It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make man better be
Or standing long as an oak, three hundred
To fall a log at last, dry, bald and sere.
years
A Lily of a day
Is fairer far in May,
Although it fall and die that night
It was the plant and flower of Light
In small proportions we just beauty
And in short measures life may perfec
question in my central idea write in poem
Answers
Explanation:
Idea of the poem
Core Meaning
The poet, Ben Jonson, in the poem ‘The Noble Nature’, talks about what makes a man noble. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to do this. Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man a noble being. The huge, strong and aged oak will soon become a lifeless, ‘dry’ and withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life and physical and material well being. The lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful. Although the flower has the life span of a day and falls and dies by nightfall, it spreads beauty and delight in that short period. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble and even though a man’s life is short it can be a perfect life.