Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Earth Hour
A combination photo shows the Intercontinental hotel on West lake before (top) and during (bottom) Earth Hour in Hanoi March 27, 2010. Earth Hour, when everyone around the world is asked to turn off lights for an hour from 8.30 p.m. local time, is meant as a show of support for tougher action to confront climate change.
Earth Hour
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Iran proclaims new success in uranium enrichment
TEHRAN, Iran – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed Thursday that Iran has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level just two days after it said it began the process, showcasing new advances in its controversial nuclear program.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated to hundreds of thousands of cheering Iranians on the anniversary of the 1979 foundation of the Islamic republic that the country was now a "nuclear state," though he insisted that Iran had no intention of building nuclear weapons.
It was not clear how much of the enriched material had actually been produced.
The United States and some of its allies accuse Tehran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to build nuclear weapons but Tehran denies the charge, saying the program is just geared towards generating electricity.
"I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists," he said, referring to the recently begun process of enriching Iran's uranium stockpile The document, relying on onsite reports from International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, also cited Iranian experts at the country's enrichment plant at Natanz as saying that only about 10 kilograms — 22 pounds — of low enriched uranium had been fed into the cascade for further enrichment.
______
It was not clear how much of the enriched material had actually been produced.
The United States and some of its allies accuse Tehran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to build nuclear weapons but Tehran denies the charge, saying the program is just geared towards generating electricity.
"I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists," he said, referring to the recently begun process of enriching Iran's uranium stockpile The document, relying on onsite reports from International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, also cited Iranian experts at the country's enrichment plant at Natanz as saying that only about 10 kilograms — 22 pounds — of low enriched uranium had been fed into the cascade for further enrichment.
______
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
apple computer
The new Apple iPad. ABI Research said Tuesday that Apple's iPad highlights the "real start" of a tablet computer market that should grow more than tenfold to reach about 57 million devices sold annually by 2015.
Britain discloses secret data on detainee abuse
LONDON – Britain was forced by an appeals court Wednesday to reveal a long-secret description of how a former terrorism suspect was beaten, shackled and deprived of sleep during interrogations by U.S. agents.
Ethiopia-born British resident Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Pakistan in 2002, and says he was tortured there and in Morocco before being flown to Guantanamo Bay and charged with plotting with al-Qaida to bomb American apartment buildings.
Ethiopia-born British resident Binyam Mohamed was arrested in Pakistan in 2002, and says he was tortured there and in Morocco before being flown to Guantanamo Bay and charged with plotting with al-Qaida to bomb American apartment buildings.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day[1] (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day[1][2][3]) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.[1][3] The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[4]In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14."[15] The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar.In India, in past Valentine's Day has been explicitly discouraged by some of the Hindu fundamentalists, mainly the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad.[44][45] Since 2001 there has been each year violent clashes between shopkeepers dealing in Valentine related items and Shiv Sena die-hards, who oppose it as "cultural pollution from the west".[44][46] Especially in Mumbai and surrounding areas Bal Thackeray and others sent out signals before the day warning people not to have anything to do with Valentine.[47] Those who violate this are dealt with harshly by baton-holding brigands of Shiv Sena who lurk in public places especially parks, chasing young people holding hands and others suspected to be lover.In Mexico, Guatemala and in El Salvador, Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship). Although it is similar to the United States' version in many ways, it is also common to see people do "acts of appreciation" for their friends.[37]
In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados (lit. "Day of the Enamored", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, when couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. This day was chosen probably because it is the day before the Festa junina’s Saint Anthony's day, known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. The February 14's Valentine's Day is not celebrated at all, mainly for cultural and commercial reasons, since it usually falls too little before or after Carnival, a major floating holiday in Brazil — long regarded as a holiday of sex and debauchery by many in the country[38] — that can fall anywhere from early February to early March.
Valentines day 2010
Happy valentines day
Happy valentines day
Valentine's Day 2010
A Valentine is a person whom you love. He or she is your sweet heart and you can give or take gift from him or her on Saint Valentine's Day. Your valentine is the closest person to your heart. So whether it is a Valentine's Day or not, you can celebrate the occasion with your dear valentine in your unique way.A simple 'I Love You' is the best way to pour your heart before your valentine.
We can say I love you.
.
Obama, Palin trade telling jibes over crib sheets
WASHINGTON – The jokes about Barack Obama's close relationship with his teleprompter have been constant since he became president.
Rush Limbaugh's poked fun at it on the radio. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi bantered about it during an international summit. Obama himself skewered his affinity for the speaking crutch in an appearance before reporters.
But now, a year into Obama's administration, the subject has taken on more of an edge — and become a symbol of a larger debate over whether Obama has lost touch with the people.
Republican Sarah Palin mocked Obama over the weekend when she referred to the conservative Tea Party movement as being "much bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter."The White House waved off the whole matter as insignificant and pointed out that Obama had used the speaking crutch to address reporters, not school kids."We lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are," he said after Democrats lost a crucial Senate seat in Massachusetts last month.
Obama's critics point to his podium and teleprompter as evidence of the disconnect.
Palin's critics point to her flesh-and-ink crib notes as one more sign she's a lightweight.
But Obama's team isn't above taking its own potshots.
On Tuesday, a few days after Palin had mocked Obama, presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs turned up at the White House briefing with a few talking points — "hope" and "change" — scrawled on his hand.
Call it political payback.The viral video of John Edwards primping his hair stuck because of questions about whether he was an empty suit.
Joe the Plumber emerged as a campaign celebrity in 2008 because people were worried about the problems facing everyman.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Traval in Bangladesh
Bangladesh lies on the shore of The Bay of Bengal in south Asia.India surrounds three sides of this tiny country.She got her freedom once from Britain in 1947,next Pakistan on 16th december 1971.
Bangladesh is called a land of natural calamity. Every year cyclone destroys our lives and properties.Floods take away all things to the river and sea destroy our lives and propertie
Traval in Bangladesh
Tourist attractions in Bangladesh abound. Throughout the country there are many fascinating things to see and exciting things to do. Arriving in Dhaka, your adventure can begin straight away. Pay a visit to the Old City where you will also be astounded by the bustling river life of Buriganga and the bright pink palace of Ahsan Manzil.The top attraction in Bangladesh's Dhaka is Lalbagh Fort.
Dhaka
Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh at 23?42'0"N, 90?22'30"E, on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River. The city lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta and covers a total area of 815.85 km?. It consists of seven principal thanas Dhanmondi, Kotwali, Motijheel, Paltan, Ramna, Mohammadpur, Sutrapur, Tejgaon and 14 auxiliary thanas Gulshan, Lalbagh, Mirpur, Pallabi, Sabujbagh, Dhaka Cantonment, Demra, Hazaribagh, Shyampur, Badda, Kafrul, Kamrangir char, Khilgaon and Uttara. In total the city has 130 wards and 725 mohallas. Dhaka district has an area of 1463.60 km? (565 mi?); and is bounded by the districts of Gazipur, Tangail, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Narayanganj, Manikganj. Tropical vegetation and moist soils characterise the land, which is flat and close to sea-level. This leaves Dhaka susceptible to flooding during the monsoon seasons owing to heavy rainfall and cyclones.
The city of Dhaka
The city of Dhaka in the heart of Bangladesh is a land of glorified beauty, hundreds of serpentine rivers, sapphire lakes encircled by lush tropical forests, rustic mountain ranges, and emerald tea gardens.
This is a grand palace and the official residence of the country's president.
The Old High Court Building was originally the residence of a British governor. It artistically blends European and Mughal architecture and design.
Dhaka boasts several majestic and holy churches such as the Armenian Church built during 1781 AD, St Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, and the Church of Bangladesh constructed in 1677 AD.
This is a grand palace and the official residence of the country's president.
The Old High Court Building was originally the residence of a British governor. It artistically blends European and Mughal architecture and design.
Dhaka boasts several majestic and holy churches such as the Armenian Church built during 1781 AD, St Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, and the Church of Bangladesh constructed in 1677 AD.
The Dhaka city 2010
Dhaka is known to be in existence since the 7th century A.D. It grew as an urban center, when it became the provincial capital of Mughal Bengal in 1608. The city passed to British rule in 1765. It became the capital of East Pakistan in 1947. In 1971, the city became capital of the newly independent country Bangladesh. It was formerly known under the spelling Dacca.
The origin of the name of Dhaka is shrouded in mystery. Some believe that it is derived from the Dhakeshwari Temple, which was originally built around 12th century by a Sena King. Others believe that the name is derived from the Dhaka (drum), which was beaten during the inauguration of the capital in 1608 by the Mughal Subahdar Islam Khan. Dhaka was also known as Jahangir Nagar for some time during the Mughal period in honor of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
the National Botanical Garden of Bangladesh occupies an area of more than 100 acres and is both a research center and a popular tourist attraction. The research team at the garden collects and documents plant specimens from all over thehref="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg670mFU9kMF-845l6GY1b8MaHK6YB-QhZRK8WQ39ZDz6ahO_TSHnxGl33syB8Ka2OpPOyrT2DvTLebSRPjewlIqmwGwJJmnS-Lrg0Bq3RMFPbRB3G6NmbbU1hZ3DYGTD7u6gpyrB2cd1m3/s1600-h/4444.jpg">
Modern Dhaka has vastly outgrown the so-called Old Dhaka. Statistically, its population has grown to around 13 million during recent decades, due to a population shift from rural areas. Old Dhaka with its important port and various historical sites can still be found at the southern end of the sprawling and disorganised modern city. Though some parts of the city is still not well-developed, places like Gulshan, Banani, Motijheel etc. are shaping up into a modern city.
BANGLADESH
Folk dancing in Bangladesh is a very popular pastime and forms an integral part of many religious, cultural and social gatherings. Chhokra, Ghatu and Leto dances are primarily attended by Muslims, but they also attract people from other communities, showing that music and dance can very often transcend any perceived barriers among people of different religions and backgrounds.
Monday, February 8, 2010
BANGLADESH
International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.Victory day (Bengali: বিজয় দিবস Bijôe Dibôsh) is a national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on December 16. On this day in 1971.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
21 february Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a small country.She got her freedom once from Britain in 1947 and next from Pakistan on 16th December 1971.Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh. the role of language in Human life is important. Everybody in the World speaks and loves his own mother tongue.As we are Bangladeshi ,our mother tongue is Bangla.we express our views and ideas to each other through this language.
UNESCO's declaration of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day has brought fresh glory and prestige to Bangladesh which is making significant strides towards peace, progress and prosperity at home and discharging international obligations abroad. After 1952, the people of Bangladesh have been observing every year the 21st International Mother Language Day day of February as their glorious and unforgettable Language Martyrs Day.
21 february Bangladesh
Friday, February 5, 2010
Jackson doctor to surrender Friday
Michael Jackson's
Michael Jackson's doctor plans to seek his day in court Friday — whether or not he's been charged in the singer's death.
After waiting all week to face a likely charge of manslaughter, Dr. Conrad Murray and his frustrated legal team plan to surrender at a Los Angeles courthouse.
"We are going to be at the courthouse at 1:30 (p.m.) for his surrender," said Miranda Sevcik, spokeswoman for Murray's legal team. "We see no reason to perpetuate the arbitrary situation any longer."
The legal gamesmanship follows several days of negotiations in which Murray's lawyers tried to arrange with prosecutors for the Houston doctor to surrender for booking and arraignment.
"We are going to be at the courthouse at 1:30 (p.m.) for his surrender," said Miranda Sevcik, spokeswoman for Murray's legal team. "We see no reason to perpetuate the arbitrary situation any longer."
The legal gamesmanship follows several days of negotiations in which Murray's lawyers tried to arrange with prosecutors for the Houston doctor to surrender fornment.
Those plans were derailed by haggling between prosecutors and law enforcement officials over whether the physician should be arrested or allowed to turn himself in.
Whether the tactic forces prosecutors to file a criminal complaint or not, it has the potential to create a spectacle that, so far, has not marked the investigation into the singer's death.
m
Toyota CEO to speak on quality woes
Toyota CEO to speak on qualities problam
Toyota said this week it is considering a recall in the U.S. and Japan for its Prius gas-electric hybrid, which has been plagued with braking problems.Toyota officials have been bombarded with questions from reporters about Toyoda's whereabouts.
Toyota said this week it is considering a recall in the U.S. and Japan for its Prius gas-electric hybrid, which has been plagued with braking problems.Nearly 200 complaints have been reported in the U.S. and Japan over such problems. Toyota said on Thursday it was a problem with the antilock brake system.
The problems with the Prius, Toyota's flagship model, follow a global recall announced Jan. 21 for 4.5 million vehicles with gas pedal problems that stick and can cause sudden acceleration.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
South Asian Games2010
South Asian Games2010
South Asian Games2010
The 2010 South Asian Games is a major multi-sport event, scheduled to take place from January 29 to February 9, 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This will be the third time that the Bangladeshi capital hosts the Games, thus becoming the 4th city to host the Games multiple times (after Colombo, Kathmandu and Islamabad). It is also expected to be the largest sporting event ever in the history of Bangladesh.
2010 SA Games Medal List
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
India 1 0 0 1
Pakistan 0 1 0 1
Sri Lanka 0 0 1 1
Afghanistan 0 0 0 0
Bangladesh 0 0 0 0
Bhutan 0 0 0 0
Maldives 0 0 0 0
Nepal 0 0 0 0
SQUASH-WIN FOR MASUD AND SWAPAN
Posted:30/01/2010
SA Games Volleyball has openned Bangladesh makes winning start Bangladesh women’s team beat Pakistan in Badminto Flag raising ceremony held Posted:29/01/2010 i""train" men in relationships.
The 2010 South Asian Games is a major multi-sport event, scheduled to take place from January 29 to February 9, 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This will be the third time that the Bangladeshi capital hosts the Games, thus becoming the 4th city to host the Games multiple times (after Colombo, Kathmandu and Islamabad). It is also expected to be the largest sporting event ever in the history of Bangladesh.
2010 SA Games Medal List
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
India 1 0 0 1
Pakistan 0 1 0 1
Sri Lanka 0 0 1 1
Afghanistan 0 0 0 0
Bangladesh 0 0 0 0
Bhutan 0 0 0 0
Maldives 0 0 0 0
Nepal 0 0 0 0
SQUASH-WIN FOR MASUD AND SWAPAN
BEAUTY QUEEN OF MISS AMERICA 2010
BEAUTY QUEEN OF MISS AMERICA 2010
LAS VEGAS – A group of 53
beauty queens picked from around the country for their smiles, struts and interview savvy were set to woo a panel of judges in hopes of winning the Miss America 2010 crown.
The young women from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico will cap a week of preliminary competition with the scheduled crowning of a winner Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The winner, crowned by reigning Miss America Katie Stam, gets a $50,000 scholarship and embarks on a yearlong run with the title to represent the organization and raise awareness for her chosen platform.
their ballots will be used to pick the winner.
Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron, Miss California Kristy Cavinder and Miss Michigan Nicole Blaszczyk each won $2,000 this week for winning talent competitions among three split fields of contestants. Miss Oregon CC Barber, Miss New York Alyse Zwick and Miss Puerto Rico Mimi Pabon each won $1,000 in nightly swimsuit competitions.
Miss Oklahoma Taylor Treat won the $6,000 Quality of Life award, given to the contestant judged to excel most in volunteerism and community service.
In all, the Miss America Organization planned to award $340,000 in scholarships at the national level. The organization says its national, state and local chapters gave more than $45 million last year in cash and scholarships.
The pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino was preceded by a one-hour television special on TLC, "Miss America: Behind the Curtain." The Kelly-hosted special will reveal 12 women — picked by the contestants themselves — who will be part of an online public vote for a spot among the 15 finalists.
Stam, a Seymour, Ind., native, was one of four finalists chosen by viewers last year. This year, the public will pick three finalists to move onto the swimsuit competition.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The victorian age
The victorian age
Queen victoria
The Victorian period
This age is named after Queen Victoria who reigned over England from1837 to1901.The Victorian periodUnited Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. [1] The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to develop. Some scholars extend the beginning of the period—as defined by a variety of sensibilities and political games that have come to be associated with the Victorians—back five years to the passage of the Reform Act 1832.
The era was preceded by the Georgian period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. The latter half of the Victorian era roughly coincided with the first portion of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe and the Gilded Age of the United States.
The era is often characterized as a long period of peace, known as the Pax Britannica, and economic, colonial, and industrial consolidation, temporarily disrupted by the Crimean War, although Britain was at war every year during this time. Towards the end of the century, the policies of New Imperialism led to increasing colonial conflicts and eventually the Anglo-Zanzibar War and the Boer War. Domestically, the agenda was increasingly liberal with a number of shifts in the direction of gradual political reform and the widening of the voting franchise.
The population of England had almost doubled from 16.8 million in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901.[2] Ireland’s population decreased rapidly, from 8.2 million in 1841 to less than 4.5 million in 1901.[3] At the same time, around 15 million emigrants left the United Kingdom in the Victorian era and settled mostly in the United States, Canada, and Australia.[4]
The important events of this age were: 1.The first Reformation Act in 1832 The second Reformation Act and The Third Reformation Act in gave voting rights to every male.
2.In 1833 slaves were declared free.
3.There are a significant progress of women during this time.
4.Mechanism of Railways and ships was improved which helped develop commerce and industry.
he
TheVictorian age
[Click on image to enlarge] In 1897 Mark Twain was visiting London during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations honoring the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's coming to the throne. "British history is two thousand years old," Twain observed, "and yet in a good many ways the world has moved farther ahead since the Queen was born than it moved in all the rest of the two thousand put together." Twain's comment captures the sense of dizzying change that characterized the Victorian period. Perhaps most important was the shift from a way of life based on ownership of land to a modern urban economy based on trade and manufacturing. By the beginning of the Victorian period, the Industrial Revolution, as this shift was called, had created profound economic and social changes, including a mass migration of workers to industrial towns, where they lived in new urban slums. But the changes arising out of the Industrial Revolution were just one subset of the radical changes taking place in mid- and late-nineteenth-century Britain — among others were the democratization resulting from extension of the franchise; challenges to religious faith, in part based on the advances of scientific knowledge, particularly of evolution; and changes in the role of women.
[Click on image to enlarge] All of these issues, and the controversies attending them, informed Victorian literature. In part because of the expansion of newspapers and the periodical press, debate about political and social issues played an important role in the experience of the reading public. The Victorian novel, with its emphasis on the realistic portrayal of social life, represented many Victorian issues in the stories of its characters. Moreover, debates about political representation involved in expansion both of the franchise and of the rights of women affected literary representation, as writers gave voice to those who had been voiceless.
[Click on image to enlarge] The section in The Norton Anthology of English Literature entitled "Victorian Issues" (NAEL 8, 2.1538–1606) contains texts dealing with four controversies that concerned the Victorians: evolution, industrialism, what the Victorians called "The Woman Question", and Great Britain's identity as an imperial power. Norton Topics Online provides further texts on three of these topics: the debate about the benefits and evils of the Industrial Revolution, the debate about the nature and role of women, and the myriad issues that arose as British forces worked to expand their global influence. The debates on both industrialization and women's roles in society reflected profound social change: the formation of a new class of workers — men, women, and children — who had migrated to cities, particularly in the industrial North, in huge numbers, to take jobs in factories, and the growing demand for expanded liberties for women. The changes were related; the hardships that the Industrial Revolution and all its attendant social developments created put women into roles that challenged traditional ideas about women's nature. Moreover, the rate of change the Victorians experienced, caused to a large degree by advances in manufacturing, created new opportunities and challenges for women. They became writers, teachers, and social reformers, and they claimed an expanded set of rights.
[Click on image to enlarge] In the debates about industrialism and about the Woman Question, voices came into print that had not been heard before. Not only did women writers play a major role in shaping the terms of the debate about the Woman Question, but also women from the working classes found opportunities to describe the conditions of their lives. Similarly, factory workers described their working and living conditions, in reports to parliamentary commissions, in the encyclopedic set of interviews journalist Henry Mayhew later collected as London Labor and the London Poor, and in letters to the editor that workers themselves wrote. The world of print became more inclusive and democratic. At the same time, novelists and even poets sought ways of representing these new voices. The novelist Elizabeth Gaskell wrote her first novel, Mary Barton, in order to give voice to Manchester's poor, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning tried to find ways in poetry of giving voice to the poor and oppressed.
The third section of this Web site, "The Painterly Image in Victorian Poetry," investigates the rich connection in the Victorian period between visual art and literature. Much Victorian aesthetic theory makes the eye the most authoritative sense and the clearest indicator of truth. Victorian poetry and the Victorian novel both value visual description as a way of portraying their subjects. This emphasis on the visual creates a particularly close connection between poetry and painting. Books of fiction and poetry were illustrated, and the illustrations amplified and intensified the effects of the text. The texts, engravings, and paintings collected here provide insight into the connection between the verbal and the visual so central to Victorian aesthetics.
Britain’s identity as an imperial power with considerable global influence is explored more comprehensively in the fourth topic section. For Britain, the Victorian period witnessed a renewed interest in the empire’s overseas holdings. British opinions on the methods and justification of imperialist missions overseas varied, with some like author Joseph Conrad throwing into sharp relief the brutal tactics and cold calculations involved in these missions, while others like politician Joseph Chamberlain considered the British to be the “great governing race” with a moral obligation to expand its influence around the globe. Social evolutionists, such as Benjamin Kidd, likewise supported the British dominion through their beliefs about the inherent developmental inferiority of the subject peoples, thus suggesting that Europeans had a greater capacity for ruling—a suggestion that many took as complete justification of British actions overseas. Regardless of dissenting voices, British expansion pushed forward at an unprecedented rate, ushering in a new era of cultural exchange that irreversibly altered the British worldview.
Major writers and Their works:Alfred Lord Tennyson(1809-92)Robert Browning(1812-89) Matthew Arnold (1822-88)Emily Bronte(1818-48)Thomas Hardy(1840-1928)Karl Marx(1801-1890)
Queen victoriaThe Victorian period
This age is named after Queen Victoria who reigned over England from1837 to1901.The Victorian periodUnited Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. [1] The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to develop. Some scholars extend the beginning of the period—as defined by a variety of sensibilities and political games that have come to be associated with the Victorians—back five years to the passage of the Reform Act 1832.
The era was preceded by the Georgian period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. The latter half of the Victorian era roughly coincided with the first portion of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe and the Gilded Age of the United States.
The era is often characterized as a long period of peace, known as the Pax Britannica, and economic, colonial, and industrial consolidation, temporarily disrupted by the Crimean War, although Britain was at war every year during this time. Towards the end of the century, the policies of New Imperialism led to increasing colonial conflicts and eventually the Anglo-Zanzibar War and the Boer War. Domestically, the agenda was increasingly liberal with a number of shifts in the direction of gradual political reform and the widening of the voting franchise.
The population of England had almost doubled from 16.8 million in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901.[2] Ireland’s population decreased rapidly, from 8.2 million in 1841 to less than 4.5 million in 1901.[3] At the same time, around 15 million emigrants left the United Kingdom in the Victorian era and settled mostly in the United States, Canada, and Australia.[4]
The important events of this age were: 1.The first Reformation Act in 1832 The second Reformation Act and The Third Reformation Act in gave voting rights to every male.
2.In 1833 slaves were declared free.
3.There are a significant progress of women during this time.
4.Mechanism of Railways and ships was improved which helped develop commerce and industry.
he
TheVictorian age
[Click on image to enlarge] In 1897 Mark Twain was visiting London during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations honoring the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's coming to the throne. "British history is two thousand years old," Twain observed, "and yet in a good many ways the world has moved farther ahead since the Queen was born than it moved in all the rest of the two thousand put together." Twain's comment captures the sense of dizzying change that characterized the Victorian period. Perhaps most important was the shift from a way of life based on ownership of land to a modern urban economy based on trade and manufacturing. By the beginning of the Victorian period, the Industrial Revolution, as this shift was called, had created profound economic and social changes, including a mass migration of workers to industrial towns, where they lived in new urban slums. But the changes arising out of the Industrial Revolution were just one subset of the radical changes taking place in mid- and late-nineteenth-century Britain — among others were the democratization resulting from extension of the franchise; challenges to religious faith, in part based on the advances of scientific knowledge, particularly of evolution; and changes in the role of women.
[Click on image to enlarge] All of these issues, and the controversies attending them, informed Victorian literature. In part because of the expansion of newspapers and the periodical press, debate about political and social issues played an important role in the experience of the reading public. The Victorian novel, with its emphasis on the realistic portrayal of social life, represented many Victorian issues in the stories of its characters. Moreover, debates about political representation involved in expansion both of the franchise and of the rights of women affected literary representation, as writers gave voice to those who had been voiceless.
[Click on image to enlarge] The section in The Norton Anthology of English Literature entitled "Victorian Issues" (NAEL 8, 2.1538–1606) contains texts dealing with four controversies that concerned the Victorians: evolution, industrialism, what the Victorians called "The Woman Question", and Great Britain's identity as an imperial power. Norton Topics Online provides further texts on three of these topics: the debate about the benefits and evils of the Industrial Revolution, the debate about the nature and role of women, and the myriad issues that arose as British forces worked to expand their global influence. The debates on both industrialization and women's roles in society reflected profound social change: the formation of a new class of workers — men, women, and children — who had migrated to cities, particularly in the industrial North, in huge numbers, to take jobs in factories, and the growing demand for expanded liberties for women. The changes were related; the hardships that the Industrial Revolution and all its attendant social developments created put women into roles that challenged traditional ideas about women's nature. Moreover, the rate of change the Victorians experienced, caused to a large degree by advances in manufacturing, created new opportunities and challenges for women. They became writers, teachers, and social reformers, and they claimed an expanded set of rights.
[Click on image to enlarge] In the debates about industrialism and about the Woman Question, voices came into print that had not been heard before. Not only did women writers play a major role in shaping the terms of the debate about the Woman Question, but also women from the working classes found opportunities to describe the conditions of their lives. Similarly, factory workers described their working and living conditions, in reports to parliamentary commissions, in the encyclopedic set of interviews journalist Henry Mayhew later collected as London Labor and the London Poor, and in letters to the editor that workers themselves wrote. The world of print became more inclusive and democratic. At the same time, novelists and even poets sought ways of representing these new voices. The novelist Elizabeth Gaskell wrote her first novel, Mary Barton, in order to give voice to Manchester's poor, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning tried to find ways in poetry of giving voice to the poor and oppressed.
The third section of this Web site, "The Painterly Image in Victorian Poetry," investigates the rich connection in the Victorian period between visual art and literature. Much Victorian aesthetic theory makes the eye the most authoritative sense and the clearest indicator of truth. Victorian poetry and the Victorian novel both value visual description as a way of portraying their subjects. This emphasis on the visual creates a particularly close connection between poetry and painting. Books of fiction and poetry were illustrated, and the illustrations amplified and intensified the effects of the text. The texts, engravings, and paintings collected here provide insight into the connection between the verbal and the visual so central to Victorian aesthetics.
Britain’s identity as an imperial power with considerable global influence is explored more comprehensively in the fourth topic section. For Britain, the Victorian period witnessed a renewed interest in the empire’s overseas holdings. British opinions on the methods and justification of imperialist missions overseas varied, with some like author Joseph Conrad throwing into sharp relief the brutal tactics and cold calculations involved in these missions, while others like politician Joseph Chamberlain considered the British to be the “great governing race” with a moral obligation to expand its influence around the globe. Social evolutionists, such as Benjamin Kidd, likewise supported the British dominion through their beliefs about the inherent developmental inferiority of the subject peoples, thus suggesting that Europeans had a greater capacity for ruling—a suggestion that many took as complete justification of British actions overseas. Regardless of dissenting voices, British expansion pushed forward at an unprecedented rate, ushering in a new era of cultural exchange that irreversibly altered the British worldview.
Major writers and Their works:Alfred Lord Tennyson(1809-92)Robert Browning(1812-89) Matthew Arnold (1822-88)Emily Bronte(1818-48)Thomas Hardy(1840-1928)Karl Marx(1801-1890)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Romantic poets
THE Romantic poets of English Literature
Major works:Don juan,- The vision of judgement,
Lyrical Ballads
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