Unit-12, Lesson-1
Question No. 1 (B)
1. Read the passage and answer question B.
Beauty is easy to appreciate but difficult to define. As we look around, we discover beauty in pleasurable objects and sights- in nature, in the laughter of children, in the kindness of strangers. But asked to define, we run into difficulties. Does beauty have an independent objective identity? Is it universal or is it dependent on our sense perceptions? Does it lie in the eye of the beholder? - we ask ourselves. A further difficulty arises when beauty manifests itself not only by its presence, but by its absence as well, as when we are repulsed by ugliness and desire beauty. But then ugliness has as much a place in our lives as beauty or may be more - as when there is widespread hunger and injustice in a society. Philosophers have told us that beauty is an important part of life, but isn’t ugliness a part of life too? And if art has beauty as an important ingredient, can it confine itself only to a projection of beauty? Can art ignore what is not beautiful?
Poets and artists have provided an answer by incorporating both into their work. In doing so, they have often tied beauty to truth and justice, so that what is not beautiful assumes a tolerable proportion as something that represents some truth about life. John Keats, the romantic poet, wrote in his celebrated ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn.’ ‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ by which he means that truth, even if it’s not pleasant, becomes beautiful at a higher level. Similarly, what is beautiful forever remains true. Another meaning, in the context of the Grecian Urn - an art object - is that truth is a condition of art.
B. Answer the following questions.
(a) Where can beauty be found?
Ans: Beauty can be found in pleasurable objects and sights like nature, the laughter of children, the kindness of strangers etc. It can even be found in ugliness.
(b) Why do people run into difficulties in respect of defining beauty?
Ans: People run into difficulties in respect of defining beauty because beauty may have an independent objective identity. It can be universal or dependent on our sense of perceptions. Moreover, it may lie in the eye of the beholder.
(c) When does a further difficulty arise?
Ans: A further difficulty arises when beauty manifests itself not only by its presence, but by its absence as well because when we are repulsed by ugliness, we desire beauty.
(d) How is ugliness an integral part of life?
Ans: Ugliness is an integral part of life because it has as much a place in our lives as beauty has or may have more. For example, ugliness manifests itself when there is widespread hunger and injustice in a society.
(e) What do poets and artists do while incorporating beauty and ugliness into their work?
Ans: While incorporating beauty and ugliness into their work, poets and artists often tie beauty to truth and justice. Thus, what is not beautiful assumes a tolerable proportion as something that represents some truth about life.
লেখক: সহযোগী অধ্যাপক ও বিভাগীয় চেয়ারম্যান, ইংরেজি বিভাগ, ঢাকা কমার্স কলেজ, ঢাকা
জাহ্নবী
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