Assistant Professor of English: My Story of Success.(Kerala PSC)

"It is not the size but fight of the dog that matters !"

Dear friends,

Thank you once again for being here. In this short Blog I am going to tell you how I reached my dream of becoming a lecturer in English. This is purely personal. For the first time I am going to tell this in public.

As you know every dream starts from a desire and that desire is instigated by someone or some incident.  I set my dream in 2000, while doing my second year degree. Remember I was just an average student and never a candidate for such a high job. My mother laughed at my face saying that I am going to waste my life by setting such an unachievable goal. My aunt advised me to "bite what I can chew" and "cut my coat according to my size"(She was the only professor in our family and was too much proud of it). Honestly these negative comments were my first inspiration. I wanted to prove them wrong. I wanted to prove all the negative noises around me. 

From then on wards whatever I  read, I did it with a purpose. I imagined myself standing in front of students and delivering engaging classes. The thought of a tough competition and my limited chance of getting it made me to work hard. Am I boasting? I am sorry. 

Everything went fine until I completed my MA from St. Thomas College, Thrissur in 2004. But tragedy set me in the form of some health issues. I had to undergo one year treatment and I lost my vital flow and energy. To add the burden I also had a break up. 

Future looked bleak. But after all we are students of literature. How can something crush our indomitable spirit?

By then it was 2006. I was working as a guest faculty. Then the PSC called for the post. I realised that I had only a throw of the dice and if I missed it I would be doomed. Trusting my guts I started my preparation for my dream. Primarily I resigned from my job and joined for M.Phil. This was to focus more into the studies and avoid distraction. 

We had no prescribed syllabus then. So that made my task difficult. The level of competition was high. I had only one shot. I decided to be a jack all first and later  ... In other words instead of spending too much time on one area I spread the area of reading. I kept away all my MA materials for the final stage of preparation and focused on unknown areas.  I read and immediately made short notes of from remembering it. Then I reread to fill the missing points. It was challenging.. I brought chart papers of different colours and cut them into 6 x4 cards and kept the notes as short as possible. The different colours helped me to easily search for a particular genre. If I could recollect, during the last two months I had spent 8 to 10 hours for study like a maniac.  So I built a foundation first. I wanted to make sure that at least I would  have one or two points to write about everything. Later I focused into important individual works. I also regularly revised whatever I studied.

But today's situation has changed. You have a prescribed syllabus. It is daunting. No doubt. But remember, this is the last hurdle you have to jump. You have come up this far. Haven't you got I more great fight left in you???

So run this last lap harder .. the most grueling one..  But that's worth the effort! 

Thank you.

NB: My humble tips: 

1. Develop a general content knowledge

2. Memorize the content you learnt using some mnemonics..

3. Connect among what you learnt

4. Improve your writing skills for the descriptive exams.

For any help drop your queries. I will do it from my limited access.

Bye. Wish you all the best.

Mulayam

01.07.2020

 It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.

Darwin 

Objective UGC NET- Age of Elizabeth

Hello friends,
I know you are busy with your studies. I wish you all the best. Here I am presenting some questions from the Age of Elizabeth. Please check your knowledge. If you don't do well don't worry. Just keep reading. If you have done well don't be contented with it.
Thank you.

Objective UGC NET- Age of Elizabeth Part 1

1. The famous translation of Ovid's Metamorphosis into English was made by

-Arthur Golding

2."Donne would be hanged for not keeping the regular accent." Whose commented thus?

Ben Jonson

3.Among the University Wits who was known as "the true child of Renaissance" ?

Christopher Marlowe

4. The best trends of Reformation were presented by Spenser in his?

-Faerie Queene

5. Thomas Kyd wrote his Spanish Tragedy in the style of?

-Seneca

6. Alexander and Compaspe is a play written by

-John Lyly

7. Mortimer, Isabella and Gaveston are characters who appears in Marlowe's play

-Edward II

8. Who does Grierson - Smith call the 'morning star of Elizabethan drama' ?

-Christopher Marlowe

9. Who is the author of Steel Glass ?

Gascoigne

10. In which year was the Globe Theatre built ?

1599

11. Shakespeare's Sonnets were first published in

1609

12.When Sidney died, Spenser wrote an elegy on his death. What was it’s title?

Astrophel

13. Sidney's Apologie for Poetrie is a reply to :

Gosson's School of Abuse

14. In his Apologie for Poetrie, Sidney :

defends the Three Dramatic Unities

15. ––  –– University Wit has written only Tragedies.

Marlowe

16. While referring to whom does Ruskin said, "He has only heroines and no heroes" ?

Shakespeare

17. The Faerie Queene is an allegory. In this Queen Elizabeth is allegorized through the character of :

Gloriana

18. Who calls Spenser the 'Poets' Poet' ?

Charles Lamb

19. For what is the phrase 'The Mousetrap' used by Shakespeare ?

The play within the play in Hamlet

20. Spenser dedicates the Preface to The Faerie Queene to :

Sir Walter Raleigh

21. 'Spenser writ no language.' Who said this ?

Ben Jonson

22. Bacon's Essays are modeled on the Essays of :

Montaigne

23. "A place sheweth the man and it sheweth some to the better, and some to the worse." These lines occur in ?

Bacon’s ‘Of Great Place’

24. “I Know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of King, ?” These lines are spoken by…

Queen Elizabeth, Tilbury speech 1588

 25. "......... a mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it". In which essay of Bacon do these lines occur ?

Of Truth

26. "We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep"

Who speaks these lines?

Prospero

27. "Neither a borrower nor a lender be :

Polonius (Hamlet)

28. Who speaks about Shakespeare thus :"Others abide our question. Thou art free, We ask and ask - thou smilest and art still Out - topping knowledge."

Matthew Arnold

29. "The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact."

In which play do these lines occur ?

A Mid - Summer Night's Dream

30. Who wrote Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus?

w. w. Greg.

Chaucer for NET English Exam

Dear Friends,

Chaucer is always a sure shot in the NET exam. Take any previous question papers, you can see at least two or three questions from Chaucer. Most often the question comes from his Magnum Opus The Canterbury Tales. Hence it is worthy to study his characters and the nature of their stories. Now a days the direct common questions are avoided. So here I have included some uncommon questions. This is not comprehensive but will certainly help you.

At the same time, I will certainly request you to dedicate some time for Chaucer apart from this. Thank you. All the best.

1.                                  One of the Tales in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is in prose. Which of these ?

2.                                  How many ecclesiastical characters are portrayed in the Prologue ?

3.                                  Who wears the golden broach with letters "Amor Vincit Omnia"

4.                                  Which ecclesiastical character of the Prologue likes hunting and has fine horses?

5.                                 How many mortal battles Knight fought for?

6.                                 “He is rogue, seducer of women and scoundrel.” Which character in referred like this in the Prologue?

7.                                 “Of his visage children were aferd.” About which character does Chaucer speak thus?

8.                                 Who tells the Prioress “tale the biography of Saint Cecilia”?

9.                                 How many pilgrims in the Prologue represent Military Profession?

10.                             ----– is Chaucer’s prose work?

11.                               How  many lines are there in The Prologue?

12.                             What is the rhyme scheme of Chaucerian stanza

13.                              Which pilgrims tale forms the last one in “Canterbury Tales”?

14.                             Who is referred as “the most modest man” and “as modest as maid”?

15.                              Who is referred as “a load of fire” and “ a lover and lusty bachelor” ?

16.                             What is the name of the Prioress?

17.                              Who wears green hood and carries “bright and keen peacock arrows”?

18.                             Who is referred as the “noble pillar of order”?

19.                             What is the name of the Friar?

20.                            Who wears a “motley dress” and has a forking beard in The Prologue

21.                             Which character is referred as “there was no busy a man as he”?

22.                            Where did the shipman come from?

23.                            What is the name of Wife of Bath?

24.                            How many stories are told in the “Canterbury tales”?

25.                            The Pardoner hails from the hospital of?

Ans:

1.      The Parson's Tale

2.     The Prioress, The Monk, The Friar, The Summoner, The Pardoner, Parson, The clerk ( not an ecclesiastical character but he is studying at church), The second nun)

3.     The Prioress

4.     The Monk

5.     15

6.     The Monk

7.     The Summoner

8.     The Second Nun

9.     3

10. Treatise on the Astrolabe. (wrote for his son)

11.   858

12. ab ab bcc

13.  The Parson’s

14. The Knight

15.  The squire

16. Madam Eglantyne

17.  The Yeoman

18. The Friar

19. Hubert

20.                        The Merchant

21. The Sergeant of Law

22.                        Dartmouth

23.Ansel

24.                        24(21 complete)

25. Blessed Mary of Rouncivalle

3

3

Do I Need Coaching to Clear NET in English Literature?

This is a question that haunts most of the students who appear NET exam year after year. Some believe a coaching is a magic pill that will give them success. But check the results of any coaching centres. Even the reputed ones get 10 to 15 percent results! By considering the number of candidates who appear for this exam and those who get coaching the ratio could be 1:1000. That is only one among thousand gets training.
 But if you live close to a good coaching centre, and you have just completed your MA, you have  means and time then coaching is worth a try. Then comes online coaching. If you are motivated there is nothing wrong in that investment. But recent studies by the universities who conduct MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) reveal that less than 11% complete their courses. So before you spend money ask yourself whether you can sit in front of the screen regularly for two to three hours.
I am not confusing you. What I want to tell that you have to dedicate 8 to 10 hours daily for two to three months if you want to clear this exam whether you opt for a coaching or not. If you have faith in your abilities then you don't need a coaching.  So stop all other distractions. Even keep your phone turned off during your study time. Work out a time table. That is how much time you want to spend on studying new things and revising what you already studied. If you want a list of books to begin with read my first blog titled "How to Crack UGC NET in English Literature?" Though it is an old blog what I wrote is relevant even today! I am not boasting. Because contents in Literature remain the same.
So what are you waiting for? Go and pick any history of English literature book and start working. This time you will get it. Be positive!
"A Positive mindset leads to prosperity and a Negative one to poverty". Napoleon Hill.
Thanks for reading!

Pass online UGC NET/JRF in English

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” 

Dear Student….

My best wishes in advance! I will focus on the preparation aspect in this blog.

It has got five stages.

Stage One:

All competitive exams are about a combination of strategy and hard work. Plan comes first before preparation. So first chalk out a plan that works for you!

So what I suggest is this. In the second paper there are 100 questions from 14 different areas. By keeping the vastness of the syllabus it is nearly impossible to study them all. But we don’t need 100 marks either! Thus select five to six areas as core focus. For example, say Romantic Period to the Contemporary Literature and Literary Theory. This covers 5 units and on average you can expect close to 40 questions! (i.e 7 to 8 questions on average per unit)

Stage Two:

Now pick up a standard History of English Literature book. I leave that choice to you. You are wise enough to select one. You can also download it free from some website.

Then start reading the units that you have selected. Make a quick reading to get a connection of it. Then read it again and take notes of all the writers and works mentioned. Google the summary of important works. If you look at the previous question papers, about eighty percent were direct questions. So if you do this you will able to answer many questions.

Stage Three:   

Now choose other five or six left out areas. If possible try to read a short history and make short notes. Don’t study multiple choice question books alone! It is a trap. You can use such books for revision but not as primary materials.

Stage Four:

Now pick your syllabus that you have already studied. Browse through it. In multiple choice exams “familiarity is more important”. So revise the entire syllabus. This should be done only after doing from stage one to three. I have seen many students repeatedly studying their syllabus again and again to get a different result!

Stage Five:

Study the basics. For example after studying criticism from Glossary of Literary Terms you should at least know the following terms.

Carnivalisation, Anti-historicism, A priori, Archetype, Canon, Chora, critique,  difference, dissociation of sensibility, dream analysis, ecriture, engagement, gynocriticism, id, ego, imaginary, impressionistic criticism, intertextuality, libido, matriarchy,  objective correlative, Oedipus complex, phenomenology, logocentricism, dialogic texts-monologic texts, touchstone, synchronic study, test, trace, positivist philosophy, repression, Andocentric, super-ego, ideology, mirror stage, neurosis.  

Let’s clear UGC NET exam this time.

In the next blog, I will speak about how to attempt online UGC NET exam in a time bound manner.

Thank you for reading!

How to Crack NET English Literature?

Dear All,

I have started this page with an honest intention of helping my mates to clear the UGC NET ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM.  So I am planning to come up with a series of write ups based on my experience with this exam and how I cracked it and very confident of cracking this again.  

First of all, what was the general feeling you had when you wrote this exam first? I believe you would have said, as if 'Questions were familiar had I studied well!' Believe me this is the feedback I always get from most of my students . 

Most of the students do not know where to start and what to study. This is true, unlike most of the subjects English Literature is vast and wide to cover. 

But still I would say you can clear it. How? Let me help you...

First of all remind yourself that you are writing an exam which is to standardize the "Lecturers in India". So it is a 'benchmark examination',  that will assess your knowledge not only in subject  but also in your language. Your writing skills, your speed, the way in which you express your thoughts and everything will be put into test.  Also this is the only major hurdle you will have to clear to get into your dream job. 

As a Beginning my suggestions for Paper II and III are as follows,

1. Stick to the basics: "You would have heard this when Sreesanth experiments too much and gives away runs". Have you ever read a History Book of English  Literature ? If yes Have you ever taken small notes? Can you locate an author and his major works and the period in which he lived? If not start STUDYING immediately. I would suggest A History of English Literature by Arthur Compton-Rickett.  It is heavy but definitely worth reading. I like it because it has a special chapter on American Literature. 

If you are too busy to read it please read English Literature: Its History and Significance by Long.  I like this book because it has got a lot of questions at the end of each chapters.  

As an addition please also study An Outline History of English Literature By William Henry Hudson.

If you can do this thoroughly I would say almost 35% of the work is over.

Secondly, we come to the the most important book, which helps to score marks in Paper II and Paper III. It is  most familiar to you and you will have a copy of it. It is none other than A Glossary of Literary Terms by M.H. Abrams. This is not a reference book but a study book for NET aspirants. I Mean it. Unless and until you learn it by heart you are not going to clear NET. 

Finally, before concluding this I would like you to study three more books. They are 

1. An Introduction to English Criticism by B. Prasad

2. Beginning Theory by Peter Barry

3. A Background to the study of English Literature by B.Prasad.

These are the FOUNDATION for preparing this exam. Believe me. They are not the end. But if you are looking for a direction this will help you as a sign post. I have cleared by studying this. I have also helped many of my friends to clear NET with my advice and guidance. 

So "trust me like a horseman". I will come up with my  notes and my PPTs and lots of question papers to assist you.

Thank you for your time

All the Best.

Prof. Pradeep Hariharan