Updated on 22/12/2021
2. The Laburnum Top
(Ted Hughes)
1. Who is the poet of the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’?
Ans. Ted Hughes
2. How is the top of laburnum?
Ans. Silent
3. What time and month is mentioned in the poem?
Ans. An afternoon of
September
4. How are the leaves of the tree?
Ans. Yellow
5. What is a laburnum?
Ans. A tree with
yellow flowers
6. Which bird is mentioned in this poem?
Ans. A goldfinch
7. The goldfinch has been compared with-
Ans. A lizard
8. What does ‘machine’ mean in the poem?
Ans. The goldfinch’s
family
9. What happens to the tree when the goldfinch’s family
chirps?
Ans. It trembles and
thrills
10. What does the goldfinch show on the branch end?
Ans. Its barred face
identity mask
2. The
Laburnum Top (Ted Hughes)
Short
Type Question
*1. What do you notice
about the beginning and the ending of the poem?*
Ans. At the beginning of
the poem, the laburnum tree was empty and silent.
When goldfinch came the
silence turned into thrills and excitement.
After some time
the mother goldfinch flew away which again made the tree silent and empty.
*2. To what is the
bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?*
Ans. The Goldfinch in
the poem has been compared to a lizard that is always alert from all the
dangers. This comparison is made to show the movement of Goldfinch when it
enters and comes out of the Laburnum Tree.
*3. Why is the image of the
engine evoked by the poet?*
Ans. The engine is the
source of energy to run machine. It is compared to bird, it is also a source of
energy for her family. As without engine a machine can't work in the same way
without a bird her family can't survive.
*4. What does the phrase
‘her barred face identity mask’ mean?*
Ans. The striped face of
the goldfinch is its mask. She remains hidden in 'thickness' and show her
striped face when comes out and this face becomes her identity mark.
*5. Write in brief the
thoughts expressed in the poem.*
Ans. Goldfinch in the
poem is a sign of happiness. The arrival of goldfinch made the laburnum top
lively. It spreads the message to the readers that we must always spread
happiness in life of other people. All people are directly or indirectly
dependent on each other.
Long Answer
1. Write brief
summary of the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’.
Ans. The poem 'The Laburnum Top' is written by Ted Hughes. It is about a relationship between the Laburnum
tree and the Goldfinch bird. The tree is yellow and silent in the afternoon of
September. It is made alive when the bird came and enters in it. The yellow
bird has her shelter on the tree where she feeds her young ones. When
she came the whole tree trembles. The poet says that this noise is the engine
of her family. When it flies out, the tree becomes silent again.