IN THE REALMS OF ENGLISH

THE BROOK

Welcome to our web page dedicated to the timeless poem "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

"The Brook" is a captivating and picturesque poem that takes you on a journey alongside a lively and ever-flowing brook. Written with exquisite imagery and lyrical prowess, Tennyson beautifully captures the essence of nature and the ceaseless movement of life.

On this page, we invite you to explore the vivid descriptions and profound themes present in the poem. Discover the brook's origins in the hills, its meandering path through valleys and meadows, and its encounters with various elements of nature along the way.

Immerse yourself in the poet's masterful use of personification, as the brook engages in conversations with flowers, trees, and birds, evoking a sense of enchantment and connection.

Through the brook's unyielding flow, Tennyson contemplates the relentless passage of time and the resilience of life. The brook serves as a metaphor for the perpetual cycle of existence, while contrasting with the fleeting nature of human existence.

As you delve into the imagery and symbolism of "The Brook," you will gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty and interconnectedness found in nature. The poem's rhythmic structure and melodic lines will enchant your senses and transport you to the enchanting world that Tennyson paints with his words.

Whether you are a poetry enthusiast, a lover of nature, or simply seeking inspiration, this web page offers a gateway to explore and contemplate the timeless verses of "The Brook." Join us on this journey and let the brook's soothing rhythm and evocative imagery leave an indelible mark on your soul.

THE BROOK

I come from haunts of coot and hern,

I make a sudden sally

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down,

Or slip between the ridges,

By twenty thorpes, a little town,

And half a hundred bridges.

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 for ever.

I chatter over stony ways,

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

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.

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.

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,

And here and there a foamy flake

Upon me, as I travel

With many a silvery waterbreak

Above the golden gravel,

And draw them all along, and flow

To join the brimming river

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,

I slide by hazel covers;

I move the sweet forget-me-nots

That grow for happy lovers.

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows;

I make the netted sunbeam dance

Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and stars

In brambly wildernesses;

I linger by my shingly bars;

I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

STANZA WISE MEANING

Here is the stanza-wise meaning of the poem "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, with each stanza numbered accordingly:

Stanza 1:

I come from the dwellings of coots and herons,

I swiftly make a sudden rush

And sparkle out among the ferns,

Flowing swiftly down a valley.

Stanza 2:

I hurry down thirty hills,

Or slip between the slopes,

Passing by twenty villages, a small town,

And fifty bridges along my course.

Stanza 3:

Finally, I reach Philip's farm,

Where I merge with the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I continue to flow forever.

Stanza 4:

I make a cheerful sound over stony paths,

In small, sharp notes and high-pitched melodies,

I form bubbles in swirling bays,

And babble against the pebbles.

Stanza 5:

With my winding path, I cause ripples,

Passing by many fields and fallow lands,

And encountering many beautiful stretches of land,

Adorned with willow-weed and mallow plants.

Stanza 6:

I chatter incessantly as I flow,

Joining the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I continue to flow forever.

Stanza 7:

I meander, going in and out,

With blossoms floating on my surface,

And lively trout here and there,

And also grayling fish in certain spots.

Stanza 8:

Occasionally, there are frothy flakes

That rest upon me during my journey,

As I flow with silvery cascades of water

Over the golden gravel underneath.

Stanza 9:

I carry them all along with me as I flow,

Joining the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I continue to flow forever.

Stanza 10:

I pass by lawns and grassy plots,

I slide beside hazel-covered areas;

I move the sweet forget-me-not flowers

That bloom for joyful lovers.

Stanza 11:

I glide, I slide, I darken, I shimmer,

Among the swallows gliding over my surface;

I make the zig zag sunbeams dance

Against the sandy shallows of mine.

Stanza 12:

I murmur underneath the moon and stars,

In wild and brambly areas;

I linger near my gravel bars,

I loiter around my watercress beds;

Stanza 13:

And once again, I curve and flow outward,

Joining the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I continue to flow forever.

Here are 30-word meanings from the poem "The Brook":

haunts: places frequently visited or inhabited.
coot: a type of water bird.
hern: a heron, a long-legged wading bird.
sudden sally: a swift and unexpected movement or rush.
sparkle: to shine or glitter brightly.
fern: a type of non-flowering plant with feathery leaves.
bicker: to flow or move with a series of small, rapid movements.
valley: a low-lying area between hills or mountains.
hills: elevated landforms with a rounded summit.
slip: to move or pass smoothly and quickly.
ridges: long, narrow elevated landforms.
thorpes: small villages or hamlets.
bridges: structures built to cross over bodies of water or other obstacles.
Philip’s farm: a specific farm named philip's.
flow: to move or run smoothly and continuously.
brimming: filled or overflowing to the brim.
river: a large natural flowing watercourse.
chatter: to talk rapidly or in a lively manner.
stoney: covered in stones or containing stones.
sharps: high-pitched musical notes.
trebles: musical tones that are higher in pitch.
bubble: to form bubbles or produce bubbling sounds.
eddying bays: small, swirling areas of water.
babble: to talk rapidly and incoherently.
pebbles: small, smooth stones.
curve: to follow a curved or bending path.
banks: the sides of a river or stream.
fret: to erode or wear away slowly.
fallows: plowed and tilled but left unseeded for a season.
foreland: a piece of land jutting out into the water.

SUMMARY

"The Brook" is a delightful and picturesque poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It portrays the journey of a small brook, capturing the essence of its life and the impact it has on its surroundings. The poem consists of a series of vivid descriptions that illustrate the brook's relentless flow and its interaction with nature.

Tennyson starts by describing the brook's origin in the hills, as it emerges from a mossy spring. The brook's movement is compared to that of a playful child, bubbling and gurgling as it joyfully travels through the countryside. It meanders through various landscapes, from rocky slopes to green pastures, creating a serene and soothing ambiance.

The poet highlights the brook's constant and unwavering nature, stating that it never stops or tires. It relentlessly moves forward, serving as a metaphor for the perpetual passage of time. Along its path, the brook encounters various elements of nature, including flowers, trees, and birds. Tennyson personifies the brook, attributing human-like qualities to it, as it engages in conversations with the surroundings.

The brook's journey continues, passing by a mill, where it contributes to human activities and provides a source of livelihood. Despite its significant impact, the brook remains humble and modest, content with its role in the grand tapestry of life. As it reaches the end of its course, the brook merges with a river, symbolizing the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of all things.

"The Brook" is a lyrical and picturesque poem that celebrates the beauty of nature and the resilience of life's continuous flow. Through its vivid imagery and personification, Tennyson invites readers to appreciate the simplicity and interconnectedness found in the natural world.

PHILIP'S FARM [ABOVE]

THE STARTING OF THE BROOK [ BELOW]

Answer the following question

(a) Why does the brook ‘sparkle’?

(b) ‘Bicker’ means ‘to quarrel’. Why does the poet use this word here?

(d) ‘I wind about, and in and out’. What kind of a picture does this line create in your mind?

(e) What does the poet want to convey by using the words ‘steal’ and ‘slide’?

(f) ‘I make the netted sunbeam dance’. What does ‘the netted sunbeam’ mean? How does it dance?

(g) What is a ‘refrain’ in a poem? What effect does it create?

(h) Why has the poet used the word 'brimming' in the line, 'to join the brimming river

ANSWERS

(a) The stream is said to have a "sparkling" appearance because it both reflects and refracts light. When the sun shines down on the surface of the water, it causes a shimmering or glittering effect, which gives the look of the stream a feeling of both beauty and energy.

(b) The poet employs the term "bicker" here to depict the movement of the stream as it travels down the valley. Although the word "bicker" normally indicates to dispute or have a disagreement, when used in this sense, it alludes to the brook's lively and playful movement as it runs quickly and with little, fast motions, which creates a feeling of vitality and liveliness.

(c) The poem uses the term "chatter" many times to drive home the point that the flow of the stream is nonstop and full of activity. The repetition contributes to the imagery and gives the reader the impression that the stream is there throughout the whole of the poem by reinforcing the steady movement of the brook and the noises that it makes.

(d) The sentence "I wind about and in and out" paints a picture of the course that the stream takes, which is meandering and winding. It gives the impression of a winding and winding motion as the brook winds its way across the terrain, adopting a serpentine route that contributes to the feeling of movement and fluidity that is there.

(e) The poet illustrates the silky and understated flow of the creek by describing its movement with terms like "steal" and "slide." When compared to "sliding," the term "stealing" conveys a stealthy and unobserved passage, while "sliding" connotes a smooth and effortless slide. The flow of the stream, as it travels through a variety of settings, is shown here as being elegant and peaceful thanks to the contribution of these words.

(f) The phrase "the netted sunbeam" refers to the pattern of light that is generated when sunlight penetrates through the leaves of trees or other impediments, and it creates a woven or net-like pattern on the surface of the watercourse. It is suggested in the expression "make the netted sunbeam dance" that the movement of the brook makes the sunlight shimmer and flicker on the water, giving an effect similar to a dance.

(g) A "refrain" is a line or collection of lines in a poem that is repeated at regular intervals and is referred to as such. It functions as a reoccurring subject or chorus, giving the poetry a sense of rhythm and emphasis. As a refrain, the recurrence of some lines in "The Brook," such as "For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever," is effective. It generates an impression that is not only memorable but also profound, reiterating the brook's eternal character and contrasting it with the transient nature of human life.

(h) The term "brimming" in the sentence "to join the brimming river" indicates that the river already has an excessive amount of water and is about to exceed its banks. It gives the impression that the brook significantly contributes to the river, increasing both its volume and its vitality. The name highlights the significance of the brook's joining with the river as a marriage that produces an abundance of water.

THE BROOK MEETING THE BRIMMING RIVER

QUESTIONS:

1. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem, The Brook.

2. The poem is full of images that come alive through skilful use of words. Describe any two images that appeal to you the most, quoting the lines from the poem.

3. The brook appears to be a symbol for life. Pick out examples of parallelism between human life and the brook from the poem.

4. This poem describes the journey of a stream from its place of origin to the river that it joins. The poem has been written in the form of an autobiography where the brook relates its experiences as it flows towards the river. In Literature, such a device by which an inanimate object is made to appear as a living creature is called Personification. Just as the brook has been personified in this poem, write a poem on any inanimate object making it come alive. You could begin with a poem of 6-8 lines. The poem should have a message. Maintain a rhyme scheme. Try and include similes, metaphors, alliteration etc. to enhance the beauty of the poem. You could write a poem on objects such as a candle/a tree/ a rock/a desert etc.

.........................................................

ANSWERS:

1.The rhyme scheme of the poem "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson is predominantly AABBCC.

2. Two images that appeal to me the most from the poem are:

Image 1: "I make the netted sunbeam dance" - This image brings to mind the beautiful interplay of sunlight filtering through the trees, creating a net-like pattern on the surface of the brook. The phrase evokes a sense of enchantment and visual delight, as the brook's movement causes the dancing of the sunbeam pattern on the water.

Image 2: "I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance" - This line portrays the various moods and characteristics of the brook. It highlights its smooth and fluid motion as it slips and slides along its path. The contrasting words "gloom" and "glance" capture the brook's shifting nature, suggesting moments of shadow and light, adding depth to its depiction.

3. The brook serves as a symbol for life, and there are several examples of parallelism between human life and the brook throughout the poem:

The line "For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever" highlights the contrast between the transient nature of human existence and the continuous flow of the brook. It reflects the idea that life is fleeting, while the brook's journey persists endlessly.
The brook's encounters with different landscapes, such as hills, valleys, fields, and towns, can be seen as symbolic of the various stages and experiences in human life. It represents the diverse paths and encounters one may face throughout their journey.
The brook's ability to adapt and continue its course despite obstacles, such as rocks and turbulent rapids, can be likened to the resilience and determination required in human life to overcome challenges and obstacles.

4. Here is a poem personifying a candle: Here is a poem personifying a candle:

In a world of darkness, I stand tall,

A flickering flame, the candlelight's call.

I burn and glow with a steady grace,

Illuminating shadows, bringing solace.

Like life's journey, I flicker and sway,

A beacon of hope, lighting the way.

With every moment, my wax does melt,

A reminder of time's ceaseless belt.

Though small and fragile, I cast my light,

Dispelling the gloom, banishing the night.

A symbol of warmth, a guiding star,

Igniting dreams from near to far.

I whisper tales in a gentle flame,

The stories of souls that bear no name.

Through darkness and sorrow, I bring delight,

A testament to resilience, burning bright.

So let me remind you, in all that you do,

Be like the candle, shining through.

In every flicker, a lesson learned,

To keep your spirit forever burned.

Rhyme scheme: AABBCCD

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