WELCOME TO MY SECRET GARDEN!

My favourite place is a British garden full of pretty and colourful flowers. Here I am to offer you a bunch of golden daffodils which I hope will give you the same feeling of pleasure and wealth that made one of our finest poets the quintessence of delicacy and refinement.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beaneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them dance; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed – and gazed – but little thought

What wealth to me the show had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

So, why don’t you sure this wonderful experience with me?

Please welcome to my secret garden!

APRIL

QUOTES . . .

Geoffrey Chaucer, first line from The Canterbury Tales: ‘When in April the sweet showers fall.’

T. S. Eliot, first line from The Waste Land: ‘April is the cruellest month.’

ANNIVERSARIES . . .

April 21^st – Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday

April 23^rd – St. George’s Day and William Shakespeare’s Birthday

EVENTS . . .

This month the birth of the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is expected to be born. We don’t know whether it will be a baby girl or a baby boy.

The couple has one child already, HRH prince George of Cambridge. Prince George  was born on July 22^nd, 2013, and is currently third in line to the throne. Rarely has there been a situation in which three future monarchs happen to coexist  at the same time as the living sovereign.

Look at these pictures taken from the BBC, and try to guess what they show.

P1.

P2.

You can now have a look at the article, from which the two pictures were taken: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24662966.

CELEBRATIONS . . .

Have a look at this article which refers of the celebrations that were made on April 21st for the Queen’s birthday: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-32391135.

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References

P1 and P2: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24662966.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: FIFTY YEARS AGO

By Anna Pitagora  

P1. Churchill at work.

Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most representative figures in British history. His personality is so strongly deep-seated in the popular imagination that it sometimes even overlaps with that of quintessentially English John Bull. Churchill is mainly remembered for being Prime Minister during the Second World War, and, because he was able to lead the country towards victory, he is often regarded as a national hero. His death on 24 January 1965 was marked by a huge sensation to the point that it was agreed that a state funeral should be held in his honour. Until now, out of eleven prime ministers since Churchill’s last government, only Baroness Thatcher has been rewarded with such regard.

Now fifty years have passed from that sad day, and last month the BBC commemorated his great hero with a Churchill-devoted week of television broadcasts. Here a few programmes that were part of the project will be mentioned; at present they are all available as youtube videos.

     To begin with, a documentary called Great Britons: Churchill was shown the very day of the anniversary; it was a one-hour episode taken from an older series that had been produced in 2002 and whose aim was to provide the viewers with portrayals of a selected list of great British figures and to make them vote who they thought was the most representative. Presented by late MP Mo Mowlam, the programme is a passionate depiction of Churchill’s life and works, from his birth and education as son of the duke of Marlborough to the years at Downing Street.

P2. Churchill’s victory

     Another older broadcast was shown on BBC Two during the week that followed the anniversary. It was a four-episode documentary presented by historian Martin Gilbert which provided a thorough portrayal of Churchill, in particular through the words and opinions of many of the people who had the chance to share an intimate acquaintance with him, notably his family, his political collegues and opponents. The four programmes are: Renegade and Turncoat, To Conquer or to Die, Beginning of the End and Never Despair.

     The documentaries were then followed by well-known, World War Two films such as The Wooden Horse (1950, by Jack Lee), and Mrs. Miniver (1942, William Wyler). The latter, in particular, despite being a domestic drama, seems to have played a rather considerable role as a wartime propaganda film, as can be widely seen from an article recently appeared on the BBC website (Mrs. Miniver: The Film that Goebbels Feared), and that is why it was chosen, among many others, for the occasion.

     Last but not least is a brand-new documentary that was made to mark the 50^th anniversary of Churchill’s funeral day. Presented by well-know journalist Jeremy Paxman on January 30^th on BBC One, the one-hour broadcast Churchill: The Nation’s Farewell goes through the many phases that characterised the day the national hero was celebrated and honoured with one of the grandest mourning cerimonies ever made in twentieth-century Britain. Here is the documentary.

I hope you enjoyed this reading greatly. What is your opinion about Sir Winston? Do you think the British right when they  claim this person as one of the symbols of their country?

 

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References

Pictures taken from:

• P1: http://www.tsquirrel.com/stv/winston-churchill-4550.
• P2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/olibac/4790225095.

CELEBRATING THE GREAT WAR

By Anna Pitagora

     In faraway 1914 a war that would shake Europe as well as the entire world suddenly began. Among its main protagonists was the United Kingdom, a country whose so many losses in terms of fathers, husbands and sons were to mark a century of suffering and sadness. One hundred years after the beginning of the war, the people of one nation are still crying for their beloved who died in the French trenches. But, unfortunately, they are also crying for all those soldiers who have been killed in the most recent warfare events, like those in the Middle East. This is why commemorating the anniversary of the First World War is now more important than ever.

     After a century, there is a need to celebrate with greater magnificence, and greater splendour. It is therefore not surprising that the celebrations usually held during the first week of November have been lived through a magnified glass. What stroke the eyes of the common visitor, in particular, was the vast meadows of ceramic poppies surrounding the Tower of London. A sea of red that could do nothing but reminding us the sea of blood shed in the trenches.

RED POPPIES

Did you know why all British celebrities wear poppies on their jackets during the first week of November? What do poppies have to do with the First World War? Well, it actually all comes down to one man, Major John McRae. Here you will find a link to the famous poem he wrote and to the tradition of red poppies and the Great War: http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

     Other activities and projects took place. The media marked the anniversary in manifold ways. Here is a short list of what was done in addition to the usual celebrations.

1. The BBC produced a number of TV series like The Passing Bells, 37 Days or Our World War.

2. To mark the famous Chrismas Truce (Christmas Day 1914), a football matched was played between British and Germain soldiers.

3. Several documentaries were also broadcast:

   1. Teenage Tommies. About the reason why young boys wanted to enrol in the army.

   2. Royal Cousins at War. About the relationship between the crowned heads of Europe, in particular George V, Nicholas II and Wilhelm II.

   3. The Great War – An Elegy: A Culture Show Special. The presenter, poet Simon Armitage, evokes the tragedy of the war through a series of poems he wrote for the occasion.

The last documentary, in particular, seems quite original and interesting. Here is the video. It is divided into four parts.

I genuily hope you’ll enjoy the video. If you want, you can have a look at the other programmes!

T. S. ELIOT: FIFTY YEARS AGO

By Anna Pitagora

P1. TSE as a young man

     The year 1965 saw the death of one of the most significant personalities of the twentieth century, i. e., sir Winston Churchill; however, it also saw the death of another great personality, the poet Thomas Stearns Eliot.

     For those who know a little bit about literature, it will be easy to relate this name to Modernism, the movement which fully developed in the aftermath of the Great War. For those who know a little bit about theatre, it will be easy to relate this name to such famous a work as Murder in the Cathedral.

P2. TSE’s Cats

     And for those who know a little bit about musicals, it will be easy to relate this name to sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and his fantastic cats! No matter what side of the cultural world you are looking at, you are bound to find those famous three letters – TSE – written or referred to somewhere in some textbook or essay.

P3. The Waste Land

     Eliot wrote a great deal about the idea of a Western culture, its origins and main features. His reflections on the society of his times reached the peak with The Waste Land (1922), a poem which ideally communicates with Dante and the Bible, thus acquiring a paramount role in the construction of a history of a European thinking. Which is also another reason that allows us to state that the poem is to twentieth-century literature as the Alps are to Europe. The Waste Land, however, is not the one piece of work Eliot left us. There are, in fact, a number of crucial essays on Western culture and its Christian roots which would come in handy in the days of threats and uncertaities we are experiencing at the moment.

     Commemorating Eliot’s death, therefore, is a means for us to remember and think upon who we are and where we come from.

P4. TSE

     Eliot’s anniversary has been celebrated in the literary world in several ways. Here is a link to a comprenhensive and valuable article recently published by The Guardian in which the life and works of a great poet are evoked through a critical perspective: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/10/from-tom-to-ts-eliot-world-poet.

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References

Pictures takens from:

• P1: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/t-s-eliot.
• P2: http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/04/11/t-s-eliot-old-possum-book-of-practical-cats-gorey/.
• P3: http://www.crossing.com/journal/3121634.
• P4: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE: 500 YEARS AGO

By Anna Pitagora

     Henry VIII. Have you ever heard this name?

     Well, Henry was a king, and a king of England too. He was rather important. According to Simon Jenkins, he was ‘the Hercules of English history’ (Jenkins 103). Hercules, perhaps, because he played a paramount role in the construction of an idea of Englishness, and, perhaps, because he was stout and strong. Henry was a Tudor, and his father, Henry VII had fought a long battle in order for his family to ascend to the throne. As successor to his father, Henry wanted to be powerful and great. His siblings had died at an early age, and his dynasty was not considered as historically credible as those of other European countries. Henry needed to legitimate and extend his power. To do that, he needed a grand palace, which is something that all the European – and in particular the French – royal houses had but which the English did not have. There was Windsor Castle, of course, but in those days, it was not considered as fashionable and renowned as it would be in the forthcoming centuries. As a consequence, a new building was built. Its name was Hampton Cout Palace.

     The construction of Hampton Court Palace began in 1515 and went on for several years. Eventually, the place became Henry’s official residence , and many events took place over there.

     Now five hundred years have passed since the beginning of the construction of this large palace, and a number of activites have been suggested to mark the anniversary.

     The BBC, in particular, is showing a series of Tudor-related programmes for the occasion.

     The television series Wolf Hall, inspired by the novels of dame Hilary Mantel is just one of them. As it focuses on the political issues at the time of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, the series provides hints at what was the Tudor court in those days.

     One of the most interesting programmes, however, is a documentary available on youtube, entitled Britain’s Tudor Treasure: A Night at Hampton Court. Here is the link.

     In the one-hour episode, the curators of Hampton Court Palace, dr. Lucy Worsley and David Starkey, tried to recreate one of the most significant events that took place over there almost five hundred years ago: the christening of prince Edward, Henry’s sole male heir to the throne. Those who took active roles in the making of the revival cerimony included most of the people who work at the castle daily.

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References

Jenkins, Simon. A Short History of England. London: Profile Books, 2012.

MAGNA CARTA: AN ANNIVERSARY

By Anna Pitagora

P1. King John

Once upon a time there was a king, whose name was John and whose power extended from England to certain territories of what is now known as France. Little by little, unfortunately, the king lost all his French dominions, the reason for which he came to acquire the nickname ‘John the Lackland’. In the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood, the king was portrayed as a fierce and selfish lion who ruled over his English subjects like a tyrant. The picture was perhaps not so far from reality. Because of his policy, during his reign (1199-1216), hostility among the commoners grew, and rivalries between the leading classes and the monarchy lead to serious clashes. The king finally gave in. He was forced to sign a treaty in which he promised that no taxation could be imposed without the approval of the council and that all freemen could not be punished without a fair and legal trial.

P2. Runnymede

The agreement came as a result of a series of meetings between the king and his merchants in a small town near the river Thames called Runnymede, and, apparently, it came out in the shape of a piece of paper signed by the sovereign on 15 June 1215.

P3. Magna Carta

     It is now easy to guess that there is a reason why we are evoking this event. Eight hundred years have passed since the signing of Magna Carta, or, the Great Charter – as it is also called in English.

    

P4. The meeting

But why is Magna Carta so important? Why do we need to celebrate its anniversary? Well, centuries of criticism and discussion have not ceased to expire the fire around it. As historian G. M. Trevelyan remarked in one of his notable writings, ‘several clauses in Magna Carta give expression to the spirit of individual liberty, as it has ever since understood in England’ (Trevelyan 47-8). The document has always been considered as a token of human freedom in the entire Western world, and, for this reason, it has become one of the most significant pieces of evidence for the rights of men. For the British, in particular, it has become one of the symbols of their identity.

NATIONAL HOLIDAY?

     So far, the Britsh have no national holiday. A popular textbook on British culture (O’Driscoll 207), however, reports that a survey was conducted by the BBC in 2006 with the aim of discovering what day the British wanted to be their national holiday; the result of the survey revealed that the chosen day was June 15, the day Magna Carta was signed.

     Now, to mark the anniversary, several proposals have been submitted. Most of them relate to the British Library, and they include exbitions, articles and presentations. You can have a deep look at its site; there is plenty of extra information on it. Here is the link: http://www.bl.uk/.

There are also articles on the BBC website which describe or comment on some of these events and other celebrations. These articles in particular seem most interesting:

• ‘Magna Carta united at British Library to celebrate 800th anniversary’ (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-31080595);
• ‘Magna Carta copy inspected by Queen’ (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31596798).

Finally, if you want to deepen the subject throroughly, you can visit this site: http://magnacarta800th.com/events/.

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References

Books:

• O’Driscoll, James. Britain for Learners of English. Oxford: Oxford U. P., 2009.
• Trevelyan, G.M. A Shortened History of England. London: Penguin, 1987.

Pictures:

• P1: http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_3.htm.
• P2: http://www.thamespathway.com/chapter9/runnymede-and-magna-carta.aspx.
• P3: http://www.britroyals.com/magnacarta.htm.
• P4: http://www.magnacarta.senate.gov.au.