Use of nature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

We all know that the romantic age in English literature is mainly famous for the emphasis of all the poets on nature. There were five or six major poets in this age, and all of them wrote many poems directly or indirectly related to the theme of nature. It was William Wordsworth who put the most importance on the relationship between nature and human life, and he tried to show that nature is alive and is directly related to our life. Samuel Taylor Coleridge did not completely share the same view with his friend, but in his poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, we can find some strong relationship between nature and human life on various occasions.

According to Coleridge, nature was not so strong and deeply and directly connected to human life. However, we can perhaps find some interesting things in this respect in the poem. Coleridge wanted to portray supernatural events as very normal and natural.

A closer look at the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” will perhaps tell us that nature is indeed related to human life. The mariner sets on a journey, and at first, he was not concerned about anything else but his own pleasure. Even when he saw the albatross, he did not like it at all and for no reason killed it. Then, we can find that nature is not dead but its own soul. The mariner just offended the soul of nature by killing the albatross.

Albatross is the symbol of innocence. It was really and purely an innocent creature of God. It was the first thing the sailors saw after a long time in the ocean. So, the sailors were very happy as they had some company at last. The albatross came regularly and brought delight and fun for the sailors.

Coleridge has perhaps also tried to show that nature and God are not separate things. God was angry with the ancient mariner when he killed the albatross. Then, God brought punishment for him, and after suffering from a long punishment, the ancient mariner was changed in his heart, and he could ask forgiveness from God. God forgave him only when he showed mercy and kindness to water snakes.

Coleridge has used symbolism in this poem that is sometimes related to nature. For example, the albatross is a symbol and many discussions have taken place among the critics about the use of symbols in this poem. I like to state that the albatross is the symbol of innocence and in a way the symbol of goodness. When we throw away innocence and goodness from our life, our life becomes painful and meaningless.

Coleridge has painted some beautiful imageries with words related to nature. While discussing the sea, albatross, water snakes and the water around the ship, Coleridge really used very beautiful examples of imagery.

I have already said that according to Coleridge, nature is not separate from human life. However, Coleridge has focused on another thing that personal experience of the person is also important. The ancient mariner had some experiences in nature and these experiences changed him and made him a totally different person. He learned some moral lessons from the events that took place on the ship. At first, he killed the albatross, and then he suffered punishment. While he was suffering from punishment, life became intolerable for him. However, he understood that showing kindness to the creatures of God and to natural objects is important indeed.

In our age, many people talk about environmental pollution and care for the environment. In a way, this poem of Coleridge is like a pioneering effort in modern literature to make people conscious about taking care of the environment. For this reason, anyone who believes in supporting the environmental causes around the world should read the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.

John Donne’s treatment of love

John Donne started the trend of metaphysical poetry in English literature. For this reason, he is considered to be a very important poet of English literature. For many years, his poems were not appreciated. Thanks to brilliant poets like T.S. Eliot, his work is widely appreciated by the readers. Donne started his career as a poet in the late Elizabethan period, and he came out of the influence of major poets like Shakespeare and created a new style in poetry.

The subject of love occurred naturally in Donne’s poetry because from ancient times we see that in literature, especially in poems, love is given a lot of importance. In all ages, the poets always talked about love between a man and woman though in real life the scope of love was very limited. Still, poets praised love all the time.

What is striking about John Donne is that he introduced a new idea about love. Predecessors of Donne portrayed love as something heavenly and noble. Though lovers live in the world but enjoy heaven on earth. Donne neither admitted it nor denied it. He did not deny the importance of love in human life, but he did not present love as a heavenly object all the time in his poems. Love also causes pain, emotional upset and treachery. Sometimes he brutally attacked women. He said that no beautiful girl remains faithful to his lover. On the contrary, he spoke highly of his wife. The high thought about love that dominated in the works of the poets of ancient times was also very common among Elizabethan poets. Elizabethan poets of England were highly influenced by Petrarch, the famous Italian poet. Petrarch, in his poems, spoke highly of his beloved. This trend was broken by John Donne. It helped other poets to think in a different manner.

John Donne portrayed love from a realistic point of view. He even used logic to justify love. We all know that love has a deep connection with emotion, and love, in most cases, does not follow logic. It is impossible to judge love using logic. John Donne tried that impossible feat in many of his poems.

In fact, Donne tried to portray the true picture of love. It is true that love brings great joy and happiness in the hearts of the lover and his beloved, but it also causes pain, and Donne successfully presented this idea in his poems. Most of the lovers are men and they compose poems about their wives and beloved. We see some exceptions in Donne in this regard. Women did not have any freedom at that time and they had no rights or privileges. Most of the women were illiterate. There were no separate colleges for them. Most of the women studied at home and most men did not recognize women as a separate entity. Women did not inherit anything from their fathers or husband. John Donne in his poetry talked about women’s separate entity and their freedom. Sometimes they use their freedom for evil purposes and cheat on their lovers, but they have a separate entity.

In “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” poem, John Donne’s treatment of love is sensuous. In this poem, his statement repeats the Platonic statement that physical contact is not necessary for the development of spiritual love. It refers to a temporary departure when Donne was called from home. The poet compares him and his beloved with two legs of a compass. While one leg of a compass remains fixed, the other moves around to complete the circle. The physical existence is not necessary if a true bond of the minds has occurred, thus joining a pair of lovers’ souls eternally.

However, in some of his poems, we can find the influence of Petrarch and Ovidian. Such a poem is “Twickenham Garden”. This poem tells the poet’s friendship with the Countess of Bedford, a cultured and accomplished lady of the seventeenth century. There is no authentic source to know if the lady nodded her head to the love of the poet. This poem shows how love changes joy into sorrow. The poet is so unhappy that even spring cannot bring happiness to the poet’s heart. Women, in general, are false, and as a result, they are not worthy of being trusted, but the poet’s sweetheart is an exception. The poet wishes that lovers should judge their mistresses’ love by comparing the taste of her tears with that of their tears.

“The Good-Morrow” is another poem that shows the lover’s move from discussing sensual love to spiritual love. He realizes that, with spiritual love, the couple can be liberated from fear and the need to seek adventure. The poet said that he and his beloved are one because they are similar in all respects and as such none of them will die. Their mutual love can neither decrease, nor decline nor come to an end. Their love is immortal.

In his poem “Go and Catch a Falling Star”, we can find his cynical view towards women. It is one of the most common formulas in his love poems. It is anti-woman and hostile to the fair sex. The poet shows the impossibility of finding a true and fair woman. The speaker tells his listener that if he ever finds a true and fair woman then he would go to her as if he is going on a pilgrimage to some holy place. He also said that an ugly woman may be constant, but a beautiful woman can never be so.

John Donne thought very differently about love and he was the first one to present love as a complex matter. Poets before done talked about love as it was a heavenly object and did not think about it from a realistic point of view but Donne emphasized logic along with emotion.

Independence Day of Bangladesh

March 26, 2021, was the 50^th independence day of Bangladesh. On this day in 1971, the independence of Bangladesh was declared by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation. Before being arrested by the Pakistani army, he declared the independence of the country during the early hours of March 26, 1971. 

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This day has huge significance in the history of Bangladesh because from that day people in erstwhile East Pakistan started fighting for their freedom. However, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis, in his speech given at the historic March 7 assembly at the Racecourse grounds, proclaimed the nation’s independence by uttering the lines-

“এবারের সংগ্রাম আমাদের মুক্তির সংগ্রাম (This time the struggle is for our freedom)

এবারের সংগ্রাম স্বাধীনতার সংগ্রাম।” (This time the struggle is for our independence)

On December 16, 1971, after nine months of the bloodiest war, Bangladesh got independence from Pakistan. To achieve this liberty, Bangladesh had to pay 3 million lives and honors of more than a quarter of a million Bengali women. For this reason, it is called a hard achieved freedom.

Celebration of Independence Day begins with a 31-gun salute at dawn. Then, people from all walks of life gather at the National Memorial in Savar, and by placing flowers and wreaths, they pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. To celebrate the day, various programs are organized all over the country by government and non-government organizations.

Flower Village in Bangladesh

Flower has become an integral part of our everyday life. The use of flowers ranges from special festivals, including marriage ceremonies, Pohela Falgun, Pohela Boishakh, Valentine's Day, to special national holidays, such as Victory Day, National Martyrs' Day etc. We lay wreaths on monuments to pay tribute to departed souls. The use of flowers is also visible in shrines of all religions. It is used to decorate a home. Girls use it as an ornament. They are seen using flowers to decorate their hair. No doubt, it gives them a more beautiful look. From the above description, it is clear that we have a huge demand for flowers in our country, and most of the demand is met by the flowers collecting from Panishara village under Jhikargachha Upazila of Jessore district.

Farmers in Panishara village only grow different types of flowers. For this reason, this village is known as flower village. Gatkhali Bazar is the biggest flower bazaar in Bangladesh. Everyday flowers worth millions of taka are sold here. Farmers gather their flowers here and sell their products to local traders. Then again, the flowers are handed from one trader to another trader in the capital and ship them on trucks. When the flowers reach the capital city, especially in Shahbagh and Khamarbari, retailers buy their flowers from there according to their demand and budget. Afterwards, these flowers are taken to posh shops of Gulshan and Banani where they are made into bouquets and sold for handsome amounts. 

Bara Katra

Bara Katra, located in Dhaka, is a monument of the Mughal period. This edifice was erected on the bank of the river Buriganga in 1641 by the order of Shah Shuja, the son of Emperor Shah Jahan. It was built by Abul Qasim, who was known as Mir-E-Emarat. Though Shah Shuja was supposed to live here, it was later on used as a caravanserai. 

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Once known for its architectural beauty, Bara Katra today stands with its dilapidated entrance, a relic of its former self. The gateway of Bara Katra once had a stone plate featuring information written by Sad-ud-din Muhammad Sherazi in the Persian language. The stone plate tells about the founder of this caravanserai and the financial sources to manage the cost of its maintenance. The stone plate says:

“Sultan Shah Shuja always kept himself engrossed in charity. So, with the hope of receiving God’s grace, Abul Qasim al-Husainia-Tabtaba built this house as a symbol of good fortune. The palace adjoined 22 shops which would finance its reparation cost and the arrangement for free accommodation for the travelers. This provision would never be canceled. If it is ever canceled, the person held responsible would have God’s wrath unleashed upon him on the day of final judgment. This plate was written by Sad-ud-din Muhammad Sherazi.”

Pohela Boishakh

Bangladesh is a country of colorful festivals, of which Pohela Boishakh is the most significant. This festival, which is an inseparable part of Bengali culture, plays a pivotal role among Bengali-speaking people because it marks the beginning of the Bengali New Year. On this day, people bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year. For this reason, it is also known as Bangla Noboborsho.

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To commemorate this important day, people from all walks of life decorate themselves in traditional Bengali attire. Girls put on white sarees with red borders, wear glass bangles on their hands, flowers on their head buns, and tips on their forehead while men wear white pyjamas and panjabi or kurta.

What makes this festival different from other festivals is its universal and non-communal nature. People irrespective of religion and race can take part in it and together celebrate the day. The day starts with a procession called Mangal Shovajatra. A troop of singers gather in the city’s Ramna Batamul to welcome the New Year, and singing songs is a common scenario of this day.

Pohela Boishakh is a public holiday in Bangladesh. The joy and happiness on this day are no less than any religious festival. Joy becomes double when a clay pot filled with traditional food is served on the dining table. 

Diversified jute products

When we think of any product made by jute, the first product that comes to our mind is a sack. It is the traditional use of jute. However, time has changed a lot and with the time being, the use of jute has changed a lot. It is no more used for making a sack that is used for carrying rice and different other types of seeds. Rather, it has been transformed into an array of non-traditional goods, such as trendy handbags, shoes and sandals, laptop and tablet PC carriers, wallets, cushion and pillow covers etc. Diversified products of jute are given as follows- 

Jute products that are used at home-

1. Cushion cover, pillow cover
2. Carpet
3. Lamp post
4. Curtain
5. Table mat
6. Jute tray
7. Shoes and Sandal
8. Jute mat, floor covering

 

Jute products that are used in corporate-

1. Laptop bag
2. Executive bag
3. Wallet
4. Paperweight
5. Folder

 

Jute products that are used in everyday life and party:

1. Shopping bag
2. School bag
3. Water bag
4. Trendy hand bag

 

As jute is a fiber-type material, it can be used for making different products and goods, which are mentioned above.

 

Benefits/Advantages of Jute:

Not only the use of jute products will help develop the county and people's economy but also it will keep the environment safe from various pollutions- air pollution and water pollution. Jute products have various advantages on the economy, country and nature. The advantages of jute products are given below:

 

1. Advantages/Benefits of jute products on the environment:

1. Jute cultivation increases the productivity of the soil.
2. Green jute plants are an important source of providing oxygen to the atmosphere.
3. As there is no use of harmful chemicals in the production process, it is free from air and water pollution. One hectare of jute plants can consume about 15 tons of CO2 and release about 11 tons of oxygen during the jute growing season.
4. Jute fiber is an eco-friendly product and it is 100% recyclable and perishable. As it is a natural fiber, it can be recycled hundreds of times unlike plastics and can be subjected to rough use.
5. Jute cultivation requires little amount of money.

 

2. Benefit to consumers:

Durability: Compared to other products, such as plastic and paper, jute products are much more durable. Jute products are not easy to tear. It has an average lifetime of more than five years.

Reusable: Jute products, especially bags, are reusable. Customers can use it again and again for different purposes. They can reuse them for their future shopping and packing needs.

Strong: The most important feature of jute products is their strength. Jute bags have the reputation of being quite strong and can easily carry up to 15 kilograms compared to conventional carry bags.

Cheap and cost effective: In comparison, it is cheap and cost-effective than other products. Because of its cheap price, it is easily available. As it is reusable, customers do not have to spend money on buying carrier again and again.

Elegance: Its natural golden color adds elegant look to its products. However, varieties of colors are also available in market.

3. Advantages/Benefits for corporation or organization:

Use as a promotional tool: Various organizations can use jute products, especially jute shopping bags, as an important medium of promotional tool. For promotion, a company or organization can make any kind of design, use a logo or any message.

Give advertisement and promotional efforts more visibility: Because of its advantages of reusability and longer duration of time in the hands of customers, advertisement given by organization gets more visibility and promotional effort.

Customizable: Jute products can be customized by printing logos and slogans.

Why should we use it?

There are various reasons for which people will be encouraged to use jute made products. 

1. The first and foremost thing is that it keeps our earth safe from pollutions. So, if we want to keep our earth safe then we have no other option but to increase the use of jute products.
2. It will reduce the production of polyethylene or PVC, which is used in making carry bags. Polyethylene is a high pollution contributor.
3. Using jute products will help save the cultivation of jute, which is considered the oldest part of our culture.
4. As millions of people are directly or indirectly engaged in jute-related jobs, using jute products will help save their families and earn their living. It helps reduce poverty and hunger.
5. Jute has a demand in the international market. So, by exporting jute products, our government can earn foreign currency, which helps contribute to our revenue.
6. If anyone wants to open up his or her own business, he or she may choose the business of selling jute products because it requires less amount of money to invest. It will help increase more entrepreneurs and at the same time will decrease the unemployment rate to a more extent in the urban areas of the world.

Contribution of jute to Bangladesh’s economy: It is needless to say that the garment sector is playing a key role in earning foreign currency in the economy. It contributes more than half of the total economy. However, the contribution of jute products to the Bangladeshi economy is not less compared to other products that are export abroad.

According to a report published on May 7, 2012, in The Financial Express, it has been shown that Bangladesh earned about $23 billion in 2011. Ready-made garments are the highest foreign currency earner with $18 billion, which accounts for more than 78 percent of total export earnings come from this sector, including 41% percent from knit and 38% from woven. Frozen food is the second highest foreign currency earner with 2.92 percent. Then comes chemical products that have 1.8 percent. Jute goods and leather respectively capture 1.73 and 1.13 percent. Other products share 12.04 percent of the total export earnings.

In Bangladesh, 5.5-6.0 million (55-60 lakh) bales of raw jute are produced each year. Out of which, some 3.2 million (32 lakh) bales are used to meet the local demand and 2.4 million (24 lakh) bales of jute are exported to capture the international market.

If we look at the international market, we can see that it has 0.75 million (7.50 lakh) tons of demand for jute goods. Bangladesh is the major exporter with exporting 0.46 million (4.60 lakh) tons of jute goods. India comes after Bangladesh with exporting 0.285 million (2.85 lakh) tons of jute products in the international market. Bangladesh is the only raw jute exporter. It is because raw jute from Bangladesh has earned a reputation for its best quality.

Bangladesh is leading the international jute market with a 62 percent market share, which estimates Taka 20.125 billion (2012.5 crores) income by exporting jute goods. Last year, the country exported 2.4 million (24 lakh) bales of raw jute, which is worth Taka 9.77 million (977 crores).

Among jute products, jute sacks and bags experienced a significant increase in export earnings by 35 percent and earned the US $ 159.89 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year 2012-13, according to Export Promotion Bureau. Jute yarn and twine also increased by nearly 10 percent and earned $329.06 million during the same period.

Imposing ban on plastic bags: I would like to give thanks to the Bangladesh government for imposing a ban on plastic bags. Bangladesh has become the first country to put a nationwide ban on plastic bags. Because of this wise decision, jute products, especially bags, are regaining the position that they lost to polythene after failing to keep pace with fast-moving technological changes in the packaging sector. This decision has also come as an inspiration for the jute bag industry. There was a big reason behind taking this decision. The government found out that polythene was the main cause of two-third of the country going under water during the 1988 and 1998 floods.