The Laburnum Top | Question Solutions
The Laburnum Top Question Solutions
The Laburnum Top Question Solutions
– Ted Hughes
The Laburnum Top Question Solutions
TEXTUAL QUESTION SOLUTIONS
Think It Out:
Q.1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
Ans: The beginning and the ending of the poem express the same tone. In the beginning, until the arrival of the bird ‘goldfinch’, it remains still and silent. When the bird comes, it becomes full of life and thrillings. And when it leaves the tree, it becomes silent and still again.
Q.2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis of the comparison?
Ans: The bird’s movement is compared to that of a lizard. The lizard’s movement is sleek, alert and abrupt. So is the movement of the bird.
Q.3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?
Ans: Engine is the main energy provider to a machine. An engine makes a machine run on. So is the bird ‘goldfinch’ to the tree. She gives life to the tree with her songs. That is why the image of the engine is evoked by the poet in the poem.
Q.4. What do you like most about the poem?
Ans: The thing we like most about the poem is the picture of nature portrayed in the poem. The poet creates a beautiful poetic picture of an autumn afternoon with the laburnum tree and the bird ‘goldfinch’.
Q.5. What does the phrase ‘her barred face identity mask’ mean?
Ans: The phrase ‘her barred face identity mask’ means that the face of the goldfinch is barred or stripped. It looks like a mask. The bird is identified by her mask-like face.
ADDITIONAL QUE SOLUTIONS
- Short Answer Type Questions:
(Each Bearing 2 Marks)
Q.1. How does the bird ‘goldfinch’ make the tree tremble and thrill?
Ans: When the bird goldfinch enters the thickness of the laburnum tree, she fills it with her melodious songs. She begins to flutter her wings. Her young one also starts singing. Thus the bird makes the tree tremble and thrill.
Q.2. Which month of the year has been mentioned in the poem? What has been said about the laburnum top?
Ans: The month of September is mentioned in the poem. The laburnum top is silent and still until the goldfinch comes and adds life to it with its songs.
Q.3. What do you understand by ‘a machine stars up’?
Ans: The sudden activities of the bird ‘goldfinch’ which is full of sounds and chirpings is compared to the starting of a machine. As a machine gets to start up by an engine so the songs of the bird add thrill and joy to the September afternoon.
- Question- Answers from the Extracts of the Poem (Each bearing 5 Marks)
Q.1. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
(a) ‘The Laburnum top is silent, quiet, still
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.”
Questions:
(i) Name the poem from which the quoted lines are taken? 1
(ii) Why is the Laburnum top silent? 1
(iii) What is the colour seen in September afternoon? 1
(iv) What do the ‘yellowing leaves’ indicate? 1
(v)What has happened to the seeds? 1
Ans: (i) The name of the poem from which the quoted lines are taken is ‘The Laburnum Top’.
(ii) The Laburnum top is silent because until the bird ‘goldfinch’ arrives in September afternoon, there is no other bird to sing a song.
(iii) The colour seen in September afternoon is yellow shed by the setting sun.
(iv) The yellow leaves indicate the coming of autumn.
(v) The seeds have fallen from the laburnum tree.
(b) ‘The whole tree trembles and thrills.
It is the engine of her family,
She strokes it full, then flirts out to a branch end
Showing her barred face identity mask.’
Questions:
(i)Who is the poet of the quoted lines?1
(ii) What makes the laburnum tree tremble? 1
(iii) What does the goldfinch do after stoking the tree? 1
(iv) What does the barred face of the goldfinch signify? 2
Ans: (i) The poet of the quoted lines is Ted Hughes.
(ii) The chitterings, tremor of wings and trillings of the bird ‘goldfinch’ make the laburnum tree tremble.
(iii) After stoking the laburnum tree the goldfinch flutters away to the end of a branch.
(iv) The phrase ‘her barred face identity mask’ means that the face of the goldfinch is barred or stripped. It looks like a mask. The bird is identified by her mask-like face. 0 0 0.
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