Abstract This paper explains that John Keats is undoubtedly one of the finest poets of the Romantic era, but he was regularly criticized for being a follower of Cockney school of thought. The author states that the Cockney style was a derogatory term used to define a certain poetic or writing style, charged with vulgarity, superficiality, lack of class, and masculinity; thus, Keats's association with Leigh Hunt proved to be extremely disastrous for the young poet who was rudely and ruthlessly accused without actual study of his work. The paper concludes that Keats does exhibit Cockney influences, especially where defiance of cultural and political restrictions is concerned; however, his poems should be completely acquitted from the charges of vulgarity or lack of morality.
From the Paper "However, the very same poem became an English classic and modern critics have explained the severe criticism of Keats? early poems. G. A. Mathews explains that Keats unfortunately published his work during a time when it "it was hardly possible for a creative writer associated with one side to receive fair treatment from a reviewer employed by the other." But Keats can be termed a Cockney poet if we focus on some of the positive aspects and similarities of his work with that of Leigh Hunt. Despite what critics said about Keats? work, the only real Cockney influence on his work was reflected in his desire to deviate from fixed social, political and poetic rules. If his work did not exhibit clear structure, it was to some extent intentional because Keats shared with Hunt a desire to rebel against societal and political restrictions."
Abstract The paper first tries to define slang and looks at its different characteristics such as level of informality. It discusses how it cannot be equated with words such as jargon and lingo. It also gives examples of certain types of slang such as French verlan and Cockney rhyming slang.
From the Paper "Nevertheless, the most prominent characteristic of slang seems to be its level of informality. This is actually the first connotation borne by the noun itself. I remember when I bought my very first English slang dictionary. The cover was depicting the 'ghetto' as it were, with a wall daubed with graffiti. The power of the image is such that it forces meaning - subjective connotations in fact - on you, thus depicting slang as the language of the street and making it an urban phenomenon, typical of 'bad' areas. But then, don't they use slang words in the countryside? Slang is actually a style category within the language, occupying an extreme position on the spectrum of formality: it is made up of highly informal words that constitute a deviation from standard language. As mentioned above, it seems to defy established forms and constituted authorities. "
Abstract The paper shows how Eliza Doolittle and the Dog-woman project almost opposite images of British womanhood. The author discusses how Eliza has been turned out by her father into the slums of London and how she longs to live in comfort and security - she thinks her dreams can come true if she can speak proper English. The author shows that the Dog-woman, on the other hand, unlike the Cockney flower girl, is practically a misfit, but not quite -she wears her size and oddness as though they were inevitable.
From the Paper "Shaw's depiction of Eliza is based more on Victorian England's class society and his main theme is challenging the proverb "You can"t make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.? Women were to be seen and not heard, hardly intellectual companions, and primarily chosen as wives for business, family or property reasons, and very well bred to attract a lord or an earl. Higgins clearly views Eliza as less than he, not only because she is a woman, but because she is poor and uncivilized in her speech and manner. Winterson's viewpoint is that women like Dog-Woman know how to survive and take care of themselves, are ingenuous and make the most of what they?ve been given, and with a flair, as opposed to the Twelve Dancing Princesses, whose fairytail marriages all end in disaster."
