Siddharth Chauhan

1. How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of 'Tradition'? Do you agree with it? What do you understand by 'Historical Sense'? (Use these quotes to explain your understanding.) "The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past but of its presence." This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal, and of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional.  The Past Has a Presence: T.S. Eliot's Radical Theory of Time and Tradition We tend to view the past as a finished story, a distant country confined to history books and archives. But what if that view is wrong? The influential poet T.S. Eliot offered a radical idea that shatters this separation, arguing that the past has a tangible and powerful "presence" in our now . Eliot’s Concept of Tradition In his seminal essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” (1919) , T. S. Eliot radically redefine...

 Global Information Warfare, Disinformation, and Regulation in 2025  This blog is written as part of a Lab Activity Task conducted during the Hackathon on 31 December 2025 under the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU). The topic “Misinformation and Disinformation” was assigned by the Head of the Department, Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir , to help students understand the growing challenges of false and misleading information in the digital age. In today’s world, news and content spread rapidly through social media and online platforms, often without verification, which can influence public opinion and create confusion. This blog explores the meaning, forms, and effects of misinformation and disinformation, while highlighting the importance of critical thinking, media awareness, and responsible information sharing. Here is the background reading site :- Click Here  Here is the standard infograph from the NotebookLM:    ...

  A Practical Criticism of I. A. Richards’ “Solomon and Gray” This blog forms part of a Thinking Activity assigned by Dr. and Prof. Dilip Barad sir as part of our study of I. A. Richards’ theory of Figurative Language and Practical Criticism. The task involves a close reading of the poem “Solomon and Gray,” focusing on its figurative language while critically examining my own interpretative responses and biases in the process of meaning-making. Here is a brief video overview of my blog- Reading “Solomon and Gray” through I. A. Richards’ Theory of Meaning Introduction: Richards Reading Richards I. A. Richards’ poem “Solomon and Gray” offers a subtle but powerful contrast between ideal wisdom and practical modern consciousness . When read through Richards’ own theory of the Four Kinds of Meaning —Sense, Feeling, Tone, and Intention—the poem becomes an excellent example of how poetry communicates far beyond literal statement. Rather than delivering a moral lesson directly, the p...

What is War Poetry? Discuss its significance in the context of our classroom discussion regarding the content and form of war poetry. What is War Poetry? War poetry is a body of verse that takes war as its central subject , responding to its causes, experiences, consequences, and moral implications. It does not merely describe battles; rather, it explores human emotions, psychological trauma, patriotism, disillusionment, suffering, heroism, death, and the loss of innocence produced by war. While war poetry existed long before the twentieth century (for example, in Homer’s Iliad or medieval chivalric ballads), modern war poetry—particularly First World War poetry—marks a radical shift in both content and form . The unprecedented scale of mechanized warfare forced poets to abandon romantic ideals and adopt realistic, often shocking modes of representation . “The Soldier” – Rupert Brooke “Dulce et Decorum Est” – Wilfred Owen “The Hero” – Siegfried Sassoon “The Fear” – Wilfrid ...

Introduction  This blog forms part of a Thinking Activity assigned by Dr. Prof. Dilip Barad in connection with the screening of two landmark Charlie Chaplin films— Modern Times and The Great Dictator —as background texts for the study of Twentieth-Century Literatur e in English and the Zeitgeist of the Age .  Through this exercise, cinema becomes a critical lens through which the socio-economic anxieties, political tensions, and cultural transformations of the early twentieth century are examined. A close frame-by-frame analysis of these films enables me to read visual imagery as a historical and literary text, deepening my understanding of how the spirit of the time shaped artistic expression across mediums. Cinema as History: Chaplin’s Modern Times and The Great Dictator as visual texts reflecting the spirit of the early twentieth century. Frame Study of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936) and The Great Dictator (1940) Background Study for 20th Century Literatur...

  Science, Literature, and Critical Thought: Reading the World Across Disciplines One of the most striking moments during the visit was encountering an exhibit that labelled the human skeleton as “The Most Dangerous Animal in the World.” At first glance, the statement appears provocative, even unsettling. Yet, when read through a literary and cultural lens, it becomes a powerful commentary on modern human consciousness. Much like twentieth-century literature shaped by war, industrialization, and disillusionment, the exhibit challenges the comforting belief that humanity stands apart from destruction. Instead, it suggests that the greatest threat to life on Earth may emerge from human intelligence itself—an idea deeply explored by Modernist writers who questioned progress, morality, and civilization. This thought extends naturally into the role of technology in shaping human identity. The presence of scientific models alongside statues of celebrated scientists reflects a long-sta...

                          “A.C. Ward’s Window into a Revolutionary Literary Era” This blog is prepared as part of a lab activity assigned by Dr. and Prof. Dilip Barad, focusing on A.C. Ward’s insightful chapter “The Setting – 20th Century English Literature.” The twentieth century stands as one of the most transformative periods in literary history—an age marked by rapid scientific progress, world wars, social upheavals, and revolutionary artistic movements. A.C. Ward offers a clear and compelling overview of how these dramatic changes shaped the literature of the era. Through this blog, I aim to explore the key features, cultural shifts, and intellectual forces that defined the modern literary landscape and influenced writers across genres. Here is the mind map that beautifully captures the essence of the topic - Twentieth Century English Literature - A. C. Ward MindMap This mind map illuminates: • The core concepts de...