SYMBOLS IN A TALE OF TUB

About Jonathan  swift:

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift".

 

About tale of tub:

A Tale of a Tub. Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. was the first major work written by Jonathan Swift, arguably his most difficult satire and perhaps his most masterly[opinion]. The Tale is a prose parody divided into sections each delving into the morals and ethics of the English. Composed between 1694 and 1697, it was eventually published in 1704. A satire on the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and English Dissenters, it was famously attacked for its profanity and irreligion, starting with William Wotton, who wrote that the Tale had made a game of "God and Religion, Truth and Moral Honesty, Learning and Industry" to show "at the bottom [the author's] contemptible Opinion of every Thing which is called Christianity."[1] The work continued to be regarded as an attack on religion well into the nineteenth century.

Symbols  in a tale of tub

THREE COATS:

 Three coats  are represented as a three religious practice. The three brothers' coats are the central symbol of A Tale of a Tub. (Tubs, despite the title, figure only incidentally in the work.) Outwardly plain and simple, the coats are the brothers' sole inheritance from their father, who promises that they will last for a lifetime if cared for properly. In his will, he warns them against altering the coats in any way. These coats represent the practices of Christianity as originally revealed and commanded by God and as stipulated in the Bible (the father's will). Like the early Church written about in the New Testament, the brothers initially do a good job of sticking to the rules laid down by the will. It isn't long, however, before they are finding ways to excuse themselves from following the will too scrupulously when it conflicts with their immediate desires. This behavior is dramatized as a gradual altering of the coats in spite of the father's express wish to the contrary.

FATHER'S  WILL

This is  a second important  symbol  in tale of tub. As you all know that tale of tub is divided in 2 parts 

A TALE

DIGRESSION 

 father's will represent the Bible. As Bible represent that what is right and what is wrong father's  will represent same. The will of father play most important role in the story  and because of that will three brothers are not united in whole story.

All three brothers start off faithfully following the will, but they are gradually corrupted by outside influences. They stray from its obvious intent and, increasingly, from its directly stated rules, becoming ridiculous and superficial in the process. This behavior is provoked by a desire to fit in with the rest of the world, as illustrated in the middle of Chapter 2. There, the brothers realize that they will have to get creative if they want to give the appearance of following their father's wishes while actually ignoring them. 

THE TUB:

The third important symbol in tale of tub is a tub. Tub is normally use for a diversion 

The tub represents the diversion that sailors would throw out so that whales would not overturn their ships. Here, Swift suggests that the whale is representative of “Hobbes’s Leviathan, which tosses and plays with all other schemes of religion and government” . In this case, the whale is trying to destroy the steady ship of government and religion, and those in power are throwing out a diversion, but the whale keeps coming. Although “A Tale of a Tub” within the text would seem to be a diversion, it is designed as a commentary on the state of religion and government in England.

CHERITISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY

Definition of metaphysical  poetry?

Metaphysical poetry is a group of 

poems that share common 

characteristics: they are all highly 

intellectualized, use rather strange 

imagery, use frequent paradox and 

contain extremely complicated thoughts.

A group of Poets were emerged  in the  16th century.whose poetry identified   as metaphysical  poetry.  It was dr. Samuel Johnson who was a classicist  of the neo classical age who named poetry of donne and his school also. Johnson used terms  while writing about the life of Abraham cowley his biographical  work with the title "THE LIVES OF THE ENGLISH POETS" with the passing of time  the same term became  the term of appraisal   for their poetry. 

What does metaphysical mean?

The word 'meta' means 'after,' so the literal translation of 

'metaphysical' is 'after the physical.' Basically, metaphysics deals with 

questions that can't be explained by science. It questions the nature of 

reality in a philosophical way.

• Here are some common metaphysical questions:

• Does God exist?

• Is there a difference between the way things appear to us and the way 

they really are? Essentially, what is the difference between reality and 

perception?

• Is everything that happens already predetermined? If so, then is free 

choice non-existent?

• Is consciousness limited to the brain?

Metaphysics can cover a broad range of topics from religious to 

consciousness; however, all the questions about metaphysics ponder 

the nature of reality. And of course, there is no one correct answer to 

any of these questions. Metaphysics is about exploration and 

philosophy, not about science and math.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC  OF METAPHYSICAL  POETRY

EASY IN THE TRIAL OF FINGER FAILED IN LISTENING 

 This is the most important  characteristic of metaphysical  poetry. The metaphysical poetry are easy in the trial of finger, but it also can be hard to listening, to understand  this sentence we 

 take example of a 'Flea'  which is written by John donne.

Conscious Attempt 

All the metaphysical  poets made conscious attempts to  differ from the poetry of former Poets and their writings. They try to  differ both  in the manner  and manner of writing of poetry.

They use this characteristics  because readers can notice it. One critic HELEN C WHITE mentions that  it was a demand of a time for the metaphysical  to differ  from the Poets of the previous age. Had they continue  writing poetry in the same manner just like the former Poets their poetry would have been rejected. Due to new learning and reformation of the Elizabethan age.

We can say  that the metaphysical  poet are different  from the early Poets now the readers may raised the question  that

How are metaphysical Poets different?

They used  far-fetched  images in their poetry.

        The early Poets  took the subject  related  field  in their poetry. When the metaphysical  Poets were brought the images  which are not usually connected. We can take an example of the Flea  where Donne talks about love where he uses a Flea as a symbol.

In the poem to his coy mistress  by D.G rossetti in brief  all the metaphysical Poets use the FAR FETCHED IMAGES in their poetry.

In order to express either love or their faith in Christianity.  They brought their  images from different  fields. Just like biology, architecture,  Engineering,  Agriculture, Geometry , and even political science. This gives a unique   identity  to  their poetry.

No use of music

 In metaphysical poetry the poet wrote a poem without music and without  image.

Display of scholarship

All the  metaphysical  displays their scholarship   through their poems, university graduates and men of learning. 

Intellectual level

Metaphysical  poets tried to be intellectual.  For understanding  a poem we have to be mental

 exercise. The intellectual level of a poet went upward, so metaphysics poets tried  to be intellectual to  write poetry.

Different themes of poetry:

 In metaphysical  poetry religion is not the only theme of metaphysical  poetry. Love is also theme  of metaphysical  poem

Highly physical

Though  it is known as metaphysical  poetry they tried to  be highly  physical  also.

 

Use of Geometrical images

           Between the  creator and the creation  Andrew Marwell use of geometrical images  for the expression of love .

Deals with thought feelings

Metaphysics also deals with thoughts and feelings.

Highly ambiguous 

Metaphysical poetry is considered highly 

ambiguous due to high intellect and 

knowledge of metaphysical poets.

Example  of  some poem:

First example is the poem of John Donne  who made use of biological images in his poem A Flea  for the expression of love.

Second   example is a poem by George Herbert. He made use of  an image from the field of mechanical engineering. For the expression  of his faith  in Christianity. The  example  in the poem  with the title of  the pulley.which creates connections  between  creator  and creation. Pulley is an image of engineering   but in his poem it is used to restlessness.

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THINKING ACTIVITY ON ABSOLAM &ACHITOPHEL

Make a list of characters  who favoured  King David and who were against?

About poet

John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was appointed England's first Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. 

ABOUT ABSOLAM&ACHITOPHEL

Absalom and Achitophel is a celebrated satirical poem by John Dryden, written in heroic couplets and first published in 1681. in  the act some are in favoured  of king  some are against of king. Here I make list about those character. As activity of my class .

The characters are talking about the biblical character.

Absolam  is  presented as illegitimate  son of king david and achitophel was presented as antagonist.

Firstly, I make a list of the characters who are in favor  of King david.

Barzillai

King david oldest and most trusted friend

He is always with david.

He represented  james butler. 1st Duke of  Ormond

He is favoured of king david

Barzillai  eldest son

He  represents   Thomas butler  earl of ossory.

He is the son of David's  most trusted man.

He is also in the favoured  of a king

Jotham

According to the Bible jotham is a king of Judah  and the grandson of zadok.

 In a poem by John Dryden he is represented as  George  Savile,the nephew  of the earl of shaftesbury, the man allegorized  in the character  of achitophel.

He is credited with being instrumental in defeating  the exclusion bill in parliament.

We can say that he is a supporter of the exclusion bill also.

He is in favour of the king.

Amiel

 One of king david most trusted  and loyal men.

He is important  member of the sanhedrin  and helps to quell  the uprising against david  within government. 

In the poem it is not clear which one the dryden take here of amiel, because in the Bible there are several amiels in the Bible.

Amiel is represented Edward  Seymour, the speaker of the house of commons parliament  during  time of dryden 

He is an opponent of the exclusion  bill. 

Michal

 She is  wife of king david

She is in favoured of king david

   

These are all characters who are in favor  of King david.

Here I make a list of the characters who are against  the king David. In other  words, we can say that all the characters are in favour of achitophel.

First character who is against of king or we can say antagonist is 

Achitophel

He is the most influential.

He is presented as antagonist  in the act absalom & achitophel.

He pretends to be David's  friend but actually  he is the enemy of david.

He wants to rule over Israel  or we can want to destroy  it.

He encouraged absolam  to rebel against jebusites. 

Corah

He is an achitophel man.

He is against the king.

He is a priest although he lies about rabbinical  degree, and he hatches  the plot that helps achitophel discredit  David's brother and ingratiate  Absolam to the people of Israel.

In the poem he represented  as Titus oates the Englishman, who engineered the popish  plot.

Like corah, oates was a puritan priest, with a dubious rabbinical  degree.

 Shimei 

 He is in favour of Achitophel,against  King david.

Shimei  is a dishonest  crook who steals  and cheats  the jews in every chance.

Sheimei  stakes juries  to punish David supporters, set his enemy free and during  his tenure  as magistrate,  treason is not his crime.

He is  one of David's   tormentors  in the Bible, but in the Dryden poem he is represented  as a  slingsby Bethel, the sheriff  of london.

Member  of parliament  during the time of dryden.

He is in favour of achitophel. 

Zimri

Dryden describe zimri as  buffoon  who has tried several profession. 

In  the Bible zimri is a  king of Israel

He likely represent George  Villiers  the 2nd Duke of Buckingham 

He was accused for treason 

He played active role  within popish plot.

The pharaoh

He is leader of egeypt  and David's  ally.

Pharaoh only pretends to just he is friendly with david, but really   he just looking way to exploits king.

In poem he represent Louis 14 of France

He is in favour of achitophel 

Jonas

He has ability to manipulate  laws.

According  to Bible Joan's is prophet. 

In the poem of dryden he is represent as a sir William jonas  a member of parliament.

He also support  the exclusion bill.

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THINKING ACTIVITY ON POST TRUTH

What is post truth?

Post truth is a word of the year in 2016 by the Oxford dictionary.post  truth is an adjective defined as relating circumstances in which objective  facts  are less influential   in shaping  public opinion than appeals   to emotions  and personal belief.

What does the post truth word represent?

The post truth word represents the era of facts as well as truth. The era of  Donald  Trump &Brexit.

History of post truth word

The compound word post truth exemplifies an extension   in the meaning post truth  has become  increasingly   prominent  in recent years. Rather than simply referring   to the time after specified  situation  or event as in post war. The prefix post that  has meaning   more like belonging to time which specified  concept has  become  unimportant  or  irrelevant. This seems to have originated  in the mid 20th  century .

When was the word post truth was used first time?

seems to have been first used in this meaning in a 1992 essay by the late Serbian-American playwright Steve Tesich in The Nation magazine. Reflecting on the Iran-Contra scandal and the Persian Gulf War, Tesich lamented that ‘we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world’. There is evidence of the phrase ‘post-truth’ being used before Tesich’s article, but apparently with the transparent meaning ‘after the truth was known’, and not with the new implication that truth itself has become irrelevant.

After using this word by Steve tesich  other  author also used this word like Ralph  Keyes  he use this word in his  book, the post-truth   era  it is also used by  comedian  Stephen  colbert  popularised  this informal word.

How post truth  is  realted  to politics

The discussion  on post-truth   in politics is suffering from  a lack of shared conceptual  understanding. Some people are talk about  the " death of expertise" the lack of  impact  of scientific policy. 

 Concept of Harry Frankfurt  book

Post-truth   closely realted to  what Harry  Frankfurt   famously  described as  bullshit, but  the argument take place that  two are not exactly synonyms, both form of speech  are indifferent  towards  the truth Value  of  statement  , which distinguished  them from traditional rights.

Strually  post truth related  to an erosion of the common   world. Due to increasing  irrelevance   of factual truth in public discourse . This processes can be traced  to changes media economy  politics complex.  The emerges  of the lies  and genral  rise  of public relations led politics  have substantially  contributed   to the cynicism  over fact. It increasing over lap  of media, politics, entertainment   together drastic   changes in media  ecosystem  itself decline  trust in mass media are also be taken into account they create condition for subjectvition  of shared facts and open the doors for actors like Donald Trump, capable of capitalizing reality TV  experience   for purpose manipulating  media and public discourse.

Why the word post truth has chosen?

The word was chosen because this word has been existence for the past two  decade  but Oxford dictionary has seen spike in frequency in the year 2016 the context of refers  in the United Kingdom. 

What is opinions of critic about  the post truth word 

As per some critic when we are talking about  post truth we are not exactly  talking  about  this word but we are talking about alternative  truth.

Some scholars argue that post-truth has similarities with past moral, epistemic, and political debates about relativism, postmodernity, and mendacity in politics, including untruthfulness, lies, deception, and deliberate falsehood, while others insist that post-truth refers to distinct historical, social, and political relations and forms especially associated with 21st century communication technologies and cultural practices.

Concept of Hannah arendt

Hannah Arendt   

In her essay Lying in Politics (1972), Hannah Arendt describes what she terms defactualization, or the inability to discern fact from fiction—a concept very close to what we now understand by post-truth.

Here are some cartoons which helps readers to understand post truth concept.

By this image readers can understand that in the post truth era facts are doesn't matter but rational thought are very important.

By this cartoon we can clearly see that rather than the truth the rational  thought are very important. 

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