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The Laburnum Top Poem
The Laburnum Top Poem
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 & silent and in the end it ends
with motionless & empty level.
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 kind of
movements are observed when the goldfinch arrives on the laburnum tree.
Answer: The engine is the source of energy to run machine. It is compared to a bird
as it too is a source of energy for its family. As without engine a machine can’t work
in the same without a bird its family can’t survive.
Answer: I like the simplicity and pictorial presentation in the poem. The comparison
between bird's movement with machine and Lizard is made in a nice way. Also
chirruping & trilling of goldfinch is appropriate.
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 for recognition.
Reference to Context
1.
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen
Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup
A suddenness, a startlement, at a branch end.
3.
Then sleek as a lizard, and alert and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up
Of chitterings and a tremor of wings, and trilling
The whole tree trembles and thrills.
4.
The laburnum top is silent, quite still
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.
a) Why has the word ‘engine’ been used to describe her family?)v.v imp)
The word ‘engine’ has been used to describe her family. The engine of the machine
starts up and there is noise, movement and energy signifying the excitement at the
arrival of mother.
b) Who is ‘she’? How does she stoke the engine? (v.v imp)
‘She’ is the goldfinch who has her nest on the top of the laburnum tree. Just as the
stoker feeds coal to the engine, the bird feeds her young ones.