JK TEXTBOOK SOLUTIONS: The Brook | Poem 5 |English 8th | Tulip Series

The Brook | Poem 5 |English 8th | Tulip Series |

(Alfred Tennyson)

INTRODUCTION

“The Brook” is a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson, a famous British poet, in 1830. It is a nature poem that describes a brook as it flows through different landscapes and faces various obstacles.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM “BROOK”

The brook starts its journey as a small stream and gradually grows in size as it moves through fields, valleys, and hills. The brook is described as a constant, flowing force that never stops; even when it faces difficulties such as rocks, trees, and obstacles in its path.The poem is written in a conversational tone, as if the speaker is talking to the brook, asking it about its journey and experiences. The brook is personified and given human-like qualities, making it an interesting and relatable subject for the reader. The poem highlights the idea that nature is a continuous and ever-flowing force that can never be stopped, no matter what obstacles it faces. The brook represents the cycle of life, with its constant movement and changes, and the idea that change is a natural part of life.

In short, “The Brook” is a beautiful and meaningful poem that provides an insight into the power of nature and the idea that change is a constant force in life. It is a great example of how poetry can be used to explore and appreciate the beauty of nature and its role in our lives.

GLOSSARY

• Haunts of coot and hern - homes of water birds • Sudden sally - sudden burst of activity • Bicker down a valley - fast, splashing descent • Thorps - small villages • Philip’s farm - a specific farm owned by Philip • Brimming river - a full, overflowing river • Stony ways - rocky paths • Eddying bays - swirling areas of water • Fairy foreland - shaped like a fairy’s head • Willow-weed and mallow - plants found near water • Grayling - a type of fish • Foamy flake - piece of foam • Silver water-break - line of silver in breaking water • Hazel covers - hazel trees along the banks • Sweet forget-me-nots - wildflowers associated with love • Netted sunbeam - a beam of light caught and spread like a net • Brambly wildernesses - overgrown with thorny shrubs • Shingly bars - areas covered in small stones • Cresses - water plants.

THINKING ABOUT THE POEM

Q1. Who is “I” referred to as in the poem?

Ans. In the poem, “I” refers to a brook or stream. The brook is personified as it describes its journey from its source to its destination, flowing forever and describing its journey along the way.

Q2. Trace the journey of the brook.

Ans. The brook starts from the habitat of coot and heron. Itswiftly flows through valleys, past thirty hills, twenty towns, and half a hundred bridges. It finally joins a brimming river.🏔️🏞️

Q3. Explain the following lines:

“For men may come and men may go

But I go on forever.”

What purpose do these lines serve?

Ans. These lines from the poem "The Brook" by Alfred Tennyson talk about two important things:

1. Life is Short: The poem compares human life to a flowing brook. The line "For men may come and men may go" tells us that people's lives are temporary, like how they come and go.

2. The Brook Keeps Going: On the other hand, the line "But I go on forever" means that the brook keeps flowing continuously.

Q4. Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in verse such as “I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance”. Pick out more examples of alliteration from the poem.

Ans. Some examples of alliteration used in the poem are:

"I come from haunts of coot and hern"
"I bicker down a valley"
"Till last by Philip's farm I flow"
"I chatter over stony ways"
"In little sharps and trebles"
"With many a curve my banks I fret"
"And many a fairy foreland set"
"I chatter, chatter, as I flow"
"I wind about, and in and out"
"I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance"

Q5. Can the journey of the brook, be compared to human life? How?

Ans. Journey of the Brook and Human Life: Yes, the journey of the brook in the poem can be compared to human life in many ways. The brook travels through various landscapes, encountering obstacles and obstacles, yet always continuing on its path. This journey symbolizes the journey of life, in which people encounter ups and downs, but continue on despite the challenges they face. The idea that the brook goes on forever also symbolizes the idea that life continues even after death.

LANGUAGE WORK

Sound Images:

"I bicker down a valley" (the sound of the brook running down the valley)
"I chatter over stony ways" (the sound of the brook running over stones)
"I babble on the pebbles" (the sound of the brook babbling over pebbles)
"I bubble into eddying bays" (the sound of the brook bubbling into swirling pools of water)
"I chatter, chatter, as I flow" (the sound of the brook making a continuous, chattering sound)
"With many a silver water-break" (the sound of the brook breaking into silver ripples as it flows)
"I murmur under moon and stars" (the soft sound of the brook as it flows under the moon and stars)
"I linger by my shingly bars" (the sound of the brook lingering slowly near the shingly bars on its banks).

Visual Images:

"By thirty hills" (image of the brook flowing down hills)
"And many a fairy foreland set" (image of the brook flowing through a magical landscape)

"With here a blossom sailing" (image of the brook carrying flowers along its journey)

"I make the netted sunbeam dance" (image of the brook reflecting light)

"I linger by my shingly bars" (image of the brook lingering by the shore)
"I move the sweet forget-me-nots" (image of the brook moving past forget-me-nots)
"I slip by lawns and grassy plots" (image of the brook slipping through grassy areas)
"I loiter round my cresses" (image of the brook lingering near the plants)