Question

The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday
Among the fields above the sea,
Among the winds at play;
Among the lowing of the herds,
The rustling of the trees,
Among the singing of the birds,
The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what may happen,
I cast them all away
Among the clover-scented grass,
Among the new-mown hay;
Among the husking of the corn
Where drowsy poppies nod,
Where ill thoughts die and good are born
Out in the fields with God.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Read and Answer

A. Answer these questions. ANS

1. “The little cares that fretted me, I lost them yesterday . . .”
Did the poet really ‘lose’ the cares that troubled her? What does she mean here?

2. Why do you think the poet used the word ‘foolish’ to describe her fears of what might happen?

3. List words and phrases from the poem which give the sense of

a. sound.

b. smell.

Answer 1

Answer:

1. It means all her worries and fear lost yesterday and found the peace in the fields along with the nature

Answer 2

1. When the poet says that  “The little cares that fretted me, I lost them yesterday . . .” she means that she has forgotten her problems and difficulties among the fields and winds and trees and birds. This shows that the poet has lost herself in the beauty of the nature around her and stopped thinking about her fears for some time.

2. The poet uses the word "foolish" to describe her fears as she feels her worries are insignificant when she is surrounded by the beauty of nature.

3. a) sound - winds at play, lowing of the herds, rustling of the trees, singing of the birds, humming of the bees.

b) smell - clover-scented grass, new-mown hay.

The first paragraph mentions phrases of sound while the second paragraph describes various smells in nature.