write the summary of the poem "To sleep " in ur own words
Answers
Answer:
To Sleep” consists of 14 lines in total. Generally, a poem like this, which is made up of 14 lines, is called a sonnet. A sonnet is usually divided into an eight-line unit known as an octet, and a six-line unit known as a sestet. The octet and sestet can together form a single stanza, or appear as two separate stanzas. This poem is unusual because it is divided into four stanzas, the first and the second stanzas consisting of 4 lines each, and the third and fourth stanzas consisting of 3 lines each.
1st stanza:
A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky;—
In this stanza, the poet describes a peaceful and idyllic scene. In this scene, there is a flock of sheep that walks past the poet in single file. He is able to hear the low patter of rainfall, and also the monotonous buzzing of bees. He is also able to hear a river as it flows along the shore, the sound of the wind blowing gently, and of the bubbling of the water as it reaches the sea. He can see fields which have been ploughed evenly. He can see water turning white as froth is produced on its surface due to the great speed with which it is rushing forward. He can also see an immaculate sky.
2nd stanza:
I’ve thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless; and soon the small birds’ melodies
Must hear, first utter’d from my orchard trees,
And the first cuckoo’s melancholy cry.
In this stanza, the poet says that he has thought about all the aspects of the serene environment which he has described in the previous stanza one by one, and yet he is not able to fall asleep. Hence he must come up with more strategies to bring sleep to his eyes. He anticipates that he will have to imagine hearing the sound of the melodious songs of the small birds that live among the trees in his orchard. He may even have to imagine hearing the cry of the cuckoo that makes one sad and reflective.
3rd stanza:
Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth:
So do not let me wear to-night away:
In this stanza, the poet reveals that all the strategies for courting sleep that he has described so far were applied by him the previous night, and yet he had lain asleep. This had also been the situation faced by him for nights in a row before last night. Next, the poet imagines Sleep to be a human figure that he is playing a game with. He had been both silent and crafty, and yet he could not grasp a hold of Sleep. Finally, he appeals to the figure of Sleep to make sure that the present night is not wasted in the same way.
4th stanza:
Without Thee what is all the morning’s wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!
In this stanza, the poet respectfully tells Sleep that morning does not have much value if one is not able to sleep the night before. He also appeals to Sleep to come to him, for Sleep is that which separates one day from the next, the one that gives birth to new thoughts, and makes one feel healthy and fit.
Explanation:
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