Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kanker
Class - IX
Session-2024-25
Title-The Brook
Subject - English
Submitted by - Priya Sahu
Submitted to - Dr. Shweta Patidar
CERTIFICATE
This is certify that Priya Sahu, a student
of Class IX, has successfully completed
the project on the below mentioned
topic under the guidance of Dr.
Shweta(PGT English)
ACKNOWLEDGEMEN
T
• I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have helped
me complete this project.
• Firstly, I would like to thank my subject teacher Dr. Shweta Patidar
for providing guidance and encouragement throughout this
endeavor. Without your patience and support, this project would
not have been possible.
• I would also like to extend my appreciation to our school principal
Mr. Raju Goswami for promoting innovation and creativity among
students. Thank you for giving us to opportunity to showcase our
skills through project like these
• In addition, I must acknowledge my parents for their unconditional
love and for being my pillars of strength. Thank you for always
motivating me to give my best in everything I pursue. I would not
have been able to complete this project successfully without your
...INDEX...
• The Brook
• Introduction
• About the poet
• Poem Explanation
• Rhyming Scheme
• Literary Devices
• Conclusion
Poetry
THE BROOK
INTRODUCTIO
N
"The Brook," a poem by Alfred Lord
Tennyson, is a lyrical and evocative
composition that takes readers on a
captivating journey through the
course of a brook. The poem's vivid
imagery and profound symbolism
explore transience, resilience, and the
circle of life.
About the Poet
Lord Tennyson(1809-92) was born hi Lincolnshire.
Poet Laureate for over 40 years, Tennyson is
representative of the Victorian age. His skilled
craftsmanship and noble ideals retained a large
audience for poetry in an age when the novel was
engrossing more and more readers. Tennyson's real
contribution lies in his shorter poems like The lady
Shallot, The Princess, Ulysses,The Palace of Art etc.
His fame rests on his perfect control of sound, the
synthesis of sounds , the sound and meaning, and the
union of visual and musical
Born - 6 August 1809
Died - 6 October 1892
THE BROOK
I come from haunts of coot and hern;
I make a suddenly sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley
The poet writes that the brook comes from a place
which is frequently visited by coots, herns, and
various other kinds of water birds. The brook
suddenly emerges among the fern plants. It then
flows down a valley and it makes a lot of noise while
doing so.
By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slips between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges
The brook flows through thirty hills and
slips down the path where two hills meet.
It passes through around twenty villages, a
little town, and half a hundred or fifty
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.
The place through which the brook flows down and
joins the overflowing river is Philip’s farm. The brook
sees that the people working in the farm change
with time but, the brook itself remains the same and
continues flowing. This is a contrast between human
and nature, and how humans are mortals who die at
some point of life but the brook, which continues
flowing, will never stop flowing.
I chatter over stony ways,
In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays
I babble on the pebbles
The brook makes a series of short, quick high-pitched sounds
when it splashes and flows down rocky pathways. One can
see bubbles and high-pitched tunes coming from the brook
when it flows down into bays. It flows down into the bays in
a spiral manner, which results in bubbles, sharps and trebles.
One can hear the sound of babbling when the brooks down
a path full of pebbles, meaning that it sounds like multiple
people are talking gaily.
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
When the pathway is curvy, the brook
flows down in small waves. It flows down
fields, uncultivated land, forelands, and
lands filled with willow-weed and mallow
in the same manner.
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.
The poet repeats that the brook makes a series of
short, quick, high-pitched sounds as it makes its way
to its destination, which is the overflowing river. It
reminds us of the contrasting nature of humans and
nature, and how the brook continues flowing and will
flow forever but humans, who are mortals, will die
someday.
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
The brook moves in a spiral manner. It helps
the plants mature in a healthy way by
supplying them with sufficient amount of
water, hence its sail or journey helps in the
blossom of other elements of nature. It also
gives life to aquatic animals like lusty trout,
grayling and other freshwater fish.
And here and there a foamy flake
Upon me, as I travel
With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel,
The poet describes that along with plants and animals,
something else is present in the brook when it’s about to join
the overflowing or brimming river. Due to the fast speed with
which the brook travels, the water accumulates and turns
into foam. This foam is present on the surface of the brook
and it travels on top of the brook. Even when there are
irregularities present on the bottom and the water is broken
into small waves, the foam remains on top of the water. The
waterbreaks, which are situated above the golden-coloured
sandy surface of earth, do not disturb the shine of the water.
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.
The brook carries the foam and also
sometimes the freshwater fish, and it joins
the overflowing river. Again, the poet
repeats that the brook will continue
flowing into the river and giving life to
aquatic animals, whereas the humans will
die someday.
I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.
The brook flows through lawns and land full of grass
quietly. It passes through hazel trees and bushes in a
manner that makes it look like the brook is sliding. It
flows through a type of flower named forget-me-nots,
and provides water to it. This leads to the healthy
growth of the flowers, which are eventually plucked to
enrich the love between two happy lovers. Hence, in
this stanza, we see how the brook enriches not only
plants, trees, bushes, and animals, but also the love
among human beings.
I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.
The brook moves with a smooth sliding motion. It travels through some
gloomy or dark looking places, and it changes its direction when it hits
some rocks. Many birds, who feed on fish, dive into the brook and
remove the fish from the surface of the brook. When the sunlight
passes through the trees and falls on the brook’s surface, a pattern of
net is formed on the water. The continuous flow of the water in the
brook makes the netted sunbeam dance, meaning that the wavering of
the brook results in a blurry image of the netted sunlight, which is really
hard to capture as it disappears and then appears too quickly. The
sunbeam brightens up a part of the depth of the brook which is the
sandy shallows, the part of the base of the brook which is not too deep
and is covered with sand.
I murmur under moon and stars
In brambly wildernesses;
I linger by my shingly bars;
I loiter round my cresses;
When it is nighttime, that is, the brook is flowing under the
moon and the infinite number of stars, it sounds like a group
of people are talking to one another in a soft voice and low
volume. This is the murmuring sound that the brook makes
during the night. When the brook enters an uncultivated and
uninhabited region (a region where the weeds and the
undergrowth is not maintained and hence it is brambly, and
where no animal resides), the brook stays at the ridges and
the sandy shallow for some time. Hence there is accumulation
of water in those places. The brook becomes stagnant when it
comes in contact with pungent leaved plants like cabbage
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.
Although the brook is said to be stuck at one place when it
gets accumulated in the ridges, sandy shallows and around
cresses, the water eventually starts flowing again in a curved
manner. It then joins the overflowing river. Due to the whole
process of the brook becoming stagnant at one point but
immediately starting to flow again is in contrast with the
permanent stagnant nature of humans. The brook is a
continuous water body and it does not stop even after
encountering several obstacles. Hence the brook cannot be
stopped. However, we humans have a limited life span and
we can be stopped by death.
Rhyming Scheme: abab
Literary Devices
• Personification: A non human object or an
animal is given abilities to behave like a human.
Like they speak, feel, see, hear. Here the brook
has been personified. It is present throughout
the poem.
• Alliteration: Repetition of a consonant sound
in the beginning of two or more consecutive
words. Like sudden sally, men may, with willow
weed.
• Repetation: Any word or sentence may be
repeated in the same stanza or in the poem to
emphasize or create rhyming effect.
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.
• Inversion: The structure of a sentence is
reversed. The object is placed before the
subject to lay emphasis and create distinction.
By thirty hills I hurry down
• Onomatopoeia: Use of sound words to create
dramatic effect. Like chatter, babble, murmur.
• Anaphora: The same word is repeated at the
start of consecutive sentences. Like I bubble
into….. I babble on…….
• Antithesis: Words which contrast or have
opposite meanings are used. Like come go, in
out.
• Asyndeton: It is a style of writing in which
conjunctions are not used in the sentence.
Like I slip, I slide, I gloom…….
Conclusion
The poem opens with the brook's youthful beginnings as
it emerges from the hills, bubbling with energy and
playfulness. It dances over pebbles, creating ripples that
reflect the sunlight, establishing a sense of joy and vitality.
As the brook meanders through meadows adorned with
vibrant wildflowers, readers are transported to a
picturesque landscape where nature flourishes in all its
glory. The gentle caress of the brook's waters upon the
grasses symbolizes its tender connection with the
environment.
Moving through woods and encountering chirping
birds, the brook's journey is serene and melodic. The
interplay of sunbeams filtering through the trees casts
a graceful ambiance, inviting readers to immerse
themselves in the tranquil symphony of nature. The
brook's relentless flow is likened to a flight of arrows,
navigating through narrow passages and overcoming
obstacles with determination and grace. It becomes a
testament to resilience and a source of inspiration for
readers to persist in facing challenges.
Finally, the brook merges with a mighty river, marking
the culmination of its journey and the union of waters.
This merging symbolizes the interconnectedness of all
living things and the realization that individual
experiences contribute to a greater whole. Through
the brook's journey, readers are encouraged to reflect
upon life's transient nature and embrace every
moment's beauty and significance.
The poem "The Brook" offers proof of Tennyson's
lyrical brilliance, his capacity to meld vivid imagery,
and his investigation of timelessly relevant issues. It
allows readers to marvel at the beauty of nature,
take comfort in its melodies, and consider the
hidden deeper meanings. We are urged to consider
our travels, practice resilience, and acknowledge
the interdependence of all life as we set off on this
poetry adventure.
Bibliography
• From English Text Book
•
https://www.successcds.net/learn-eng
lish/class-9/literature-reader/the-broo
k
•
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred,_Lor
d_Tennyson
