The Castle - Edwin Muir

part 1

1. Prepared by: Mrs. A. C. JAYAMALINI M.A., M. Phil., B.Ed., P G ASSISTANT – ENGLISH, DANISH MISSION HR. SEC. SCHOOL, TIRUVANNAMALAI .

2. THE CASTLE - EDWIN MUIR

3. “THE CASTLE” by ‘EDWIN MUIR’ Edwin Muir  (15 May 1887 – 3 January 1959) was a  Scottish [1]  poet, novelist and translator. Born on a farm in  Deerness , a parish of  Orkney ,  Scotland . In 1901, when he was 14, his father lost his farm, and the family moved to  Glasgow . In quick succession his father, two brothers, and his mother died within the space of a few years. His life as a young man was a depressing experience, and involved a raft of unpleasant jobs in factories and offices, including working in a factory that turned bones into charcoal. [2]  "He suffered psychologically in a most destructive way, although perhaps the poet of later years benefitted from these experiences as much as from his Orkney 'Eden'." [3]  In 1919, Muir married  Willa Anderson , [4]  and the couple moved to London.   They worked together on many translations notable of these are those by  Franz Kafka .

4. THE CASTLE SHORT NOTES ON “EDWIN MUIR”  Between 1925 and 1956, Muir published seven volumes of poetry. From 1927 to 1932 he published three novels. From 1946 to 1949 he was Director of the  British Council  in Prague and Rome.  In 1955 he was made Norton Professor of English at  Harvard University . He returned to Britain in 1956 but died in 1959 at  Swaffham Prior ,  Cambridgeshire , and was buried there.

5. EDWIN MUIR (15 May 1887 -3 January 1959 )    Scottish poet, novelist and translator . 15 May 1887 - Deerness , a parish of  Orkney ,  Scotland . 1901, family moved to  Glasgow . Unpleasant jobs in factories and offices.  1919, married  Willa Anderson , moved to London. 1925 - 1956, seven volumes of poetry. 1927 - 1932 , three novels. 1946- 1949 Director of the  British Council  in Prague and Rome. 1955 Professor of English at  Harvard University . 1956 returned to Britain in 1956. 1959 died at Swaffham Prior ,  Cambridgeshire

6. THE CASTLE EDWIN MUIR Type of the poem: ALLEGORY POEM . It is a moving poem ; Confidence & pride about the Castle ; lamentation for the greedy shameful act . THEME :Greediness and disloyalty leads to the capture and fall of well-guarded, mighty Citadel. MORAL : Greediness defeats not only the Castle but also any Nation or any Humans. RHYME SCHEME : ABAAB

7. GLOSSARY Turret wall – a small tower on top of a castle.

8. Mowers – people who trim grass and level the lawns.

9. Provender - food

10. Towering battlements – tall towers with openings to shoot the enemie s

11. Tier - one above the other

12. Friendly allies – helpful & supporting nations or armed forces

13. Foothold – advantageous position / a place from where an advanced military operation is made

14. bait – something intended to entice someone to do something

15. wicked – evil or morally wrong

16. wicket gate – a small gate

17. maze – a winding, intricate confusing path

18. treacherous – disloyal

19. groan – lament, cry

20. Citadel – a safe & strong fort

21. overthrown – conquered, defeated

22. POETIC DEVICES ALLEGORY POEM [ noun] : a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning , typically a moral or political one. Rhyming words : A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. lay; hay; away Alliteration : the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words . wizened, warder

23. FIGURE OF SPEECH SIMILE : comparing two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Grew thin and treacherous as air. METAPHOR : is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike but do have something in common. ... A little wicked wicket gate. Oh then our maze of tunneled stone.

24. FIGURE OF SPEECH PERSONIFICATION :  when you give an animal or object, the qualities or abilities that only a human can have. writers use it to bring non-human things to life. Our only enemy was gold , INTERROGATION : the act of  interrogating ; questioning. How can this shameful tale be told?