Question

How does the poet draw a parallel between the jouneys of the brook and human life?

Answer 1

Alfred Lord Tennyson in his poem “The brook” draws a parallelism between the Brook and the life of a man.
In the early stages of life, a child is very agile, energetic and lively like the brook in its beginning stage of his journey, which is very active and flows with great enthusiasm.
By the usage of words like Chatter, Babble, Sharps and trebles, the poet describes the energetic movement of the brook in the initial stages.
Gradually the brook slows down in the later stages, the usage of words like steal, slip, gloom, glance, murmur, linger and loiter suggest the slower movement of the brook.
When the brook reaches the plains it reduces its pace, here again, the comparison is made that the brook is like a man towards the end of his life.
When he looses his vigour and health, due to old age, the brook too becomes slow in its movement when it ultimately reaches its final destination.
The final destination of a man, referred here is Death, whereas the brook is eternal and continues its journey forever.

Answer 2

Answer:

Alfred Lord Tennyson makes a comparison in his poem "The Brook" between the course of a man's life and the course of the Brook.

Explanation:

• A child in his early stages of life is very nimble, energetic, and lively, much like a brook at the beginning of its journey, which is quite active and tends to flow with a great deal of enthusiasm. A child's life can be compared to a brook because of these similarities.
• The poet uses phrases such as "Chatter, Babble, Sharps and Trebles" to convey the rapid and active flow of the brook in its early stages. The poet also gives the brook the personification of babbling and chattering, which are behaviours associated with infant humans.
• As the story progresses, the brook progressively slows down, as shown by the use of words like "steal," "slip," "gloom," "glance," "murmur," "linger," and "loiter." This stage of life can be compared to the transition from childhood to adulthood in the human life cycle.
• When the brook nears the plains, it begins to move more slowly, and it is said that the brook is comparable to a person who is getting closer and closer to the end of his life.
• The brook's flow will become more gradual up until it reaches its ultimate destination as it does the same thing when it ages and loses its youthful vigour and health.
• Death is the endpoint of a person's journey through life, but the brook will never reach its destination and will continue to flow forever.

#SPJ2