summary of poem brook and about the author of the poem brook
Answers
STANZA – 1 The brook starts from those places which are often visited by the coot and hern (heron). The brook emerges suddenly in this hilly area. It moves through the ferns and sparkles when the sunshine reflects the crystal clear water. And when the brook moves creates a lot of noise.
STANZA – 2
This stanza is an account of the brook’s flowing through different areas. The poet has created wonderful imageries when we read the brook flowing by thirty hills, slipping between ridges (long narrow hills), twenty villages, a little town and fifty bridges.
STANZA – 3
The poet here tells us about the merging point of the brook. The brook joins an overflowing river here Philips farm is symbolised as a land mark of the ending of the journey of the brook. Last two lines are the refrain bearing the main theme of the poem. The brook is ever flowing, eternal without ceasing whereas we, the men are ephemeral. We shall not live forever. We are subject to decay, decline and death.
STANZA – 4
The brook goes on the stony path creating chattering sounds. It makes sharp high pitched sound when the brook clashes on the side banks of the land. It makes bubbles when it falls from height in the spiral movement. When it moves on the pebbles it creates soft pleasing sound.
STANZA – 5 The brook moves on taking many curves and creates rough and unpleasant sound on the banks of the brook. The brook moves through many field and uncultivated lands. The brook goes through the foreland i.e. the land just before the merging point. The poet describes the land to be fairy land as with flowers and beautiful plants like willow and mallow it looks so.
STANZA – 6
The brook creates various sounds before merging with its destination .The last two lines are the examples of refrain which highlights the eternal state of the brook and its activity and the ephemeral state of we, the humans.
STANZA-7
The brook on its way had lots of ups and downs and in its winding movement it often falls from height and goes in deep water and comes out to continue to flow. The brook carries blossoms on its way. Along with the brook there go a lot of fishes like lusty trout and grayling.
STANZA – 8 When the brook moves , the waves clash with each other and creates bubbles and those bubbles in group make pieces of foams.The brook moves through different curves and the clashes creates silvery water break .These foams and silvery water break can be visible on the surface of the water and at the base of the brook there are golden coloured stones .
STANZA-9
The brook carries fishes, foams and flowers with it to join the brimming river. And then the refrain comes meaning the eternal state of the river to that of transient one of humans.
STANZA – 10
The brook secretly moves though the grassy plots and lawns and moves swiftly by the bushy hazel trees. The brook shakes and sweet forget – me- not flowers which grow for happy lovers.
STANZA – 11
The brook moves along making different movements like slipping, sliding, moving through darkness and so on. And there we find swallow birds to skim on the surface of the water for food. The brook waves create a net like structure on which the sunshine sparkles and it seems to us as if the sun beams are dancing.
STANZA – 12
At night under the moon and stars, the brook goes on moving creating murmuring sound through the natural land where thorny bushes grow. The brook often lingers because of the stones on the way. The brook water moves purposelessly around the plant named cresses.
STANZA – 13
After facing the obstacles the brook again takes a curve and starts flowing to join the brimming river. Last two lines refer to the refrain meaning the eternal state of the brook and transient state of the humans.
P.S- please refer the stanzas from your book
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Here is the summary of the poem.
The brook starts out from the dwelling place of birds such as the coot (a water bird) and the hern (archaic word for heron). It makes a sudden rush as it flows out. The presence of sunlight causes the brook’s water to sparkle as it flows among the fern. It then continues its journey by flowing down a valley. While doing so, the sound of the flowing brook resembles that of people quarrelling. Hence the phrase, ‘bicker down a valley’.
The brook flows down along hills. Sometimes, it also glides between long and narrow hill ranges, called ridges. Thorpes refer to small villages or hamlets. Between two small towns, the brook passes several thorpes and a large number of bridges. The numbers used in this line such as ‘thirty’, ‘twenty’, ‘half a hundred’ should not be taken in the literal sense. These numbers are used to give the impression of ‘several’ or ‘many’ and to maintain the rhythm of the poem.
Finally, the brook passes Philip’s farm and flows into the overflowing river. The brook further states that men are transient. They come and go over time. But it outlives men and continues forever.
The lines ‘For men may come and men may go, /But I go on for ever.’, are repeated several times in the entire poem.
As the brook flows over stony paths, its water makes a chattering sound. This sound is high pitched, hence the phrase ‘sharps and trebles’ (both, high pitched notes in music).
As water flows past an obstacle, a reverse motion is created that leads to swirling. These are known as eddies. A lot of bubbles are also formed.
As the brook flows over pebbles, the sound it makes is similar to that made while talking rapidly. Hence the phrase, ‘babble on the pebbles’.
The brook does not flow in a straight line. It makes a lot of turns and etches out a path full of curves. ‘Fret’ means ‘fuss’ or ‘worry’. The brook forms so many curves, that it seems as if it is constantly troubling its banks to change shape. The brook continues beside many fields as well as fallow lands. ‘Fairy forelands’ refer to promontories. These are masses of land that overlook the brook. These promontories are home to plants such as willow weed and mallow. The brook passes them on its journey.
AUTHOR
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria’s reign and remains one of the most popular British poets. Tennyson excelled at penning short lyrics, such as “Break, Break, Break”, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, “Tears, Idle Tears” and “Crossing the Bar”. Much of his verse was based on classical mythological themes, such as Ulysses, although In Memoriam A.H.H. was written to commemorate his friend Arthur Hallam, a fellow poet and student at Trinity College, Cambridge, after he died of a stroke aged just 22.
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