THE BROOK

1. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions:
“By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges”.

(a) What do the words ‘thirty hills’, ‘twenty thorpes’ and ‘half a hundred bridges’ suggest?
= In this part of its journey, the brook covers a vast expanse of land as it travels through ‘thirty
hills, twenty thorpes and half a hundred bridges and a little town.

b) Who is referred to as ‘I’? What is it describing?

= The letter ‘I’ refers to the brook which has been personified in the poem. The brook is describ
ing its journey from the place of origin to the river that it joins.

(c) Which word in the text means ‘move quickly and quietly’?
= Slip

d) What is the speed of the brook as it moves from the hills and bridges?
= The speed of the brook is rapid as it moves through the hills, ridges and villages.

2: Why does the poet use the word bicker in the poem?
= Bicker means to quarrel. A quarrel makes noise and when the brook flows it creates different
noises. Hence the sound of the brook bickering refers to the children playing and quarrelling.

3: Why does the poet use the word ‘steal’ and ‘slide’?
= The poet wants to convey that the brook can sometimes flow quietly. The term ‘steal’ is used to
convey the stealthy movement of the river. The word ‘slide’ creates a mental picture of the river
sliding along its path with the smooth movements of a snake. The sound of its movement is
undetectable.

4: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions:
“I wind about, and in and out,
With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling,
I wind about, and in and out”.
(a) Give the synonym of the word ‘blossom’.
= Flower
(b) What are the different things carried by the brook?
= On its journey, the brook carries pebbles, flowers, fish, different plants and foam along with
it.
(c) What does these lines tell us about the movement of the brook?
= The brook flows in a zigzag manner.
(d) Where does the brook carry all the things?
= The brook carries all the things with it to the brimming river which it joins.
5. ‘I make the netted sunbeam dance’. What image does the poet want to create in the minds of
the reader?
= The term ‘netted sunbeam’ refers to the sun’s rays that fall on the waters of the brook through
the leaves. The sunbeams breaking through the foliage gives an impression of a net of light. The
light that is reflected in all directions gives one the impression that the rays are dancing.
6 “For men may come and men may go, But I go on for ever”. What do these lines mean?
= Generations after generations of men come and pass away from the earth, but the brook
continues to flow forever. This means that the existence of man is transitory while that of the
brook is eternal.

7Why has the word ‘chatter’ been repeated in the poem?

= The word ‘chatter’ means to talk quickly in a friendly manner without giving a pause. The poet
uses this word repeatedly to denote the nonstop sound made by the brook while passing through
its stony ways.

8 What does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘The Brook’?
= The brook is a symbol of the struggle of human life. The poet wishes to point out that just as
ups and downs in life do not deter the brook from its journey, similarly, human beings should
also take the hurdles and sorrows in their stride.

9 How has the poet drawn parallelism between the journey of the brook and the life of man?
= In the poem ‘The Brook’, the poet has very realistically drawn parallelism between the
journey of the brook and the life of man. When the brook begins its journey from its source, it
emerges suddenly and flows with a lot of noise and speeds down the valley. It hurries down the
hills and slips down the ridges.
Similarly, in his youth, a man is very active and agile. The brook continues to move quickly
in its early stages in spite of all the stones, pebbles and other obstacles that come in its way.
A man in his youth is very energetic and is able to face all the challenges and obstacles with
great gusto. The hazel covers and forget-me-nots that the brook flows by stand for the joys one
experiences in life. As the brook passes the bramble bushes in the wild, it murmurs (complains).
Also, when one has sorrows and faces danger, we too complain and move slowly past them.
As the brook comes closer to the river, it slows down. It steals, slides, slips, lingers and loiters.
This is similar to a man at the age of maturity and old age. His movements slow down and he
becomes calm and less energetic.

10.Can you match the following?

(a) Something that lives for one year (b) Something that lives for about two years
(c) Something that lives for more than two years
= (a) annual (b) biennial (c) perennial

2.On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the
correct choice.
(a) The message of the poem is that the life of a brook is …..
(i) temporary (ii) short-lived
(iii) eternal (iv) momentary
= (iii) eternal
(b) The poet draws a parallelism between the journey of the brook with
(i) the life of a man (ii) the death of man
(iii) the difficulties in a man’s life (iv) the endless talking of human beings
= (i) the life of a man
c) The poem is narrated in the first person by the brook. This figure of speech is
(i) Personification (ii) Metaphor
(iii) Simile (iv) Transferred epithet
= (i) Personification
(d) In the poem, below-mentioned lines:
 “And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling ”
suggest that …..
(i) the brook is a source of life (ii) people enjoy the brook
(iii) fishes survive because of water
(iv) the brook witnesses all kinds of scenes.
Answer: (i) the brook is a source of life

3Answer the following questions:

(a) How does the brook ‘sparkle’?
= The brook sparkles when the sunlight and the rays fall on its watery surface. The watery sur-
face acts as a medium and reflects the sun rays producing a sparkling effect. The brook
“sparklefs) out among the fern” growing near its banks.

b) How many hills and bridges does the brook pass during its journey?
=The brook passes through thirty hills and fifty bridges during its journey, before it joins the
brimming river.
c) Where does it finally meet the river?
= The brook meets the brimming river by Philip’s farm.
d) ‘With many a curve my banks I fret’—What does the poet mean by this statement?
= The line ‘With many a curve my banks I fret’ expresses the aggressive mood of the flowing
brook. The course of the brook is never in a straight line. When the brook strikes the jutting parts
of the land it is forced to flow in curves. The water frets and fumes when it strikes and flows
round the curvy course. It beats its banks in anger.

e) The poem has many examples of alliteration. List any five examples.
= Tennyson makes every effective use of alliteration to create a special poetic and sound effect.
The five examples of ‘alliteration’ in the poem are:
‘t’ sound in ‘twenty thorpes, a little town’.
T sound in ‘farm’ and ‘flow’ and ‘field and fallow’.
‘w’ sound in ‘with willows-weed’.
‘b’ sound in ‘bubble’ … ‘bays’ and ‘babble’.
‘d’ and‘t’ sounds in ‘wind about and in and out’.
f) What is the ‘refrain’ in the poem? What effect does it create?
= A refrain is the part of a song or a poem that is repeated a number of times. The refrain in the
poem is: For men may come and men may go,
But 1 go on for ever.
The refrain used in the poem heightens the poetic and musical effects. It brings out the
eternal existence of the brook and transitory existence of man’s life in this world. Secondly, it
highlights the single idea and maintains the unity of the poem.

4.Read the given lines and answer the questions:

1) I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever
(a) Who does ‘I’ refer to in the given lines?
= ‘I’ refers to the brook in the given lines.
(b) How does it ‘chatter’?
=The flowing motion of the brook creates a chattering sound. It appears as if it is talking sofly
and constantly in a friendly manner with anything that obstructs its flow.
(c) Why has the poet used the word ‘brimming’? What kind of a picture does it create?
= The poet has used the word ‘brimming’ for the bigger river the brook is ultimately going to
join in. It creates a picture of a big river filled with water up to the brim.

(d) Explain the last two lines of the stanza.

= The refrain in the poem presents a striking contrast. Men may come and go in and out of this
world. Their existence is transitory. However, the brook presents a picture of eternity. It will flow
forever
2) I come from haunts of coot and hern;
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley. (Lines 1-4)
Paraphrase: The brook (a small river) takes its birth from a place which is regularly visited by
waterbirds like coots and herons. The small river bursts out all of a sudden. Sparkling or shining
through the flowerless plants or ferns in the sunlight, it flows noisily down to a valley.
(a) What is the rhyme scheme in these lines?
= The rhyme scheme in these lines is ab, ab.
(b) Explain: ‘Make a sudden sally’.
= It means: emerging suddenly.
(c) Find a word in the passage which means: flowing down with a lot of noise.
= bicker.
3) By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges. (Lines 5—8)
Paraphrase: The river hurries down through thirty hills. It slips quickly unnoticed between the
mountain ranges.
(a) What is the poetic device used in ‘twenty … town?
= ‘Alliteration’ is used as a poetic device in these lines.
(b) Explain: ‘By twenty thorpses”.
= The brook flows through twenty small villages or hamlets.
(c) What is the movement of the brook in these lines?
= These lines present the fast movement of the brook.
4) Till last by Philip’s farm I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.
Paraphrase: In the end, the small river flows near the Philip’s farm. Here, it joins with another
river which is full of water—to the brim. Men may come or go (take birth or die) from this world
but the brook continues to flow forever.
(a) What is the brimming river’?
= ‘The brimming river’ is a big river filled to the brim with water.
(b) Explain: ‘Men may come and men may go’.
= It means that men may take birth or die and depart from the world.
(c) Quote the line that shows the eternal flow of the river.
= ‘But I go on forever’.
5) I chatter over stony ways,
In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles.(Lines 13—16)
Paraphrase: The brook flows on making different kinds of noises and sounds at different places.
It seems to chatter while flowing through its stony ways. It also makes sharp and high-pitched
sounds and noises. When it flows in the spiral movement of water, its noise is lost. But when it
strikes on the shingles and pebbles, it creates a sound as if it is talking gaily to them.
(a) How does the brook flow over stony ways?
= The brook chatters in little sharps and trebles over stony ways.
(b) Give two words in the passage showing high-pitched sounds.
=‘ Sharps and trebles’ are the two words that represent high-pitched sounds.
(c) Where does the brook make spiral movement?
= The brook makes spiral movement on the pebble
6) With many a curve my banks I fret
By many a field and fallow,
And many a fairy foreland set
With willow-weed and mallow.(Lines 17—20)
Paraphrase: The brook continues its onward journey flowing in curves and beating against its
banks in fury. It flows through many fields and parts of land left uncultivated. The brook flows
through those parts of land which extend into the sea and look like lands of fairies. It passes
through bushes of willow and plants of mallow growing near its banks.
(a) What is the meaning of the expression ‘my bank I fret?’
= The brook beats its bank angrily.
(b) What is the figure of speech used in the first line?
= The figure of speech used in the first line is ‘personification’.
(c) What is the poetic device used in the second and the third lines?
= ‘Alliteration’ is the poetic device that is used in the second and the third lines.
7). I wind about, and in and out,
With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling. (Lines 25—28)
Paraphrase: The brook goes on flowing in a zig-zag way sometimes shrinking and sometimes
expanding. We can find a blossom sailing over its surface. Here and there we can find a big and
fat trout and at other places we can find a grayling swimming in and out of it.
(a) Describe the movement of the brook as mentioned in the given lines
= The brook flows in a zig-zag way in this stage..
(b) What does sail over the surface of the brook?
= A blossom sails over the surface of the brook.
(c) What is the rhyme scheme used in the lines?
= The rhyme scheme used in the given lines is ‘ab, ab’.
8) And here and there a foamy flake
Upon me, as I travel
With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel.(Lines 29—32)
Paraphrase: As the brook flows on, foamy flakes are formed over its surface. When it passes over
the golden shingles and pebbles many silvery waves are formed over them.
(a) What is the poetic device used in ‘foamy flakes?’
= Alliteration’ is the poetic device used in ‘foamy flakes’.
(b) Where does the brook pass over?
= The brook passes over the golden shingles and pebbles.
(c) What are formed above the golden gravels?
= Silvery waves and foamy flakes are formed above the golden gravels.
9). “Till last by Philip’s farm I flow
 To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.”
(a) Where is Philip’s farm situated?
(b) What does the phrase brimming river mean?
(c) Which poetic device is used here?
Answer:
(a) Philip’s farm is situated close to the river into which the brook finally merges.
(b) The river is full to the brim; it is overflowing with water.
(c) Personification/Refrain.
10) I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.(Lines 37—40)
Paraphrase: The brook flows silently through lawns and grassy plots. It slides through the bushes
of hazelnuts. In its flow the brook sweeps away ‘forget-me-not’ flowers which grow for the
happy lovers.
(a) Where does the river steal by?
= The river flows silently and unnoticed through lawns and grassy plots.
(b) What are ‘forget-me-nots’ here?
= They are a kind of flowers.
(c) What is the movement of the brook in these lines?
= The brook flows quietly and leisurely now.

11. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows(Lines 41–44)

Paraphase: The brook slips by silently. Sometimes it slides. It becomes dark and looks sad when
passes through dark places. It looks bright and happy in the sunlight. The swallows fly over it
touching its surface. The rays of the sun fall on its surface and are trapped in. The reflected rays
seem to be dancing brightly in the sun against the sandy shallows.

(a) What is the poetic device used in the first line?

=‘Alliteration’ is the poetic device used in the first line.
(b) What does the brook make the netted sunbeams?
=The brook makes the netted sunbeams dance.
(c) What do these lines show about the nature of the brook?
=These lines highlight the carefree nature of the brook.
12. I murmur under moon and stars
In brambly wildernesses;
I linger by my shingly bars;
I loiter round my cresses. (Lines 45—48)
Paraphrase: The river flows through the bushy wilderness creating a soft and low sound at night
under stars and moon. It flows leisurely over the rounded pebbles which obstruct its pace and
flow. The brook moves around cresses growing near its bank.
a) What is ‘brambly wilderness?’
(b) Where does the brook murmur?
(c) Where does the brook loiter round?
 = (a) It means thorny wastelands.
(b) The brook flows in a soft low murmuring sound ‘under moon and stars’.
(c) The brook loiters round the leafy green plants like ‘cresses’.

13. And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.(Lines 49—52)
Paraphrase: Then the brook comes out curving and flowing to join the big river that is filled with
water to the brim. Worldly activities will have no bearing on the brook. Men may take birth or
die but the brook goes on flowing onward forever.
(a) Describe the poetic device used in these lines.
(b) What is the brimming river?’
(c) Quote a line that shows the eternal existence of the river.
Answer:
(a) ‘Personification’ is the poetic device used in these lines.
(b) The bigger river which is filled to the brim and where the brook joins is the brimming river’.
(c) ‘But I go on forever’.

14 I come from haunts of coot and hern;

I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley’.
(a) Who comes from the haunts of coot and hem?
(b) What does it do among the fern?
(c) Why does the word, ‘bicker’ mean here?
Answer: (a) The brook (b) It shines. (c) Rush quickly

Short Answer Type Questions (2 Marks each)

1. Why has the poet used the word ‘babble’ for ‘The Brook’?
= As the brook moves, its swift current strikes against the pebbles and stones under it, produc-
ing a tremendous noise. Thus, the brook seems to be ‘talking? as it moves.Also its rapid spiral
movement creates spirals of bubbles and it sounds very cheerful.

2.What are the different companions of the brook?

= The brook carries all that comes in its way, from the blossoms to fishes, the sand, pebbles,
small stones and all that comes floating by.

3.How many hills and bridges does the brook pass during its journey?
= The brook passes through thirty hills and fifty bridges during its journey before it finally joins
the brimming river.
4. How is the journey of the brook similar to the human life?
= The brook is immortal whereas the human life is transient. The brook overcomes all hurdles
on the way to its destination whereas the humans are subjected to emotional breakdowns and
despair.

10. What is the ‘refrain’ in the poem, ‘The brook’? What effect does it create?
Or
 What is the symbolic meaning conveyed by ‘For men may come and men may go, but I go on
forever’?
= The refrain of the poem is ‘For men may come and men may go, hut I go on forever’. It
shows the transitory. nature of human life and the eternal life of nature. Man is mortal and con-
tinues his journey till he meets his death. The brook on the other hand is immortal. It is perennial
and flows on till eternity.

11. The journey of a brook is eternal and forever. Explain.

= The brook has a constant and an eternal journey. It moves on incessantly overcoming all the
difficulties that it faces on its way. Though it merges into the sea, it remains ever-flowing from its
origin to the point of merger. It is immortal. It goes on forever.

13. What is the message given by the brook?

Or
What does the poet want to convey through this poem?
= The message given to us by the brook is that man is mortal and the brook immortal. There
are many hurdles in life’s long journey but we should carry on keeping our goals in mind.

14.Describe four movements that the brook makes during its journey.
= The four movements that the brook makes during its journey are swift, splashy bubbly and
noisy.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 Marks each)

1. What kind of an attitude does the brook reflect in general towards the various situations that
it comes across on its journey towards the river? What message do we get from it?
Or
Bring out the parallelism between the movement of the brook and the course of human life.
= The brook is a symbol of life. The poet has compared the brook’s journey with that of human
life. Just like a human being, the brook also emerges (takes birth), grows young, becomes old and
wise. In its childhood, it is very cheerful. It moves rapidly and swiftly.
In its youth, it is full of strength. It ‘frets’, ‘bickers’ and ‘chatters’ which are symbolic of young
age. It is a source of life and support for other living things like fish, blossoms, etc. Then it
reaches its old age. Like human beings, it becomes weak and moves slowly. It ‘slides’ by hazel
covers and ‘steals’ by lawns. Now the brook flows silently. Its ultimate aim is to reach its destina-
tion, i.e., the brimming river.
The brook faces and overcomes many difficulties and hurdles in its way. Man should learn a
lesson from the brook. He should not lose heart in the face of hurdles, pressures and dangers. He
should not be fret and fume in the face of difficulties.

2. Obstacles and hurdles are a part and parcel of man’s life. Discuss with reference to the poem
‘The Brook’.
Or
The brook comes across many hurdles in the course of its journey. Compare its journey with
man’s life.
= The journey of both, the brook and human beings commences with birth. Both have a desire
to move forward and explore the world. Neither the life of a man nor the journey of the brook is
smooth. Both come across different situations. Just as the brook passes through many ups and
downs throughout its journey, man also faces many ups and downs in his life. As man moves
forward, he becomes mature and finally his life comes to an end. Similarly, the brook moves
forward and its journey ends when it merges in the river. The only difference between the two is
that die brook is eternal whereas man’s existence is transitory.

3.The Brook is a symbol of energy and determination to us. Describe in about 150 words.
= The poem draws a parallel between the journey of the brook and the journey of human life.
Similar to the journey of the brook, human life also passes through many ups and downs.The
brook passes through many hills, ridges, towns, villages and bridges and reveals its mood by the
sound it makes when it moves on. Similarly, man also has to overcome many hurdles and diffi-
culties in life and struggle hard to reach his destination.Neither the life of man nor the journey of
the brook is smooth. But, just as the brook goes on undaunted and heads towards its destination,
human beings must also go on.

4. Write a note on the brook’s journey from ‘the haunts Of coot and hem’ to the brimming river
in 150 words.
= The brook emerges from the places which are frequently visited by water birds like ‘coot and
hern’.It emerges suddenly to flow down a valley with a lot of noise. During its journey it passes
many hills, towns, villages and passes under bridges. It silently crosses both fertile and fallow
land, lawns filled with flowers and goes through the wilderness full of thorny bushes. The brook
also passes many ‘fairy fore lands’ which are covered with willow weed and mallow. It flows
slowly when it passes the strange places. It then curves and flows to join the brimming river.

5. Like human beings, brook also has different stages of life. Describe its various stages with
suitable examples from the poem ‘The Brook’.
=The brook goes through different stages of life as does a human being. In the way a child takes
birth, the brook emerges from the haunts of coot and hern. Just like a child, the brook chatters
and babbles. It is as energetic as a human being in the initial stages of its life. As human beings
work to fulfil their aim in life, the brooks aim is to join the brimming river. Man faces a lot of
challenges in life, likewise, the brook takes many twists and turns during its second course.
In the third course, the brook slows down and slips, slides, find steals by the lawns and grassy
plots. In the same way, in old age, man becomes quiet and understanding.

8.What is the central idea of the poem? Describe.

= The central idea or the theme of the poem is the comparison l ween the eternal, continuous
and never-ending journey of the brook and the transitoriness of a man’s life.
The brook overcomes many hurdles and struggles throughout its journey and keeps on moving. It
never stops.
Similarly, human beings also have to face many ups and downs, They should not accept defeat,
but must go on like the brook.
One must keep on moving towards one’s goal and reach, their destination.