12

Dream Children -Charles Lamb

Summary

This essay was published in January 1822 in the London Magazine. Lamb's only living brother had died. Lamb's spiritual loneliness produced the day-dream. He gives a reverie about children, who were not real. Lamb had no children. He imagines his two children Alice and John sitting around him to listen to the stories of their great grand mother Field.

Grand Mother Field lived in a big house in Norfolk. She was the house- keeper but she was respected as the master. It was an old house with a wooden chimney. Its ornaments were taken away by the real master of the house. Lamb by a marble chimney piece by rich person who is foolish afterwards.

Mary field was a very relighious Lady. She knew all the psalms by heart. During her youth she was considered a famous dancer. She left dancing when suffered from cancer. She slept alone in a desolate room of that great house.

She was very kind to her grand children who visited her during holidays. She loved John Lamb very much. Charles Lamb often passed his Holydays there. He walked in the house for hours. He looked at the statues of the Roman emperors. He often walked into its spacious gardens. He had no courage to pluck the forbidden fruits in the garden. When Mary Field died a large number of people gathered for the funeral. People from remote places came to pay respect. She was a noble hearted and a pious lady.

She liked their uncle John very much. John was brave, handsome, kind, considerate and helpful. He used do mount the horse and take a round of the country, John used to carry with him his lame-footed brother Charles. Charles was very much shocked on the death of John.

Charles I tells the children about their dead mother Alice W. He patiently counted the fair alice for seven years. He could not mary her. he found the two children receding from him. Charles waves up and finds himself all alone.

हिन्दी सारांश

यह निबन्ध जनवरी सन 1822 में 'लन्दन मैगजीन' में प्रकाशित हुआ था। चार्ल्स लैम्ब के एक मात्र जीवित भाई जान का भी देहान्त हो गया था। चार्ल्स लैम्ब के आध्यात्मिक एकाकीपन ने उसे एक दिवा स्पप्न दिखाया। वह कल्पित बच्चों का दिवा स्वप्न था। चार्ल्स लैम्ब के कोई बच्चे नहीं थे। वह सोचता है दो बच्चे एलिस और जान उसके आप-पास बैठे है और उससे अपनी दादी श्रीमती फील्ड की कहानी सुन रहे थे।

उनकी दादी नोरफोक में एक बड़े घर में रहती थी। वे उस घर की देखभाल करने के लिए नियुक्त थी। तथापि उनका मालकिन की तरह सम्मान था। वह एक प्राचीन भवन था जिसमें एक धुधुआ लगा था। उस मकान की सज्जा सामान उसके मालिक ले गये।
श्रीमती फील्ड एक बहुत ही धार्मिक महिला थी। उन्हें सभी धार्मिक भजन कंठस्थ थे। अपनी युवावस्था में वे बहुत अच्छा नृत्य करती थी। इसके लिये वह प्रसिद्ध थी। जब उन्हें कैन्सर हो गया तब उन्होंने नृत्य करना छोड़ दिया था। वह उस बड़े घर के एकान्त कमरे में सोती थी।

वे अपनी पौत्रों के प्रति बहुत दयालु थी जो छुट्टियों में उनसे मिलने आते थे। वे जान लैम्ब को भी बहुत चाहती थी। चार्ल्स लैम्ब प्राय: अपनी छुट्टियाँ वहीं बिताता था। वह उस बड़े घर में घण्टों टहला करता था। वह रोमन राजाओं की मूर्तियों को देखा करता था। वह प्रायः विशाल बगीचों भी भी दहला करता था। किन्तु उसे बगीचे के फूलों को तोड़ने की कभी हिम्मत नहीं होती थी।

जब मेरी फील्ड का देहान्त हुआ तो बहुत से लोग उनकी अन्तिम शव यात्रा में सम्मिलित होने के लिए एकत्र हुए। दूर-दूर से लोग अपनी श्रद्धा व्यक्त करने आये। वे एक सुन्दर हृदय व उदार महिला थी।

वह बच्चों के चाचा जान लैम्ब को बहुत पसन्द करती थी। जान लैम्ब बहादुर, सुन्दर, दयालु विचारशील और सहायता करने में तत्पर रहने वाले व्यक्ति थे। वे घोड़े पर सवार होकर चारों ओर भ्रमण करने जाते थे। जान लैम्ब की मृत्यु पर चार्ल्स लैम्ब बहुत दुखी हुआ था।

चार्ल्स लम्ब की उनकी मृत मा एलिस डब्ल्यू के विषय में बताते हैं। चार्ल्स ने सात वर्ष तक सुन्दर एलिस से प्रणय निवेदन किया था। वह उनसे शादी नहीं कर सका। उसने पाया कि दोनों बच्चे उससे दूर जा रहे हैं। चार्ल्स भी जाग पड़े और स्वयं को बिल्कुल अकेला पाया।

Explanations

Text 1. Certain it is that the whole story of the children and their cruel uncle was to be seen fairly carved out in wood upon the chimney-piece of the great hall the whole story down to the Robin Redbreasts; till a foolish rich person pulled it down to set up a marble one modern invention in its stead no story upon it.
Word Meanings- Cruel unkind (दयालु), Carved to adorn (सजाना), Robin Redbreats - The dead bodies of the children were covered with leaves by the Robin red breast birds (मृत बच्चों के मृत शरीर को लाल रोविन चिड़िया ने पत्तियों से ढक दिया था)
Reference - These lines have been taken from the famous essay 'Dream Children by Charles Lamb.
Context - In these lines Lamb tries to tell us the famous out line of his remeniscences of the childhood. He recollects the dream been seen in the day.
Explanation - He says that it is certain that the entire story that has been taken into the consideration of children, has be adorned out in wood upon the chimney. In this fashion he realizes that he was too much reminded of the children who used to come do seen the grandmother during the holidays. Suddenly he feels that the faces of the children are about their mother, they are receding from him. They seem telling him something. They were adorned in Robin Redbreasts.
Text 2. Then, in somewhat a more heightened tone, I told, how though their great-grandmother field loved all her grandchildren, yet in an especial manner she might be said to love their uncle, John L-because he was so handsome and spirited a youth.
Word Meanings - John L, John Lamb (The author's bother whose recent death inspired this essay), spirited-courageous (साहसी) ।
Reference - As above.
Context - In these following lines the author is in position to deliver a speech what the important aspects of the life of their great grand mother, Mrs, Field.
Explanation - The writer is very much impressed by seeing the outstanding of ground knowledge of the death of his only living brother John. Lands that is why he describes him in a very elevated manner. His voice is more eloquent. He says that though their great grand mother liked her all grand children but she liked John Lamb more than others for the reason that he was handsome and courageous youth.
Text 3. I missed his kindness, and I missed crossness and wished him to be, alive again to be quarrelling with him (for we quarrelled sometime) rather than not have, him again, and was a suneasy without him, as he, their poor uncle-must have been when the doctor took off his limb.
Word-Meanings - Kindness-gentleness (d), Crossness-absence (अनुपस्थित)।
Reference - As above.
Context - In these lines the writer tells us about the brother of Charles Lamb, John who had died, and about his kindness he is speaking.
Explanation - Lamb speaks of his brother's humbleness and spacious virtue. He says that he still misses his humbleness, how much he kind he was do the children. But it is very sad that he does not exist. In this world. He wishes that he may be alive. He reminds that he was in the mood to quarrel with. Today he is very difficult without him. His children are without their poor uncle. The doctor amputated him.
Text 4. We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all. The children of Alice call Bartrum father. We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams. We are only cell Bartrum father.
Word-Meanings - Bartrum- Ann Simmons Married Mr. Bartrum a pawn broker (एन सिम्मन ने मि. बर्टम से विवाह किया था जो गिरवी रखने का काम करता था)।
Reference - As above.
Context - In these lines Lamb dreams that he has two children, Alice and John, Ann Simous, Whom once he loved, was his wife.
Explanation - Lamb's dreem children, Alice and John tells Lamb that they are not the children of Alice Winterten whom he tells to be their mother supposing her to be his own wife. This is a fact The children also tell Lamb that they are not a Lamb either. This is also a fact. Finally they tell him that they are not children at all. They are only his dream children for Lamb it would have been very painful to hear this. There is a note of deep pathos. The pathos is further intensified when the children tell Lamb that the children of Alice, the so imagined or dreamt of the lady, call Bartrum their father.
Text 5. We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams. We only call Barturm father. We are only what might have been, and must wait upon the tedious shares share of Lethe millions of age before we have existence, and a name."
Word Meanings - Lethe - वह नदी जिसका विवरण ग्रीक मैथालाजी में किया गया है Tedious-wear insome-(e)
Reference - As above
Context - In these particular lines the author is dreaming. In his dream he sees that he had two children and they assembled near to him to listen the story of their great grand mother as in the case with young children.
Explanation - The author is obviously in the position to remember of his beloved and he tells all about her to his children but the children refuse to acknowledge him or his beloved as their parents. Thus the outgoing memory of imaginary children appear to be addressing to the author. They appear to refuse their existence. They call themselves dreams. They say that they are the product of wishful thinking. Usually we see in dreams what we like to see. But to take real shape one has to wait for millions of years on the banks of river Lethe.

Question- Write a brief note on the life and work of Charles Lamb.

Ans-

His Life - Charles Lamb was born on the 10th February, 1775 in Crown Office Row, Inner temple in the house of Samuel Salt, of the Benchers. His father's name was John Lamb and his mother was Elizabeth Lamb. He was the seventh and youngest child of his parents. Samuel Salt was the employer of Lamb's father. Charles Lamb was cradled in the quiet cloisters of the temple and old-world atmosphere of the temple clung about him all his life. Like the medieval retreat that nestles in the very heart of Fleet Street, lapped by its ceaseless flow of life, so did Lamb, hugging always the concrete actualities and humanities of the great city, deep nonetheless a cloistral races in his nature, redolent of old time ways and fashions.

In the very childhood he joined a company with his sister Marry and began his school life with the admission to Christ's Hospital He thus passed from cloister to cloister and all his youth spent under the influence of old associations. At Christ's Hospital he stayed for seven years and had acquaintances with Coleridge. He left the school in November 1789, from the lower division of second class, partly because his infirmity of speech made it impossible for him ever to hope to take orders, as was expected from boys sent on from the school to the university and partly because the poverty his family made it necessary that he should begin to earn his own living as soon as possible. Yet he proved a fine scholar for some time, he was employed in the South Sea House in which his brother, John held a good appointment. But in April 1792, he gained a clerkship in the accounts office of the East India Company. And in this service he continued till the year 1825. His salary went high gradually to 700 a year..

While living at London he kept his friendship going. But the chief object of greatest admiration was to know Coleridge, who inspired his early verses Generally, he spent his holidays at Blackewase in Hartfordshire, here his maternal grand mother.

Mrs. Field was housekeeper to the faunily of the plumors During one of his visits he fell in love with a young lady whom, in his essays, he calls Alice Wintertone, and in his poems as Anna. This lady married a pawnbroker Bartram he had spent six weaks in a mad-house at Hoxton. But it is difficult to say whether his madness was the reason or the result of his breaking his courtship.

His works - Soon after the recovery of madness Lamb appeared in print, four sonnets of his were introduced by coiridge in a volume "Poem on Various Subjects.

Colendege now proposed to him a joint publication of their poems and a volume was brought out in 1797 by Coleridge, Lloyed and Lamb together. This caused some misunderstanding and next year, we find that Lloyed and Lamb republished their poems separately. In 1798, Lamb published his pathetic story of "Rosamond Gray." It is called a 'miniature romance'

Lamb wrote a preface to Hodwin's play, "Antonio" This play was hopelessly. "damned". Lamb's own play "Johns Woodvil" was refused be staged.

Lamb published this play in 1802 together with his "Fragments of Burton" and some poems by himself and his sister. In 1803 Lamb wrote very beautiful little poems on Hester savory, a quaker girl. In 1807 Lamb and Mary wrote Tales from Shakespeare. In 1809 they published "Poetry of Children". Lamb assisted Leigh Hunt in his "Reflector" by his essays on "Garrick" and "Hogarth" and a few poems the notable among them being his "Farewell of Tobacco". In 1820 Hazlitt introduced Lamb to the editor of the "London Magazine" and the famous "Elia Essays" came into existence.

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