DREAM CHILDREN - A REVARIE
......Charls Lamb.....
INTRODUCTION:
SUMMARY:
Just like all children do, Lamb’s children also wanted to hear their parents’ childhood stories. One day, he was telling them about ‘their great-grandmother Field, who lived in a great house in Norfolk’. The house she lived was ‘a hundred times bigger’ than the house they lived in presently. The children had also heard (‘from the ballad of the Children in the Wood ‘) about the tragic incidents that had supposedly taken place at that house. The tragic story of the children and their cruel uncle had been carved out in wood upon a chimney piece. However, a rich man replaced the wooden one with a marble one and the story was lost. Lamb mentions that Alice displayed her displeasure when she heard that.
Lamb tells the children that Grandmother Field had been given the charge of the house since the owner liked to live in a more fashionable mansion. He tells that she was religious and very good lady, and was respected by everyone. She took care of the house very carefully. After her, the old ornaments of the house were stripped and set up in the owner’s house. When Lamb mentioned that the old ornaments could not fit decently in new mansion, John smiled to express his agreement that it was a foolish act.
She was such ‘a good and religious woman’ that huge number of people attended her funeral. That ‘she knew all Psaltery by heart’ and also ‘a great part of the Testament’ also suggest that she was a good and religious woman.
She also used to be considered the best dancer till a disease called cancer forced her to stoop. However, her spirits still remained upright. Lamb mentions that she slept ‘in a lone chamber of the great lone house’ on her own despite that the ghosts of two infants glided up and down the stairs near which she slept. During those days, Lamb himself would sleep with the maid being afraid. He mentions that he was far less religious but he never noticed the ghosts. John was trying to look courageous at this moment.
Lamb also mentions that she was very good to her grand children. When he would visit ‘the great house’ in the holidays, he liked gazing upon ‘busts of Twelve Cæsars’. Lamb also mentions various things that used to attract him while being at the mansion. He enjoyed spending time among various things there, even more than ‘sweet flavors of peaches, nectarines, oranges, and such like common baits of children’. Both children showed the influence of his description by ignoring the bunch of grapes they had otherwise wanted to have.
Lamb tells that the children’s uncle John L—— was liked particularly by grandmother Field from amongst all her grandchildren. He was more handsome and spirited than the rest. He was so spirited that when the rest would spend time at the mansion, he would ride a horse for long distance and would even join hunters. Lamb mentions how he had missed their uncle when he died, although he did not show it that much. He missed the uncle’s kindness as well as crossness. Lamb also mentions the uncle’s lameness repeatedly which shows that he had been very concerned for him. The children felt uncomfortable with the description of the uncle and urged Lamb to tell about ‘their pretty, dead mother’.
Then, Lamb told that he courted their mother ‘the fair Alice W——n’ for seven years. He also tried to clarify to the children how he faced problems due to her ‘coyness’ and ‘denial’. At this point, he noticed the strong similarity between the appearance of his wife and that of Alice. He feels as if his wife was communicating with him through Alice. Finally, he woke up and found himself in his armchair where he had fallen asleep. He states that James Elia was no more there and everything that has been mentioned in the essay so far was being described by Elia.
TEXT:
WORD NOTES:
IMPORTANT QUESTION:
1. What were the names of Lamb's Dream Children?
John and Alice
2. Why is Dream Children called a reverie ?
During his mid day nap John has imagined it.
3. Why the children of Lamb do not verbally react their father's reminiscences?
They had no real existence.
4. What is Lethe?
A mythical river
5. What does Lethe symbolize?
River of forgetfulness
6. Who were the marble busts in the great house of Norfolk?
12 Caesars who had been the emperors of Rome.
7. Who was mrs Field?
Lamb's grandmother
8. What kind of women was mrs Field?
Pious woman
9. Who did the children of Ann Simmons call father?
Bartrum
10. Who was Lady C?
Wife of the foolish rich person who brought the big house in Norfolk.
11. We are only what might have been"- who we are?
Charls Lamb and Anne Simmons
12. They were forbidden fruits" which were forbidden fruits?
Nectarine and peaches
13. What does mean by Upbraiding?
Reproaching
14. What are the two elements in Lamb's essay?
Humour and pathos
15. What tragic incident was associated with the house where mrs Field lived?
Story of murder of two children by their uncle.
Next page: Principal of Good Writing
Previous Page :
Home Page :
......Charls Lamb.....
INTRODUCTION:
SUMMARY:
Just like all children do, Lamb’s children also wanted to hear their parents’ childhood stories. One day, he was telling them about ‘their great-grandmother Field, who lived in a great house in Norfolk’. The house she lived was ‘a hundred times bigger’ than the house they lived in presently. The children had also heard (‘from the ballad of the Children in the Wood ‘) about the tragic incidents that had supposedly taken place at that house. The tragic story of the children and their cruel uncle had been carved out in wood upon a chimney piece. However, a rich man replaced the wooden one with a marble one and the story was lost. Lamb mentions that Alice displayed her displeasure when she heard that.
Lamb tells the children that Grandmother Field had been given the charge of the house since the owner liked to live in a more fashionable mansion. He tells that she was religious and very good lady, and was respected by everyone. She took care of the house very carefully. After her, the old ornaments of the house were stripped and set up in the owner’s house. When Lamb mentioned that the old ornaments could not fit decently in new mansion, John smiled to express his agreement that it was a foolish act.
She was such ‘a good and religious woman’ that huge number of people attended her funeral. That ‘she knew all Psaltery by heart’ and also ‘a great part of the Testament’ also suggest that she was a good and religious woman.
She also used to be considered the best dancer till a disease called cancer forced her to stoop. However, her spirits still remained upright. Lamb mentions that she slept ‘in a lone chamber of the great lone house’ on her own despite that the ghosts of two infants glided up and down the stairs near which she slept. During those days, Lamb himself would sleep with the maid being afraid. He mentions that he was far less religious but he never noticed the ghosts. John was trying to look courageous at this moment.
Lamb also mentions that she was very good to her grand children. When he would visit ‘the great house’ in the holidays, he liked gazing upon ‘busts of Twelve Cæsars’. Lamb also mentions various things that used to attract him while being at the mansion. He enjoyed spending time among various things there, even more than ‘sweet flavors of peaches, nectarines, oranges, and such like common baits of children’. Both children showed the influence of his description by ignoring the bunch of grapes they had otherwise wanted to have.
Lamb tells that the children’s uncle John L—— was liked particularly by grandmother Field from amongst all her grandchildren. He was more handsome and spirited than the rest. He was so spirited that when the rest would spend time at the mansion, he would ride a horse for long distance and would even join hunters. Lamb mentions how he had missed their uncle when he died, although he did not show it that much. He missed the uncle’s kindness as well as crossness. Lamb also mentions the uncle’s lameness repeatedly which shows that he had been very concerned for him. The children felt uncomfortable with the description of the uncle and urged Lamb to tell about ‘their pretty, dead mother’.
Then, Lamb told that he courted their mother ‘the fair Alice W——n’ for seven years. He also tried to clarify to the children how he faced problems due to her ‘coyness’ and ‘denial’. At this point, he noticed the strong similarity between the appearance of his wife and that of Alice. He feels as if his wife was communicating with him through Alice. Finally, he woke up and found himself in his armchair where he had fallen asleep. He states that James Elia was no more there and everything that has been mentioned in the essay so far was being described by Elia.
TEXT:
WORD NOTES:
IMPORTANT QUESTION:
1. What were the names of Lamb's Dream Children?
John and Alice
2. Why is Dream Children called a reverie ?
During his mid day nap John has imagined it.
3. Why the children of Lamb do not verbally react their father's reminiscences?
They had no real existence.
4. What is Lethe?
A mythical river
5. What does Lethe symbolize?
River of forgetfulness
6. Who were the marble busts in the great house of Norfolk?
12 Caesars who had been the emperors of Rome.
7. Who was mrs Field?
Lamb's grandmother
8. What kind of women was mrs Field?
Pious woman
9. Who did the children of Ann Simmons call father?
Bartrum
10. Who was Lady C?
Wife of the foolish rich person who brought the big house in Norfolk.
11. We are only what might have been"- who we are?
Charls Lamb and Anne Simmons
12. They were forbidden fruits" which were forbidden fruits?
Nectarine and peaches
13. What does mean by Upbraiding?
Reproaching
14. What are the two elements in Lamb's essay?
Humour and pathos
15. What tragic incident was associated with the house where mrs Field lived?
Story of murder of two children by their uncle.
Next page: Principal of Good Writing
Previous Page :
Home Page :
Nice information.
ReplyDelete