THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM (1048-

1122)

By Edward Fitzgerald

Department of English Language and Literature

Power point Presentation (Batch 28), 5th Semester (Section A)

Course name: Victorian Poetry (501)

Group Members Name

Sharmi Bosu .

Soborna Kathrin Gomes.

Tarqul Islam Saurov.

Krishna Paul.

Fahmida Haque Mitu.

Mahmuda Akter.

Sheikh Md Mahfuz.

• Author: Omar Khayyam (1048-1122). A Persian poet, philosopher, astronomer and mathematician.

• Translator: Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883) A prominent English poet of the Victorian age. He made five editions of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat which were first published in 1859,

• A masterpiece:

• The poet is obsessed in finding his creator.

• Hedonism is demonstrated in his poetry which was daring for his time.

• Features of this poem:

1) Human ups and downs

2) Failure

3) Success

4) Life

5) Death.

• Terms:

1) Hedonism-> Excessive pleasure

2) Cessation-> Termination

3) Ethics morality-> Mora philosophy.

• Features Explanation:

• Human ups and downs :

• Normal : Sometimes we win and sometimes we fail .

• Trying to find out the source of unhappiness .

• But… we should learn to be happy with what we have.

• Failure : A proverb goes that "failure is the pillar of success". When even we fail to achieve something, we become depressed and sad. But we should not turn back from the struggling field of life rather we need to learn from our mistakes. Because if there is no failure in life we may not be able to feel the real gust of success.

• Success- Success is an alluring thing to all. Everyone wants to gain success in life. A religious and honest life leading can bring the real success in our life.

• Life :- Life is a matter to be terminated. So, we need to enjoy our life with the fullest sense. We must take the view of life honestly. We need to enjoy the cup of life sip by sip. When life offers something to us we should grab it. According to the poet - " take life and get life". We may not have any second chance in our life.

“Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare;To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Despair:

Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why:Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.”

(Verse no: 74)

• Death:- Death means the end of life. It is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Before death comes to our life we need to pray for mercy to the almighty god who created us. After our death according to our works it will be decided whether we will go to heaven or to hell.

“As under cover of departing DaySlunk hunger-stricken Ramazan away,

Once more within the Potter's house aloneI stood, surrounded by the Shapes of Clay.”

(Verse no: 82)

• Terms• Hedonism: Hedonism is a belief

which means gaining pleasure is the most important thing in life. It is a way of living and behaving in life that means we get as much pleasure out of our life as possible. Ethical hedonism is the idea that all people have the right to do everything in their power to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure possible to them. In this poem, the poet message is that- we should take the happiness of our life sip by sip.

• Cessation:- It is the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end. The termination of something. According to the poet, life is a short span of time and it is a matter to be terminated. So, in due time we need to taste the nectar of life.

• Ethics Morality:-Moral principles that govern a person behavior or the conducting of an activity. Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. In this poem, the poet's view is that people should focus on the moral aspects of life which can pave the way of a moral life.

• Themes of the poem:

• Crape diem: Carpe diem means to seize the day or capturing the moment and make the best use of it because it will never return. In this poem, verse number 3,7,9,21,24,53 all are about carpe diem. The poet wants to show or prove that, we don't know about our past not even know about the future. So, in the present life, we should focus on it. We should enjoy every moment of life in a right way. It is not wise to waste time in unnecessary works.

“Waste not your Hour, nor in the vain pursuitOf This and That endeavor and dispute;Better be jocund with the fruitful Grape

Than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit.”

(Verse no: 54)

• Wine: Literally wine means alcohol but the poet uses wine here as the water of life which can take away people from their sorrowful memories. It helps to forget people about their misdeeds and failures of life. In the verse number 6 the poet talks about "Red wine". In 12th verse he tells that a jug of wine, a loaf of bread and his beloved beside him can make his earthly surrounding a paradise. Verse number 22,26,45 are also about wine. Wine is the chariot of life.

“So when that Angel of the darker DrinkAt last shall find you by the river-brink,And, offering his Cup, invite your Soul

Forth to your Lips to quaff--you shall not shrink.”

(Verse no: 43)

• Nihilism :- Nihilism is the concept of nothingness. There is no definite chances of seeing tomorrow of our life. We are actually nothing. In the verse number 56. The poet mentions "is" and "is-not" which is related with the term "to be" or "not to be". There is no guaranty of our future and tomorrow. At the end of the day we may come to realize that we are nothing.

Said one among them--"Surely not in vainMy substance of the common Earth was ta'en

And to this Figure molded, to be broke,Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again."

(Verse no: 84)

• Summary:- There are gods accepted rules and regulations by choice, we are going through a path either successor or failure. Both require celebration. Getting drunk on a good path make us certain about our future. We need to be righteous, conserve our time efficiently and make ourselves do what should be done. On the contrary, getting wasted on the wrong path attracts temptation to create a sin. Life is a gift of god to us that's why it will not be wise to abuse it.

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