Devika Panikar
δάσκαλος (dáskalos) means the teacher in Greek. Devika Panikar has been teaching English Language and Literature since 2006. She is an Assistant Professor with the Directorate of Collegiate Education under the Government of Kerala and now works at the Government College Kasaragod. This website is a collection of lecture notes she prepared by referring to various sources for her students’ perusal.
A Farewell
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne is a poignant and deeply philosophical poem that explores love and separation with exquisite craftsmanship and intellectual depth. Donne wrote this poe...
Voiced and Voiceless Sounds
In linguistics, sounds produced in human speech are categorised into two main types: voiced and voiceless. These terms refer to the presence or absence of vibration of the vocal cords during articulat...
To Become Better Listeners
Developing listening skills is a key to successful communication. Persons with good listening skills can comprehend what they hear and respond accordingly. Effective listening prevents misunderstandin...
Under Fire
Laurence Housman is a prolific playwright, writer and illustrator. Under Fire, one of the best of his one-act plays portrays a sensational episode in the life of Queen Victoria during the early period...
Good Listening
Good listening involves a set of skills and attitudes that go beyond simply hearing words. It's a multi-faceted process that requires active engagement with the speaker and ourselves. Listen to Our...
A Consumer’s Report
A Consumer's Report by Peter Porter is a satirical critique of consumerism and commodification in modern society. It reflects on excessive materialism, loss of human connection, and the impact of cons...
Barriers to Listening
Listening effectively is crucial in all aspects of life, fostering communication, understanding, and connection. However, numerous barriers can impede our ability to hear and absorb what others are sa...
Prayer Before Birth
Prayer Before Birth is a poem by the Anglo-Irish poet Louis MacNeice, written during World War II. The speaker, an unborn child, prays for future guidance and protection from the horrors of the modern...
The Process of Listening
Listening is a complex brain function involving several steps or stages that allow an individual to give attention to, interpret, and respond to spoken language and other auditory stimuli. Hearing...
The Pie and the Tart
Hugh Chesterman is a British author who wrote several children's books in the 1920s and 1930s. He and his friend Basil Blackwell edited a children's magazine, The Merry Go Round, published in Oxford. ...