English Literature

This is an excellent example that reveals the importance of punctuation, and how the same set of words can mean different things by using different punctuation marks. An English professor wrote the words: “A woman without her man is nothing” on the chalkboard and asked the students to punctuate it correctly. All of the males […]

In English Grammar, an interjection is a part of speech that helps to show emotion. It expresses meaning or feeling. they may be followed by wither a comma (,) or exclamation mark (!). For Example Ouch! that hurts! Oh, what a wonderful movie! Sometimes these interjections can also be a complete sentence. For Example Hi! […]

O. Henry is the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter, known for infusing wit, gentle humour, and surprise endings in his short stories. “Hearts and Hands” is not an exception. About the Story “Hearts and Hands” by O. Henry is a story told during the course of a train journey to Denver. […]

“My Greatest Olympic Prize” (by By Jesse Owens) is a true story; its an autobiographical account of Jesse Owens’ experience of true friendship at the Berlin Olympics 1936 where he won four gold medals. Summary During the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens walked away with four gold medals. However, Adolf Hitler was pretty confident that Luz […]

R. K. Narayan in his short story “A Horse and Two Goats” uses humour to touch upon several important social issues. The story is set in a fictional village in Tamil Nadu named Kritam where the protagonist of the story, Muni, lives. Most of the houses in the village are made of bamboo thatch, straw […]

After Blenheim by Robert Southey is an anti-war poem (opposed to war) that offers deep insights on war and its consequences. Written in the form of a ballad, the poem is centered around one of the major battles of eighteenth century – the Battle of Blenheim in which the allied forces (coalition of forces including […]

Bangle Sellers (by Sarojini Naidu) is a beautiful, well crafted, poem where the poetess provides insight into the lives of a certain class of people – bangle sellers who wander from place to place to sell their wares. One bangle-seller becomes the narrator of this poem. The Bangle Sellers’ was published in the 1912 collection […]

Chief Seattle’s Speech – Treasure Trove of short Stories. Also find ICSE project/assignment questions on Chief Seattle’s Speech. Introduction Globally, forest cover continues to decline at an alarming rate as deforestation continues playing havoc with the climate. American novelist and poet, Henry Cuyler Bunner, is able to foresee the impending destruction and makes an ardent […]

An Angel in Disguise (1851) was featured in Arthur’s collection, After a Shadow and Other Stories. “The sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden.” The Story-line […]

The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare. Let’s take a look at the story. Merchant of Venice – Summary Antonio and Bassanio are very close friends. Bassanio needs money to court the wealthy Portia, so he approaches Antonio, who is a merchant. Antonio doesn’t have enough cash in hand so […]

British English (BE) vs American English (AE): If your mother tongue is not English, or of you do not live in an English speaking country, it can get confusing (especially the spellings). Here’s more on the differences. While people in both England and the U.S. speak the English language, the two types of English can […]

Industrialization did make life much easier for mankind, but also took a heavy toll on environment. American novelist and poet, Henry Cuyler Bunner, could see the impending destruction and through his poem has appealed to readers to take action. Just as the heart is the most important organ of the human body, trees also play […]

A significant percentage of the world population lives in extreme poverty, and children born in such families are often forced to work right from a young age in order to support their family. ‘The Blue Bead’ by English novelist Norah Burke is about a poor, yet fearless 12-year old girl whose only wish is to […]

Analysis of ‘The Little Match Girl’ by Hans Christian Andersen. Find notes and question and answers. Children from the weaker sections of the society are often forced to become wage earners in order to support their family. Such children are deprived of normal childhood and are forced to grow up prematurely. ‘The Little Match Girl’ […]

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury: summary, notes, questions and answers. Introduction Ray Bradbury is considered as one of world’s greatest science fiction writers. “All Summer in a Day” takes place on the planet Venus in a future world where people have come to live and set up a colony. Venus, the second […]

Television – Poem by Roald Dahl The most important thing we’ve learned, So far as children are concerned, Is never, NEVER, NEVER let Them near your television set — Or better still, just don’t install The idiotic thing at all. In almost every house we’ve been, We’ve watched them gaping at the screen. They loll […]

As part of ICSE Class 10 board exams, students are required to write a composition (essay) of around 300 to 350 words from a choice of subjects. The idea is to see how well students can describe, explain, present ideas coherently, arrive at conclusions and suggest solutions. Here are more tips and suggestions to help […]