The Laburnum Top class 11 Poem 2 English Hornbill Explanation, summary, Question and Answers

The Laburnum Top class 11 Poem 2 English Hornbill Explanation, word Meanings, Literary Devices

The Laburnum Top class 11 Hornbill Book Poem 2 The Laburnum Top Summary and Detailed explanation of the Poem along with meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by a Summary of the poem and literary devices used. All the exercises and Question and Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered

The Laburnum Top by

(Ted Hughes )

The Laburnum Top class 11 Introduction

The poem portrays the various phenomena of nature. the laburnum tree is a symbol of silence that prevails during the autumn season. This silence is disturbed with the arrival of the goldfinch who builds her nest. when the bird leaves the tree, it is silent once again.

The Laburnum Top class 11 About the poet

Edward James Hughes was an English poet, translator and children’s writer. Critics frequently rank him as one the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers.

Born:17 August 1930, mytholmroyd, united kingdom died: 28 October 1998 North , united kingdom spouse, sylvia plath (M.1956 -1963), Carol Orchard (M. 1970 -1998)

Awards: Costs book of the year, creative Arts for US and Canada, Guardian Children’s Fiction prize Children’ Frieda , Nicholas Hughes shura Hughes

The Laburnum Top class 11 Explanation

Stanza – 1

The Laburnum top is silent, quite still in the afternoon yellow september sunlight, A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

(Word-Meaning)

Laburnum – A short tree with hanging branches, yellow flowers, and poisonous seeds

Stanza – 2

Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup A suddenness, a startlement at a branch end. then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt, she enters the thickness, and a machine starts up of chitterlings and a tremor of wings, and trillings. the whole tree trembles and thrills.

(word-Meaning)

Twitching -sudden jerk moment

Trilling – to produce a Chirruping sound

Tremor of wings -vibration of the wings

Stanza – 3

It is the engine of her family. she stokes it full, then flirts out of branch -end showing her barred face identity mask then with eerie delicate whistle-Chirrup whisperings she launches away, towards the infinite and the laburnum subsides to empty.

(word-Meaning)

First out – lead on to

Stokes – to add fuel to the engine, barred -stripy

The Laburnum Top class 11 poetic Devices

1. Alliteration”

Silent, quiet still, september sunlight,

2. Enjambment

The Laburnum top is silent, quiet still

3. symbolism

yellow September : Autumn season/ old age which brings loneliness

stanza – 2 (poetic devices )

1. Alliteration

Suddenness, a startlement , tremor of wings, and trillings, trembles and thrills.

2. Enjambment

Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching Chirrup , she enters the thickness, and a machine starts up

3. simile

Sleek as a lizard

4. Metaphor

a Machine starts up

5. Personification

The whole tree trembles and thrills.

6. symbolism

Goldfinch

stanza -3

1. Alliteration”

whistle -Chirrup whisperings

2. Enjambment

she stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch-end , showing her barred face identity mask then with eerie delicate whistle -chirrup whisperings , she launches away, towards the infinite

3. Metaphor

It is the engine of her family.

The Laburnum Top class 11 summary

It is a very beautiful poem by ted Hughes In this poem, the poet beginning describes the top of the laburnum tree. he says that the tree stands silent and still. the leaves have started yellowing and the seeds have fallen. In this scene, he is describing the autumn season. next, the poet describes the arrival of a goldfinch bird in her nest which was being made on the top of the bird makes this sudden arrival. of the bird makes the tree noisy and alive. the Chirping sound of the young ones and the movement of the bird from one branch to another makes the tree tremble. the bird which is compared to a lizard in this poem has been used as a symbol of activeness. it has been signified as a machine of enthusiasm. finally, when the bird flies in the vast open sky, the tree once again is left empty and silent.

Conclusion of summary

thus the poet, through this poem indicates that ups and downs are the part of our like. sometimes our life is full of enthusiasm (Zeal) and sometimes is silent (empty )

The Laburnum Top class 11 Question and Answers

(Find out)

Question”1 what laburnum is called in your language.

Answer” In Hindi , it is called” Amaltlaas’

Question”2 which local bird is like the goldfinch.

Answer” Indian Lutino Ringneck is local bird like the goldfinch.

(Think it out )

Question”1 what do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem ?

Answer” In the beginning of the poem the tree is calm and silent and in the ending it ends with motionless and empty level.

Question”2 To what is the bird’s movement compared ? what is the basis for the comparison?

Answer” The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of a lizard. the basis of the comparison is the sleek, abrupt and alert movements of a lizard. the same kinds of movements are observed when the goldfinch arrives on the laburnum tree.

Question”3 why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet ?

Answer” The engine is the source of energy to run machine. it is compared to bird as she is too a source. of energy for her family. as without engine a machine can’t work in the same without a bird her family can’t survive.

Answer” 4 what do you like most about the poem ?

Answer” I like the simplicity and pictorial presentation of the poem. the comparison between bird’s movement. with machine and lizard made in nice way also Chirruping and trilling of goldfinch

Question”5 what does the phrase” her barred face identity mask” mean ?

Answer” The phrase means that the bird’s barred or covered face becomes her identity mask recognition.

(Note down )

Question”1 the sound words”

Answer” Chirruping, Chitterings, trillings tremor, whispering

Question”2 the movement words”

Answer” Comes, enters starts, up flirts out, launches away, tremble, subside.

Question”3 The dominant colour in the poem “

Answer” yellow

The Laburnum Top class 11 Extra Question and Answers

Question” 1 How does the laburnum tree appear in September ?

Answer” Leaves becomes yellow, the seeds fall.

Question”2 How does the laburnum tree appear in september? does the arrival of the goldfinch bring about a change in it?

Answer” The laburnum tree looks yellow and still in September afternoon sunshine. it bursts into activity and life when the goldfinch arrives. there is plenty of sound and movement in its branches.

Question”3 Describe the laburnum top.

Answer” The laburnum tree is silent and quiet, its leaves are yellowing and seeds fallen. it stands in yellow September light.

Question”4 why did the goldfinch enter the thickness of the laburnum tree ? quote the line / words which support your answer.

Answer” To feed her young ones” the relevant line/ words are”the engine of her family/ and she stokes it full”

Question”5 what happened when the goldfinch came to the laburnum tree ?

Answer” There was sound. activity and movement when the bird came. there was plenty of Chirping. she went in to feed her chicks and the whole tree seemed to vibrate with the fluttering of wings and the shrill sound of her chicks.

Question”6 How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit? write the line that shows this transformation .

Answer” The tree is silent, still and empty before and after the bird’s visit. when the bird comes, there is sound of chirping., fluttering of wings, and the whole tree comes alive. the line is the whole tree trembles and thrills”

Question”7 In the poem” laburnum top” what is the bird’s movement compared to ?

Answer” The bird’s movement has been compared to that of a lizard. her movement is smooth and clean like a lizard’s

The Laburnum Top class 11 MCQ’s Question and Answers

Question”1 How did the poet described the top of laburnum tree in the poem “the laburnum top?

1. Still and silent
2. Moving and angry like
3. silent and motionless
4. None of the above

Question”2 what happened to the leaves of the laburnum tree ?

1. they were green
2. turned yellow
3. fallen down
4. new leaves growing

Question”3 How was the tree standing in the month of September ?

1. Still and death-like
2. alive
3. green and happy
4. still and green

Question”4 when did the death -like tree become alive ?

1. in the month of March
2. by the arrival monsoon season
3. by the arrival of the Goldfinch bird
4. by the arrival of sparrows

Question”5 why did the Goldfinch bird came towards the tree ?

1. to feed her younger ones
2. to make a nest
3. to rest
4. None of the above

Question”6 where are the young ones of the Goldfinch bird ?

1. On the thickness of the branch
2. On the top of the tree
3. on other tree
4. they were never there

Question”7 what role does the tree play for the Goldfinch bird ?

1. As a shelter
2. as a supporter
3. as a mean to feed her family
4. as a resting place

Question”8 How did the bird move to the other side of the branch ?

1. like a lizard
2. slowly
3. smoothly
4. by flying

Question”9 How did the bird arrive at the other branch of the tree ?

1. with a chirping sound
2. silently
3. never arrived at other branch
4. flew away and then arrived at the branch

Question”10 what happened after she fed her young ones ?

1. she flew away
2. she flew to the other side of the branch
3. she stayed there
4. she took some rest in the nest

MCQ’s Answers

Q.No	Answer	Q.No	Answer
1	A	6	A
2	B	7	A
3	A	8	A
4	C	9	A
5	A	10	B