English For Today chapter 3: Myths and Literature

Unit Three : Myths and Literature

Lesson 1

Myths of Bengal

A. Warm up activity

❑ What is a myth? Look up the meaning of the word in a dictionary or on the Internet.

❑ What kind of myths do you think we can find in our culture?

B. Now read the following poem by Jibanananda Das (1899-1954) in English translation and then answer the questions either by responding to your classroom teacher in English or by trying to write down answers in your notebook.

I Have Seen Bengal's Face¹

Because I have seen Bengal’s face I will seek no more, (1) The world has not anything more beautiful to show me. Waking up in darkness, gazing at the fig-tree, I behold Dawn’s swallows roosting under huge umbrella-like leaves. I look around me and discover a leafy dome, (5) Jaam, Kanthal, Bat, Hijol and Aswatha trees all in a hush, Shadowing clumps of cactus and zedoary bushes. When long, long ago, Chand came in his honeycombed boat To a blue Hijal, Bat Tamal shade near the Champa, he too sighted

Bengal’s incomparable beauty. One day, alas, in the Ganguri, (10) On a raft, as the waning moon sank on the river’s sandbanks, Behula too saw countless aswaths bats besides golden ricefields And heard the thrush’s soft song. One day, arriving in Amara, (14) Where gods held court, when she danced like a desolate wagtail, Bengal’s rivers, fields, flowers, wailed like strings of bells on her feet.

¹Translation of Jibanananda Das's "Banglar Mukh Ami" by Fakrul Alam

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C. Write down what you have guessed about the meaning of each of the following words from the context in which they have been used:

gazing roosting dome hush honeycombed

waning desolate wagtail wailed desolate

Now, look up a dictionary or search Google for the words to see if you have guessed the meanings of the words correctly.

D. Discuss the following questions with members of your group and carry on the discussion in English as far as possible:

1. Have you heard about Chand Saudagar and Behula before? If so, in what context? Where is Ganguri and Amara?

2. Discuss with your classmates the medieval epic Manasamangal. Do you know of any modern Bangla versions of this epic?

3. Look up the story of Behula and Chand Saudagar from Wikipedia or Banglapedia. Make a summary in about 200–250 words.

4. How and why does Jibanananda Das use this mythical story in his poem?

5. The poem has fourteen lines and is divided into two thematic sections. What are such poems called in English and in Bangla?

E. Discuss the following questions in pairs

1. What imageries are used to describe the beauty of Bangladesh?
2. The poem offers a vivid description of the plants and vegetation found in the nature of Bangladesh. Make a list of all the trees, plants and birds mentioned in the poem.
3. What is the poet's attitude toward Bangladesh?
4. What is the central theme of the poem?
5. The poem has fourteen lines and is divided into two thematic sections. What are such poems called in English and in Bangla?

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F. Read the text from Banglapedia on the two legendary characters Behula and Chand Saudagar mentioned in the poem. Then discuss the questions that follow.

Behula is a legendary folk heroine and one of the main characters of Manasamangal, a medieval epic. She was the daughter of Sayven of Ujaninagar. Lakhindar was the youngest son of Chand Saudagar of Champaknagar. Behula grew up to be a beautiful and intelligent woman and was married to Lakhindar. Chand Saudagar, a devotee of Shiva, had boasted that he was cleverer and stronger than Manasa, the snake goddess. He built an iron chamber for Lakhindar, believing it to be impregnable. However on the wedding night of Behula and Lakhindar, Manasa sent a snake to kill Lakhindar. The snake made itself as fine as a strand of hair and, entering the chamber through a minute hole, bit Lakhindar.

Behula refused to accept her husband's death. She placed her husband's corpse on a banana raft and set out on a hazardous journey towards the abode of the gods. Despite all the dangers and temptations she encountered, Behula continued her journey and finally succeeded in reaching the abode of the gods. She pleaded for her husband's life and promised Manasa that Chand Saudagar would worship her. Moved by Behula's love for her husband, Manasa not only restored Lakhindar but also his brothers whom she had killed earlier.

Behula returned home with her husband and brothers-in-law, and Chand Saodagar finally bowed before the might of Manasa. Lakhindar and Behula then returned to their heavenly abode as Aniruddha and Usa.

[from: http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Behula]

Questions for discussion

1. Is there a connection between the story of Behula and Chand Saudagar and the poem of Jibanananda Das?
2. Why does the poet use medieval Bengali legends in this poem?
3. What other Bengali myths/legends do you know about? Have you seen them represented in any form in popular culture?

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G. Compare the original poem in Bangla (see below) with its English translation used in Activity B. Discuss the following questions:

1. How well are the tonal and formal qualities of the original poem preserved in the English translation?
2. What according to you, were some of the challenges that the translator might have faced while translating the poem into English?
3. Why do you think that the translator has kept some Bengali terms unchanged in his translation?
4. How far do you agree with the following comment on the translation of this poem? Why/Why not?

"The sights and sounds of Bengal's landscape, its crowded botany and its constantly shifting lights and shadows find their way into Alam's translation." [Syed Manzoorul Islam, the Daily Star, December 5, 2019]

বাংলার মুখ আমি দেখিয়াছি জীবনানন্দ দাশ

বাংলার মুখ আমি দেখিয়াছি, তাই আমি পৃথিবীর রূপ খুঁজিতে যাই না আর : অন্ধকারে জেগে উঠে ডুমুরের গাছে চেয়ে দেখি ছাতার মতন বড়ো পাতাটির নিচে বসে আছে ভোরের দোয়েলপাখি–চারিদিকে চেয়ে দেখি পল্লবের স্তূপ জাম-বট-কাঁঠালের-হিজলের-অশথের ক'রে আছে চুপ; ফণীমনসার ঝোপে শটিবনে তাহাদের ছায়া পড়িয়াছে! মধুকর ডিঙা থেকে না জানি সে কবে চাঁদ চম্পার কাছে এমনই হিজল-বট-তমালের নীল ছায়া বাংলার অপরূপ রূপ

দেখেছিল : বেহুলাও একদিন গাঙুড়ের জলে ভেলা নিয়ে– কৃষ্ণা দ্বাদশীর জ্যোৎস্না যখন মরিয়া গেছে নদীর চড়ায়– সোনালি ধানের পাশে অসংখ্য অশ্বত্থ বট দেখেছিল, হায়, শ্যামার নরম গান শুনেছিলো– একদিন অমরায় গিয়ে ছিন্ন খঞ্জনার মতো যখন সে নেচেছিলো ইন্দ্রের সভায় বাংলার নদী মাঠ ভাঁটফুল ঘুঙুরের মতো তার কেঁদেছিল পায় ।

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Lesson 2

Icarus

A. Warm-up activity

Discuss the following questions.

● Have you read Kazi Nazrul Islam's "Bidrohi" in Bangla? If so, did you come across any myths in the poem? If not, consider it your homework. Now listen to the recitation of the poem by Kazi Sabyasachi http://surl.li/ycfikq and discuss it in the class.

Figure

Description: A QR code printed beside the first bullet point, linking to the recitation of the poem.

● Were any of the myths associated with rebellion?

B. Now read the following story about a rebellious mythical character, Icarus, and answer the questions that follow:

Figure

Description: A line drawing of Icarus with large feathered wings flying over water, with a second bird flying above him. A small sailing ship is drawn at the lower left and a sun with rays at the upper right.

On the island of Crete, the fearsome Minotaur, a creature that was half-man and half-bull, terrorized the inhabitants. To contain the beast, King Minos enlisted the help of Daedalus, a masterful architect and inventor. Daedalus constructed an intricate labyrinth so complex that escape was nearly impossible. Once the Minotaur was imprisoned within the maze, King Minos believed he had the perfect trap for his enemies, who would be sent into the labyrinth to meet a gruesome end.

However, King Minos, no longer needing Daedalus, cruelly imprisoned the inventor and his son, Icarus, within the same labyrinth. Yet, Daedalus, familiar with the labyrinth's design, managed to escape with Icarus. After fleeing, they found themselves stranded on the island with no means of escape by sea.

Observing the birds flying above, Daedalus was inspired to craft wings from feathers and wax for himself and his son. He warned Icarus to fly at a moderate height—too close to the sea, and the wings would become heavy with moisture; too close to the sun, and the wax would melt.

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Initially, Icarus heeded his father's advice, but soon, overwhelmed by the excitement of the flight, he soared higher and higher, forgetting the warning. As he ascended, the sun's heat melted the wax binding his wings. Helplessly, Icarus plummeted into the sea and drowned, leaving Daedalus to fly on alone, devastated by his son's tragic fate. He eventually reached Sicily, where he mourned Icarus and named the sea where his son fell the Icarian Sea in his memory.

C. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B

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D. Read the last two paragraphs of the passage again and fill in the blanks taking appropriate words from there:

Daedalus was inspired by watching _________ fly and used _________ and _________ to craft wings for himself and his son. He warned Icarus to avoid flying too _________ to the sea, where the wings would become heavy, or too _________ to the sun, where the _________ would melt. Despite following the advice initially, Icarus eventually flew too high, and the heat caused the wax to _________. Icarus then fell into the _________ and drowned. Daedalus continued his journey to _________, mourning his son, and named the sea after him, the _________ Sea.

E. Answer the following questions:

i. How did Daedalus and Icarus try to escape from the island? ii. How did Daedalus come up with the idea to build wings? iii. What advice did Daedalus give to Icarus before flying? iv. Why did Icarus fly too close to the sun? v. How did Daedalus feel after Icarus’ death?

F. By now, you understand what a 'labyrinth' means. The most well-known collection of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges is titled Labyrinths. Write a short note on what his writings in this book would be about?

Figure: Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Brueghel (1525-1569)

Description: A painted landscape of a coastal scene with a sea and distant sailing ships. A farmer with a horse-drawn plough is in the foreground, and a small figure is shown in the water at the lower right.

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i. What animals do you see in the painting? Where are they? ii. Can you point out some of the activities visible in the painting? iii. Can you find out where Icarus is in the painting?

G. Read this poem by American poet William Carlos Williams and answer the following questions:

William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) was an American poet known for his free verse that made ordinary moments extraordinary. Born in New Jersey, he balanced medicine with writing. His poetry is noted for clear imagery and sensory focus. His early work was traditional, but by Al Que Quiere! (1917), his unique style emerged. His famous poem The Red Wheelbarrow is part of Spring and All (1923).In Paterson (1946–1958), Williams explored modern life and industry, blending poetry and prose. He also wrote prose, reflecting his interest in American culture. He died in 1963 and received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring

a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry

of the year was awake tingling near

the edge of the sea concerned with itself

sweating in the sun that melted the wings' wax

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unsignificantly off the coast there was

a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning

H. Listen to the recitation of the poem using this QR code:

Figure

Description: A QR code printed to the right of heading H.

I. Find out five principal verbs from the poem and make a sentence for each word.

J. Answer the questions below:

1. What is the man doing in the field?
2. Where is the farmer's field located?
3. What happens to Icarus' wings?
4. What kind of a day is presented here?
5. What is the poet's major focus here: the fall/ the activities/ indifference of others towards the fall? Why do you think so?

K. Write a summary of the poem in 150 words.

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