Poetry

1. THE Brook Alfred Lord Tennyson

About the Poet

Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS (6th August 1809 – 6th October 1892) is one of the
most illustrious of poets from the Victorian era. He was made Poet Laureate after the death of William
Wordsworth and fulfilled the requirements of his position by writing a poem for every important occasion
in the country as well as in the household of the King or Queen of England. He was very particular about
his writing and revised his work several times before submitting it for printing. Tennyson found the source
of his poems from many places, including nature as is seen in the poem, ‘The Brook’.
Theme
Each stanza of the poem highlights the Brook’s progress to its destination that is revealed in the last
stanza, which is “the brimming river,” and to the delivery of the theme and purpose of the poem, which
is that “men may come and men may go, But I go on forever.”
In this poem, the poet compares the life of the Brook with that of the man. He says that the Brook when
comes from haunted places is fresh and lively. It is compared to a man at his young age. He behaves as
if he is energetic and fresh. The Brook slows down when it reaches the plains which is compared to a
man who has the burden of his family, his job and surroundings. But the poet concludes that the Brook
is immortal. Because it joins the mighty ocean and becomes a part of it but man is born to die and is
mortal. He compares different stages of Brook with that of the man. He uses a lot of attractive words
describing its movement and sound. It is really a wonderful poem written by Tennyson.

Brook
Characters A stream flowing through the English countryside. It provides picture of pastoral delight. It is
selfless and works to delight others and does not lose his cool even when passing over a rough
patch. It provides succour and joy to everyone coming in contact with it. It is undemanding,
nourishes growth of flowers along its banks, and provides variety to break the monotony of
daily living.

Problem
The problem that the brook faces is that its
journey from its starting point till the end
is not one of smooth sailing. The brook
remains content in different situations and
orient its course and its flow accordingly.
Besides having constantly adjusting its
way through its course, the brook has to
provide water for irrigation, nurture plants
and flowers to grow along its banks and
even make its way through bramble and
over rocks and pebbles.
Setting
The setting is along the course of a stream
of water. It passes through a variety of
countryside and greenery. It provides various
facets of natural beauty in the course of its
flow. It passes through farms, cottages,
under bridges and rough brambly patches
of wild growth.
Action
Instead of remaining disappointed at the
frequent changes it has to make along
its course, the brook learns to enjoy the
variety and adjust accordingly. It learns
to regulate the pace of its flow and while
it rushes through at some parts, it flows
gently through farms and villages.

Summary
The poet speaks in the poem in the first voice
making us understand that it is the Brook who is
giving his ideas to us. Every stanza of the poem
talks about the way forward as if the Brook is the
journeyman. At the same time, the poet stops to
remind us that the Brook in its journey makes man
realize that it is a permanent fixture of the world,
unlike mankind, which will just pass away once he
has lived his life.
In the first verse, the Brook describes its starting
place which is a body of water where several birds,
like the coot and hern have formed their nesting

grounds. From that point, which is on a high ground,
covered by hills, the Brook gushes downhill to reach
a patch of ground which is filled with ridges. Instead
of stopping its course, the Brook makes its way by
finding gaps in between the ridges and reaches an
area of village settlements. In its course, it flows
through twenty villages and reaches a small town.
On the way, the Brook has been bridged by the
villagers and townspeople at fifty points but it
continues to flow from beneath this engineering
structures.
The little Brook moves on till it reaches a stretch
of farmland and makes its way along the side of
farmer Philip’s farm. Thereafter, the land is not
so fertile and the river bed is a rocky stretch. The
water ‘grind’ their way across the pebbles with the
surface forming small waves because of the uneven
surface below.
At this point, the countryside through which the
Brook flows is one of natural variety. There are
stony embankments at some places and at others
there are well-grown fields. There are also stretches
of fallow ground through which the Brook flows
along. The growth on its banks as it passes through
the wilderness is, therefore, covered with weeds such
as mallow and willow-weed, but instead of becoming
a dirty strip passing through, it seems to decorate its
banks and becomes a picturesque setting, its sides
filled with natural growth.
At this point, the Brook seems to be talking to
itself as it passes through the unkempt countryside
thinking of the fact that men may come and go, the
Literature Textbook 247
Brook goes on forever. The path of the Brook is
not a straight path either. It winds its way, finding
an exit wherever it can and on its waters, float
blossoms that have fallen from trees and grows
alongside the banks. Together with flowers, the
Brook is filled with varieties of fish that are living in
the waters, particularly trout and grayling varieties
of fish. As the waters are gushing ahead, there is a
foamy surface on the water to be and on the waves,
the silver beams of the sunlight fall. This makes a
delightful arrangement of colour on the Brook.
Thereafter, the Brook flows through a few farms
and cultivated lands where there are forget-me-nots
growing on its banks and hazel trees makes for a
pleasant shade by the Brook’s waters. Unlike the
earlier journey, in this part the Brook is virtually
soundless and seems to slip and slide across the
countryside, while a group of swallow is seen flying
and skimming across its waters. The sunbeams
continue to look attractive as if dancing on the
surface of the waters, as it falls in broken bits,
because of the waves breaking the direct sunlight
into dancing bits of sunlight. In the silence of the
night, the sound of the moving waters of the Brook
is more audible as it is now flowing through a bed
of pebbles which slows down the movement of the
water and gives rise to a growth of watercress.
Finally, it curves out of this lethargic stretch and
joins the river reaching its final journey. This final
journey again reminds the poet to mention that the
Brook goes on forever while men’s journey through
life has to end at some point.

Outcome
In the final outcome, the Brook empties its waters into a river, merging itself into the flow of the river,
thereby obliterating its individual identity. After a long and hectic journey, the end seems to be relieving
and a feeling of achievement at having finished its course and reaching its goal.

Word-Meaning

Haunts: places where people frequently visit; Coot: a type of water bird; Sally: to emerge all of
sudden; Bicker: flow down with a lot of noise; Thorpe: a small village; Brimming: full of water; Ridges:
mountain ranges; Eddying: spiral movement of water; Babble: the sound of water running over stones;
Fallow: the land left uncultivated to regain fertility; Mallow: plant with hairy stems; Grayling: a type
of fish; Hazel: a small tree or bush with edible nuts; Wilderness: waste land
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CBSE Textbook Exercises

1. Since centuries, human beings have always been drawn to rivers, streams and other natural
sources of water. Can you think of some characteristics of a river that make it fascinating to
mankind?

(i)

Characteristics
Calming effect of a river that (ii)
draw mankind

(iii)

Ans. Characteristics of a river: (i) Lifeline of mankind (ii) Fulfils daily needs (iii) Source of different
types of flora and fauna.
2. Here is a list of a few things. Can you tell how long each of them can live/exist?
(a) a dog (b) an elephant (c) a tree
(d) a human being (e) a star (f) a mountain
(g) a river
Ans. (a) 10-13 years (b) 48 years (c) 50-75 years
(d) 75-90 years (e) 10 billion years (f) varies
(g) depends on several factors
4. After reading the poem answer the following questions.
The poet has used a number of words which indicate ‘movement’ and ‘sound’. Working with your
partner make a list of these words from the poem and complete the web chart.
(a)
Sally
Sparkle

Movement words
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(b)
1. bicker

5. Sound Words 2.

3.
4.

(c) A word or a combination of words, whose sound seems to resemble the sound it denotes
(for example: “hiss”, “buzz”, etc.) is called onomatopoeia. From the words that you have
filled in the blurbs above point out these words.
Ans. (a) Movement words:
1. sally, 2. sparkle, 3. slip, 4. flow, 5. travel, 6. slide, 7. slip
(b) Sound words:
1. bicker, 2. chatter, 3. bubble, 4. babble, 5. murmur
(c) Onomatopoeia
1. bicker down the valley, 2. pass through valleys and town, 3. by thirty hills I hurry down,
4. slip between the ridges, 5. by Philip’s farm I flow, 6. wind about and in and out, 7. joins
the river
5. The following is a flow chart showing the course of the brook. Can you fill in the blank spaces
with help from the phrases given below?
2. Pass through
1. valleys and 3.
towns

6. 5. 4.

7. Joins the river

(a) passes under fifty bridges;

(b) comes from the place where coots and herons live;
(c) passes lawns filled with flowers;
(d) crosses both fertile and fallow land;
(e) goes through wilderness full of thorny bushes
Ans. 1. comes from the places where coots and herons live
3. passes under fifty bridges
4. crosses both fertile and fallow land
5. passes lawns filled with flowers
6. goes through wilderness full of thorny bushes
6. A. 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
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(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
(c) In the poem, the below mentioned lines: suggest that _______________ .
“And here and there a lusty trout,

And here and there a grayling”
(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.
(d) Select the option that matches the given words/phrases with the appropriate literary device
used by the poet.
Words Literary Device

(i) Chatter; Babble; Murmur 1. Alliteration-the occurrence of the same letter or sound
at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

(ii) Men may come and men may go 2. Onomatopoeia-the formation of a word from a sound
but I go on forever associated with what is named

(iii) fairly foreland; with willow seed; 3. Inversion - reversal of the normal order of the words
foamy flake; golden gravel and phrases in a sentence

4. Refrain - a word, line or phrase that is repeated within

the lines or stanzas of the poem itself.

(i) i-2 ii-1 iii-4

(ii) i-4 ii-2 iii-3
(iii) i-2 ii-4 iii-1
(iv) i-1 ii-2 iii-3
(e) The first-person narration of the brook allows the reader to
(i) appreciate Tennyson’s use of symbols.
(ii) realize the ultimate goal of the brook.
(iii) experience the soothing effect of the sound of water.
(iv) understand the brook’s experience as a living organism.
Ans. (a) (iii) eternal
(b) (i) the life of a man
(c) (i) the brook is a source of life
(d) (i) i-2  ii-1 iii-4
(e) (iv) understand the brook’s experience as a living organism.
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6. B. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct options.

A . 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) Choose the option that best describes the brook’s journey in the given stanza. It is a journey
full of__________ .
(a) comfort and luxury (b) trials and tribulations
(c) sorrow and misery (d) joy and laughter
(ii) The poet has used the pronoun ‘I’ to refer to the brook and thus employed a literary device
in his depiction. Choose the option that uses the same literary device as used in the first
line.
(a) The magnitude of the bottomless ocean was divine.
(b) The angry walls echoed his fury.
(c) A mother is like a lioness protecting her cubs.
(d) I felt the power of the gushing stream.
(iii) The brook seems to be fretting in the given stanza. This word has been used by the poet
to depict the ________ of the flowing brook.
(a) force (b) kindness
(c) silence (d) beauty
Ans. (i) (b) trials and tribulations
(ii) (b) The angry walls echoed his fury.
(ii) (a) force
B. 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 forever.
(i) Choose the option that includes words that best describe the characteristics of the brook,
as revealed in the given extract.
1. perpetual 2. silent 3. twisted
4. unbound 5. interrupted
(a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2, 4 and 5
(c) 1, 2, and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 4
(ii) The line, ‘men may come and men may go’
(a) mocks the shortness of the brook’s life as it goes through its journey.
(b) highlights the eternal nature of human life as opposed to its own.
(c) contrasts the eternal nature of brook against short-lived human life-span.
(d) highlights the eternal story of men that the brook comes across during its journey.
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(iii) What do the words, ‘linger and loiter’ show about the brook?
(a) Its continuity (b) Its slow movement
(c) Its powerful force (d) Its ultimate purpose
Ans. (i) (b) 1, 2, 4 and 5
(ii) (c) contrasts the eternal nature of brook against short-lived human life-span.
(iii) (b) Its slow movement
7. Answer the following questions.
(a) How does the Brook ‘sparkle’ ?
(b) ‘Bicker’ means ‘to quarrel’. Why does the poet use this word here?
(c) Why has the word ‘chatter’ been repeated in the poem?
(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’?
Ans. (a) The Brook sparkles as it passes in its course through ferns growing near its banks.
(b) The poet uses the word ‘bicker’ here because the brook, as it passes through this stretch is
passing through a bed of stones. The movement of the water across the stones sounds as if
the river is bickering.
(c) The word ‘chatter’ has been repeated in the poem because the poet wants to emphasize the
sound of the water as the Brook flows past. The Brook is not a silent stream of water but
creates a noise as it meets an obstruction along its course.
(d) In my mind, it creates a picture of playfulness and fun. It is a childlike movement and seems
as if the Brook is playing ‘hide and seek’ as it flows along.
(e) By using the words ‘steal’ and ‘slide’, the poet wants to convey that the Brook is flowing
noiseless in this part much like a thief who tries to steal noiselessly and without using an
alarm.
(f) The sunbeam is described as ‘netted’ because the sunlight is seen in between the nettles
growing in the banks. The sunshine is not steady but with the wind and flow of water, it
flickers on the growth making it seem as if the sunbeams are dancing.
(g) The refrain of the poem is: ‘For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever.’ It
makes us realize that life is not permanent.
(h) The river is a large waterbody into which the brook’s waters merge. Thus, it is filled with
water and described as ‘brimming’ or filled with water as other water bodies pour their waters
into the river.
8. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem, The Brook.
Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is: ab /ab.
9. 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.
Ans. (a) I come from haunts of coot and hern
(b) By thirty hills I hurry down
(c) Or slip between the ridges
(d) I bubble into eddying bays/I babble on the pebbles
(e) I chatter, chatter as I flow
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10. The brook appears to be a symbol for life. Pick out examples of parallelism between human life
and the Brook from the poem.
Ans. Examples are:
Men may come and men may go
But I go on forever.
This parallelism is between the life of man and the permanence of the Brook.
I linger by my shingly bars
I loiter round my cresses
This parallelism is about the human qualities of the Brook which just like human beings, needs
relaxation and thus linger and loiters, as do all human beings.
11. 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 the candle/a tree/a rock/the desert, etc. This could be given as a homework
activity. The teacher could read out some of the poems in the class and display the others.
Ans. Candle
When you were young you were gifted a candle
A candle that no one could see
Until they looked into your eyes
And saw two small flames
Dancing there with glee.
This candle always tells you
Who you are
So you must protect from every storm
And guard it from the glare.
So it will always keep you warm.
A Palm Tree
A single fir-tree, lonely,
on a northern mountain height,
sleeps in a white blanket,
draped in snow and ice.
His dreams are of a palm-tree,
who, far in eastern lands,
weeps, all alone and silent,
among the burning sands.
Desert
A dry and hostile place it proves to be
Yet there’s life there, so look carefully
So you must cautiously look and see
Not brag and gain popularity
Scientists and scholars research and inspect
Then go back and try to reflect
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Yet all of them fail to observe
The raw beauty of the desert curve.
Rocks
Rocks add life to a landscape
That none can replicate
It’s not the work of chemicals or computers
For that can make mechanical manoeuvers.
Rocks are there when we are gone
So think of them and not yawn
And kindly pay attention
And not destroy with your intervention

Solved question bank

T
R C Reference-to-Context Questions

1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
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 is ‘I’ in these lines?
(b) Describe the stages of the journey of ‘I’.
(c) Where does the brook take its birth?
(d) What does the term ‘sally’ mean?
Ans. (a)
‘I’ in these lines is the brook.
(b) ‘I’ emerges from its source where birds, like the coot and hern, have built their nests. It comes
out into a stretch of countryside where ferns are growing and climb from the mountain into the
valley below.
(c) The brook takes its birth from a place where the water birds like coots and herons visit.
(d) The term ‘sally’ means ‘to come out suddenly’.
2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.
(a) Who is slipping down the hills?
(b) Describe the landmarks of this journey.
(c) What does ‘By twenty thorpses’ mean?
(d) Give another word for ‘thorpes’.
 Literature Textbook 255
Ans. (a) The brook in the course of its journey climbs from the hills into the valley below.
(b) When the brook reaches the flat lands of the valley, it passes through thirty villages along
its banks. It then reaches a little town and along this course, it passes under fifty bridges.
(c) ‘By twenty thorpses’ denote small twenty villages where the brook flows through.
(d) Another word for ‘thorpes’ is ‘villages’.
3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. [CBSE 2012]

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) What poetic device is used here?
(d) Explain ‘Men may come and men may go’.
Ans. (a) Philip’s farm is situated beyond a little town through which the brook flows.
(b) The river into which the brook flows is a body of water. This water is fast moving.
(c) The poetic device used here is ‘personification’.
(d) It means that men take birth on this earth and later on depart from this world.
4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
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.
(a) What does ‘I’ do to its banks?
(b) How has the brook decorated its banks?
(c) What does the brook do?
(d) Find an example of alliteration in these lines.
Ans. (a)
“I’ refer to the brook here. The brook covers its banks with greenery and instead of flowing
in a straight formation it curves around whenever it meets with some kind of obstruction to
its onward flow.
(b) The brook has decorated its banks with wild growth consisting of willow weed. It also allows
the growth of mallow, a wild growth with hairy stems and white flowers.
(c) The brook continues its onward journey flowing in curves.
(d) With willow-weed/fairy foreland.
5. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
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,
(a) Point out three things that indicate that it is a waterbody.
(b) Find two objects noticed in the water.
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(c) What species do trout and grayling belong to?
(d) How does the brook flow?
Ans. (a) The three things that indicate that it is a waterbody are: trout and grayling in the water, a
blossom floating and the water winding through on its course.
(b) Two objects noticed in the water are — a blossom and fish.
(c) The trout and grayling belong to the species that live in fast moving, clear water.
(d) The brook flows in a zig-zag way.
6. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.
(a) Who is ‘I’ in above lines?
(b) What kind of scene is depicted in the above extract?
(c) What type of movement of the brook has been here?
(d) What are forget-me-nots here?
Ans. (a) In the above lines ‘I’ is the poet.
(b) The scenes of mountains have been depicted in the above extract.
(c) The brook flows silently without caring for others.
(d) They are a kind of flowers.
7. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
I murmur under moon and stars
In brambly wildernesses;
I linger by my shingly bars;
I loiter round my cresses;
(a) What time of day has been discussed in these lines?
(b) How do we know that the waterbody is moving slowly?
(c) What type of sound does the brook create?
(d) Mention an example of poetic license in these lines.
Ans. (a) It is night time that has been discussed here.
(b) Because the sound of pebbles in its bed is audible.
(c) The brook creates a soft and low sound during night time.
(d) ‘shingly’

A
S Short Answer Type Questions

1. The poem ‘The brook’ draws a parallel with human life. What is the parallel?
Ans. The parallel drawn is between the permanence of the brook and the temporary nature of man.
The poem also shows how life cannot move on and even keep as with the brook, which passes
different landscapes.
2. Describe the first part of the journey of the brook, till it reaches Philip’s farm.
Ans. In the first part of its journey, the brook moves away from its hidden source which is just a small
waterbody where birds nest. It courses down from high ground to a valley below.
 Literature Textbook 257
3. When the brook begins to chatter, what kind of area does it pass? Find three distinct elements
in the setting.
Ans. When the brook starts chattering, it passes through rocky area which disturbs the smooth flow of
the waters. The surface is covered with small waves and the river bed is filled with pebbles.
4. How do we know that the brook is turbulent during the middle of its course?
Ans. The brook is turbulent during the middle of its course because the bottom of the brook has pebbles
and ahead of it there are obstructions which force the brook to change its straight course into a
curved one, to bypass obstructions.
5. At what stage is the brook peaceful and calm?
Ans. The brook is peaceful and calm when it passes the countryside where there are settlements of
cottages with stretches of lawn and empty plots with stretches of grass, where its banks are filled
with forget-me-nots growing.
6. Describe the final stages of the brook’s journey.
Ans. In the final stages, the journey changes from a smooth flow into a patch of wilderness containing
overgrown bushes which slows the progress of its waters and crunches the pebbles in its bed.
7. Imagine you are a tourist who is taking tour along the side of the brook. Describe your journey
on a sunny day.
Ans. On a sunny day, as a tourist I saw that the ripples on the surface caught the flicker of sunlight
and seemed to have netted their brightness in the waves. The shallow waters were bright with
the sun’s rays.
8. Write a paragraph on the banks of the brook.
Ans. The brook has wild growth that becomes nesting grounds for birds. It has gassy patches filled
with forget-me-nots, when it goes through villages, an occasional sandy patch as well as brambly
patches and sandy stretches before it reaches the river.

A
L Long Answer Type Questions

1. As a reader of ‘The brook’ you feel the music created by the words used in it. Write a diary page
appreciating the musical side of the poem. [CBSE 2012]

Ans. 10 May 19XX, Monday

Dear Diary, 10:00 p.m.
Today we read a poem ‘The brook’. In it, the poet has personified the brook in such a way that
it speaks to us in the first person in a highly musical way, talking about sparkling, as if it were
a sizzling drink. Like a symphony, in parts of the course it hurries across the notes, rising to a
crescendo when it joins a river. Then there is a slowing down as it begins to chatter softly, singing
in sharps and trebles. The next moment the music about with an occasional note bubbling up,
though the tempo remains calm as if sailing across the water. The brook then passes through a
brambly stretch where the music changes sharply and in a grand finale the notes blend as the
brook merges with the river, leaving the listeners spellbound.
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2. Imagine the brook talked to you in the class. Write down the important lessons that you learnt
from the talk.
Ans. The
important lessons that I learnt are:
(a) The brook is permanent and not like the lives of men which passes after a few years.
(b) The brook goes through different stages, in life just as we.
(c) We must enjoy the good and the difficult sides of life as did the brook.
(d) The brook teaches us to find a way out of difficulties as it did, by changing its direction by
curving around an obstacle.
(e) We should never stop our journey of life in despair. We must not give up our fight till we
achieve our goal.
3. The brook is a delightful account of unspoilt. Write down five reasons why spoilt nature is
inspirational. You may use hints from the poem.
Ans. When men interfere with nature it becomes distorted. Unspoilt nature is full of variety as in case
with the brook’s journey which is so different at each step of its course. The brook teaches us the
best lessons in life by encouraging us to accept things as they are naturally, through the example
of unspoilt nature. Unspoilt nature teaches us that life has both smooth and rough times and
we must know how to live through them. Unspoilt nature shows the hands of its creator and no
human hand can ever make something as beautiful.
4. The poem ‘The Brook’ shows us that it is the simple and commonplace things of life that give us
happiness. Write down five reasons to prove it.
Ans. (a) The Brook talks about villages and small towns and farmlands creating an ideal pastoral
setting and interesting journey.
(b) The Brook appeals because of its natural layout.
(c) The Brook passes through scenes of great variety that human hands can only imitate and
thus makes us respect nature.
(d) The Brook is brimming with life forms such as fish, flowers, wild growth and grassy plot,
creating unity and harmony.
(e) We can visualize, through the journey that variety is the spice of life and nature can give us
variety.
5. The journey of the brook shows that in life we must accept both easy and difficult situations.
How did the brook manage to do so?
Ans. The brook is a shining example of the joys of adjustment to situations. When the brook met with
obstacle on its course, it simply took a curve and formed an alternate course, as we should do.
The brook never stopped and stagnated, but moved ahead. The brook found each part of its
journey delightful and did not grumble when its banks were filled with wild growth. The brook
joined the river full of energy instead of being tired and exhausted after its long journey.
6. What is the refrain of the poem? What does it tell us about our lives?
Ans. The refrain of the poem is that unlike men, the brook goes on its journey forever. It tells us
that our lives are not permanent fixtures, like the brook. It also tells us that like the brook we
must be prepared for a variety of aspects and not accept a routine existence. It tells us that we
cannot get pleasure if we have expensive tastes. We must remember that life is a journey and
that it will end one day but we must live to the best of our ability.