Lithuania -Rupert Brooke

‘Lithuania’ is a one-act play by Rupert Brooke. It describes the home of a poor family living in a valley of Lithuania, an agricultural country under Russian rule.

    When the play starts, a rich stranger arrives in the midst of this poor family for a night’s rest at this poor family when the father is not being at home. The mother and the daughter allow him to stay in their house and serve him food for the night. When the rich stranger asked about their son, the mother tells the stranger that he had run away when he was about thirteen and that she is not sure whether she will welcome him if he ever comes back home.

       When the father returns, the stranger reveals that he has a lot of money and a gold watch with him and he shows his wealth before he is going to bed. Looking at the wealth of the stranger the family is being tempted to rob him as it had been under the prolonged spell of poverty and misery.

     The stranger’s wealth provokes them for uncontrollable greed in the poverty-stricken family. The parents and the daughterconspire to rob all his valuables and kill him in his bed. They justify their decision of killing the stranger by considering him as a thief and thought that the stranger had stolen money somewhere and had come to this place for safe shelter.

          The father goes into the room with a knife but he is not courageous enough to kill the stranger. He wants to drink before killing him. He goes out for a drink and does not return for an hour. Meanwhile, the mother and the daughter are tired of waiting for the father. The daughter takes an axe and kills the stranger ruthlessly with her mother’s assistance.

        The vodka shop keeper and his son bring the father home. The shop keeper reveals that the stranger was none other else but the son of the family who had run away from home when he was thirteen years old. He had now come back to share his wealth that he had accumulated with the members of his family and thereafter give them a happy life. However, he wished to keep his identity a secret until the following day. He wanted to give them the most pleasant and thrilling surprise of their lives.

             This shocking revelation leaves the mother in remorse and anguish. After knowing that the stranger was her own son she could not control her sorrow and she continuously recalling how her son calling her.

Midst ( Prep) : in the middle of

Conspire (V): jointly make secret plans to commit a wrongful act

Revelation (N) : when something is made known that was secret

Remorse (N) :a strong feeling of guilt and regret about something you 
                     have done

Anguish (N) : extreme unhappiness caused by physical or mental  Suffering:

Virtue - Herbert

           “Virtue” is one of the most frequently quoted of Herbert’s poems. It exemplifies what is excellent in Herbert’s accomplishment. The poem is notable for its perfect cadence and striking imagery.  It has four stanzas.  It presents a great idea in simple language.  The first three stanzas describe things that are sweet but short-lived.  The last stanza presents the virtuous soul as the only thing that lasts forever.  The poet seeks to say that many things may come and go but morality comes grows and glows.

          In the first stanza the poet says that the day is bright, sweet and cool.  It is pleasant. But the moment night sets in, the day disappears.  And the dew mourns the death of the day.

        The second stanza depicts that the rose is brilliantly red.  It has beautiful looks.  But it is so short-lived that everybody feels sad for it. 

        The third stanza tells us that the spring season that brings all enjoyable things also meets its end very soon.  The charm and the music that accompany the spring season also come to a close as it leaves the scene.

        The poem concludes that the only thing that lives on endlessly is virtue.  Loving thoughts, compassionate words and noble deeds last forever.  Like seasoned wood, it never yields or fails.  Even when the whole world is reduced to ashes, moral excellence continuous to glow brilliantly.