Honest Opinions

An illustration of the introductory scene to Great Expectations, where Pip the orphan first meets the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch in a churchyard. Realism emerged as a literary movement around the middle of nineteenth century marked by Stendhal’s work in France after the 1848 revolution. It is notably a part of the artistic movement which went by the same name, at times also referred to by Naturalism, especially in case of paintings. The need for realism arose after the creative minds found the need to express reality the way it was, without romanticizing it or adding any implausible, exotic or supernatural elements. While art found the existence of realism over ages, and at times from earlier times as a test of skill, its presence in the literary sphere was marked by the need to present a truer image of the world around us, not to, however, cater to the relatable factor. The prime motive however, was to open our eyes to the way the things were in, contrary to what the roman...

Lyric poetry in itself is a bold shift that was made from the practice of the more influential Epic Poetry in Ancient Greece. A legendary lyric poet, who actually pioneered the very concept of lyric poetry was Sappho. And her Roman counterpart (across a sea and a few centuries) was Catullus. But, with the difference in time and space, we see how lyric poetry had progressed and diversified over the years. This note however, focuses more on a particular poet (Catullus) and his works in comparison with Sappho's work(to understand things better). To understand this best, we must spot the difference in the attitude that the poets showed in their works. It is what essentially affected the themes and span of their repertoire. In Sappho's poems we see her sacrificing, or passive nature, in which, despite her longing for companionship, she manages to let them go (finishing school concept). However, Catullus' poems bear a selfish attitude in them. He's always found to be asking...