Read deeply. Understand clearly.
The blog November 2026
Study notes, close readings and exam-focused essays on English literature, literary theory and poetry.
Latest Education 9 min read
Summary In his introduction to The Penguin Book of Interviews, Christopher Silvester talks about ‘The Interview’ and offers a thoughtful exploration of interviews as both an art form...
Introduction William Wordsworth, one of the preeminent poets of the Romantic era, is celebrated for his deep appreciation of nature and his intricate and evocative poetry. One of...
Introduction to “Crossing the Bar” “Crossing the Bar” is one of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s most famous poems, written in 1889. This piece serves as a metaphor for death,...
Yayati (1961) was Girish Karnad's first play, based on a story from the Mahabharata. King Yayati is cursed with sudden old age and asks his son Puru to give him his youth.
Welcome to our in-depth Burial of the Dead quiz, designed to test your knowledge of the opening section of T.S. Eliot’s groundbreaking poem, “The Waste Land.” This quiz...
Taledanda (1990) by Girish Karnad is a historical play about Basavanna’s 12th-century Lingayat reform movement and the violent resistance to social change. The play examines caste hierarchy, religious...
Nagamandala (1988) is a play by Girish Karnad based on two Kannada folk tales. Rani, a young wife ignored by her husband Appanna, is secretly visited at night by a king cobra (Naga) who takes her husband's form.
Girish Karnad’s passing on June 10, 2019, left an indelible void in the world of Indian literature and theater. A multifaceted personality, Karnad wore many hats – playwright,...
Tughlaq (written in Kannada in 1964) is a historical play by Girish Karnad about Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq. An intelligent, idealistic ruler, Tughlaq moves his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and introduces copper coins, but his plans fail and he turns cruel.
The Fire and the Rain is a play by Girish Karnad, based on the story of Yavakri in the Mahabharata. During a seven-year fire sacrifice to bring rain, jealousy between the scholar brothers Paravasu and Arvasu and their cousin Yavakri leads to murder.