lamb had to drudge "eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day" for long "six and thirty years" from fourteen-- 'the abundant playtime' and 'the frequently intervening vacations of school days' upto the age of fifty - the time of 'decrepitude and silver hairs' in the 'irksome confinement' of the South Sea House and India Office.
After his sudden retirement with 'a pension for life to the amount of two-thirds' of his 'accustomed salary', he felt 'stunned - overwhelmed' for 'the first day or two.' But his life of drudgery was a long one and it was natural to him and he was well adjusted to it. But suddenly he was thrown to retirement. He eas not ready for that. Naturally, he wad at a loss.
To describe his condition, he compares himself to the prisoner, imprisoned for long forty years at the fort of Bastille, which had been the political prison in France before French Revolution. But after 'a forty years of confinement' they were suddenly released & they would be definitely puzzled. Same of the condition of the superannuated clerk who 'had grown' to his 'desk, as it were and the wood had entered his soul.' Lamb was happy and equally shocked -- " I wandered about, thinking I was happy, and knowing that I was not."
This statement is an authentic instance of Elian humour. The analogy of old Bastille is well conceived here and psychologically impressive. Lamb's practical realism and knowledge in human psychology are remarkably revealed here.
Comment on the line,"Those eternal bells depress me" from "The Superannuated Man".
This quoted line, taken from a notable Elian essay, "The Superannuated Man", a remarkable personal essay, which is extracted from the collection of essays, " The Last Essays of Elia"(1833) by the most bright Romantic essayist, Charles Lamb,"Prince of English essayists", expresses Lamb's feelings & experience on the day of Sunday.
"The Superannuated Man" is a pen picture of Lamb's life before & after superannuation. Lamb had to drudge "eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day" for long "six and thirty years" fron fourteen --- the "abundant playtime" and "the frequently intervening vacations of school days" to fifty in "the irksome confinement" of the South Sea House and the Indian Offi.. In this drudgery, he had a special fondness for holidays. In this hard life of drudgery, Sunday is the only holiday-- "I had my Sundays to myself". In thus connection, Lamb here tells about his attitude towatd the state of London.
After his hard drudgery of six days Lamb had had his own Sunday. But Sunday proved a total failure and could not give him the entertainment which he sought for. Actually Lamb is the lover of noise, crowd and recreation. " But Sundays, admirable as the institution of thrmis for purposes of worship...." The people of London went to the Church to fulfil their desire. On that particular day, "there is a gloom" for our author. He could only hear the continuous ringing of church bells, that seemed to call the devout Christian to the prayer for eternsl rest.
Lamb missed "the cheerful cries of London, the music and the ballad singers - the buzz and stirring murmur of the streets." "The closed shops" repealed him. He also could not find "prints, picture, all the glittering and endless succession of knacks and gewgaws, and ostentatiously displayed wares of tradesmen." The whole situation is only repulsive to him. He did not like such a dreary, gloomy environment of Sunday.
In this quoted line, the personal element is clearly evident. The author here mentions his love of the city and the bustke of city life, of its crowds and noises. There is also a fine touch of humour in the expression - "the eternal bells depress me" and this phrase serves to indicate the state of Lamb's mind who was the victim of the dull Sunday.
"The Superannuated Man" is a pen picture of Lamb's life before & after superannuation. Lamb had to drudge "eight, nine and sometimes ten hours a day" for long "six and thirty years" fron fourteen --- the "abundant playtime" and "the frequently intervening vacations of school days" to fifty in "the irksome confinement" of the South Sea House and the Indian Offi.. In this drudgery, he had a special fondness for holidays. In this hard life of drudgery, Sunday is the only holiday-- "I had my Sundays to myself". In thus connection, Lamb here tells about his attitude towatd the state of London.
After his hard drudgery of six days Lamb had had his own Sunday. But Sunday proved a total failure and could not give him the entertainment which he sought for. Actually Lamb is the lover of noise, crowd and recreation. " But Sundays, admirable as the institution of thrmis for purposes of worship...." The people of London went to the Church to fulfil their desire. On that particular day, "there is a gloom" for our author. He could only hear the continuous ringing of church bells, that seemed to call the devout Christian to the prayer for eternsl rest.
Lamb missed "the cheerful cries of London, the music and the ballad singers - the buzz and stirring murmur of the streets." "The closed shops" repealed him. He also could not find "prints, picture, all the glittering and endless succession of knacks and gewgaws, and ostentatiously displayed wares of tradesmen." The whole situation is only repulsive to him. He did not like such a dreary, gloomy environment of Sunday.
In this quoted line, the personal element is clearly evident. The author here mentions his love of the city and the bustke of city life, of its crowds and noises. There is also a fine touch of humour in the expression - "the eternal bells depress me" and this phrase serves to indicate the state of Lamb's mind who was the victim of the dull Sunday.
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