Prepared By:- Vicky Chatterjee

Class- 11M
Subject Teacher:- Sunil Sir
About the Poet

Introduction

Summary

Critical Appreciation

Glossary
About the Poet
Edward James Hughes, popularly
known as Ted Hughes was one of
the most well-known literary figures
in the 20th century. He served as the
Poet Laureate of the United
Kingdom from 1984-1998. He was
also the husband of an equally
renowned poet and author, Sylvia
Plath.
His love for nature and animals permeates
most of his works. In poems such as ‘The
Laburnum Top’ one can see how closely and
intricately he observed his surroundings.
 INTRODUCTION
The Poem The Laburnum Top" is a beautiful poem by
Ted Hughes. In this poem, the poet has used the
Laburnum tree and goldfinches as a symbol of life and
its fluctuations. He describes the visiting of goldfinches
on the Laburnum tree and how she has made a nest on
it. When the goldfinches have chicks, it brings alive the
tree as the chicks start to rustle and chirp. Hughes is
trying to convey the message that life is a process of
exchange and transformation. People are alive because
they undergo exchange of energy. The goldfinches
transform the tree and make it alive, without the
goldfinches and the chicks the laburnum is just another
tree.
Lines 1 – 3
In the first stanza, the poet says that he saw a Laburnum Tree (with its yellow flowers).
In his words, “The Laburnum top is silent”. The tree is still and looks dead-like in the
day time of September. Even the sunlight is also yellow. As it is the time of autumn, the
leaves of the tree have turned yellow and its seeds have fallen off it.
In this stanza, the poet uses the image “yellow” colour repeatedly. First the tree’s flowers
are yellow, then its leaves have also turned yellow and the sunlight is also yellow.
Lines 1 - 3 continued….
The yellow color symbolises beauty (because of flowers, which, though
have fallen off in the form of seeds), death (because of yellow leaves) as
well as silence (day time without rain or wind). In the whole stanza, the
poet is trying to describe the miserable condition of the Laburnum Tree
which is silent, dying and without seeds (useless).
 Lines 4 – 8
The death-like scene however changes as soon as the goldfinch
comes with a twitching chirrup. Goldfinch is a bright yellow
coloured bird. Twitching chirrup means “short chirping sounds”.
The poet uses similes comparing the bird’s movement to that of a
lizard to describe the alertness and abrupt movements of the bird.
The poet uses onomatopoeia to bring the poem alive. In line 8,
word like chitterings and trillings are onomatopoeic words. He
has also used the phrase “tremor of wings” to make the poem
three dimensional by adding movements to it. The tree comes
alive with all that is happening in it.
Lines 9 – 12

Now the whole tree trembles and thrills because of the mother bird

and her young ones. The poet probably wants us to feel how a dead-
like tree becomes alive because it has given space to the bird and her
young ones. The birds have gotten shelter and the tree in return has
got life.
 Lines 9 – 12 continued …..

The goldfinch is thus the engine of her family which includes

the Laburnum tree as well. According to the poet it fills them
with fuel i.e. it gives food to the young ones and thrill to the
tree. Having done that, she again flies to a branch-end. Only
her dark- coloured striped face is visible as it is yellow and
hence becomes invisible in the yellow leaves of the tree.
 Lines 13 – 15

Reaching the branch -end of

the tree, it makes strange but
sweet chirping sounds and
then begins his journey
 towards the infinite  i.e.
the sky and the Laburnum
Tree again becomes silent
and dead-like.
 Critical Appreciation

 A poem of fifteen lines that is rich in imagery.

 The poet is the narrator who observes the tree and the bird
from afar.
 Hughes successfully gives a vivid pen- picture of the tree and
the activities that surround it through the usage of poetic devices.
 The poem has been written in blank verse. This means that each
of the lines have a regular meter but they will not rhyme with
each other.
Simile

Simile is a poetic device wherein we directly compare two seemingly

incomparable ideas. In this poem, the poet has compared the movements
of the goldfinch with that of a lizard.

Metaphor

A metaphor is used to indirectly compare two unlikely or incomparable

ideas or objects. The poet makes use of metaphors ideas or objects. The
poet makes use of metaphors when he refers to the tree as “the engine”
of the goldfinch’s family. He also compares the nest of the goldfinch
with her chicks to a machine as her arrival brings life to the tree.
Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a poetic device

wherein the poet uses words
representing sounds. The
laburnum top has many such
sound- words. For instance,
“twitching chirrup”,
“chitterings”, “trillings”,
“whistle- chirrup whisperings”,
etc. These words add sounds to
the poem and make it more
realistic.
 GLOSSAR
Y
Laburnum: The Golden Chain tree - A commonly Sleek: Smooth - In the context of the poem, it could
found tree with golden flowers that hang in bunches  imply a quick movement without much disruption. 
Goldfinch: Wild canary - A small, yellow bird - The Abrupt: Sudden or unexpected 
male of the species has black markings across the Chittering: An onomatopoeic word capturing bird
face, on the wings and tail.  sounds 
Twitch: Small, often involuntary movement of a body Tremor: Shiver - shake 
part  Trillings: Singing repeatedly - In the context of the
Chirrup: An onomatopoeic word capturing the sound poem, an onomatopoeic word, capturing bird sounds 
made by a bird  Stokes: Adds fuel - In the context of the poem, the
Startlement: Amazement - a sudden unexpected goldfinch feeds its family, providing the fuel
action which causes surprise (nutrition) that the machine (the bird's family) needs
to be energetic 
Flirts: In the context of the poem, move abruptly or
jerkily with light steps 
Eerie: Strange in a frightening or mysterious way 
Infinite: In the context of the poem, the sky 
Launches: In the context of the poem, flies 
Subsides: Returns, reduces in intensity