THE LABURNUM TOP

-Ted Hughes
I. Think it out
1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
Ans: At the beginning and the ending of the poem, the laburnum tree was standing still and
silent just like death-like.
2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?
Ans: The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of the lizard because she was abrupt,
sleek and alert. The same movements were observed when she arrived at the tree and moved
to the thickness side of the branch to feed her young ones.
3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?
Ans: As the engine is the source to run the machine. The bird is compared to the engine as
she is the feeder of her family. As a machine cannot work without an engine, her family
cannot last without her.
4. What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean?
Ans: The phrase “her barred face identity mask” means that the bird’s face became her
identity and symbol of recognition. The laburnum tree has flowers that fall like bars and
when the bird sits behind the flowers the shadow on her face looks like she is wearing a mask
that has bars on it. So, barred – is actually an adjective for the flowers and has been
transferred from there and applied to the bird.
II Detail:
1.Justify the title The Laburnum Top.
The Simple title of the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’ is able to pack a wealth of meaning
dealing with the subject that takes center stage in the poem.
The poem written by Ted Hughes, describes a simple scene – a Laburnum top in autumn with
yellowing leaves and fallen seeds, representing death and decay before the arrival of a gold
finch and her family brings life and vigor to the tree but only temporarily. In the end, the bird
flies away and the tree reverts to its earlier, quiet state depicting the transience of natural
beauty. The tree is specifically chosen to be a laburnum as by nature it has yellow flowers and
poisonous seeds emphasizing decay and absence of life.
By using the title ‘The Laburnum Top’ the poet further extends the metaphor of the poem to a
home or a mother’s care. The goldfinch vitalizes the tree with her presence and affection for
the young ones celebrating the themes of motherhood, love in nature but, in the end it is the
laburnum top that will be remembered as it becomes a symbol of change, nurturing, and the
cycle of life, making the title appropriate.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE
Short Answer Type Questions to be answered in 40-50 words. Questions should elicit
inferential responses through critical thinking.
Q.1‘She launches away, towards the infinite’. Explain the given line.
Answer: ‘She’ stands for the goldfinch whose arrival on the tree has suddenly transformed it
into a noisy place. After having fed her young ones and having made the tree active and full
of life, the goldfinch flies away towards the infinitely vast sky.
Q.2 Why has the poem been named ‘The Laburnum Top’?
Answer: The poem has been named ‘The Laburnum Top’ because the top of the tree has been
described in detail by the poet and the second part is a vivid description of the transformation
that the tree undergoes. The entire scenario revolves around the tree.
Q.3 To what is the movement of the goldfinch compared? What is the basis for the
comparison?
Answer: The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of a lizard. The basis of the
comparison is the sleek, abrupt, and alert movements of a lizard. The same kinds of
movements are observed when the goldfinch arrives on the laburnum tree.
Q.4 What does the phrase ‘her barred face identity mask’ means?
Answer: This is an example of the poetic device – transferred epithet. The laburnum tree has
flowers that fall like bars and when the bird sits behind the flowers the shadow on her face
looks like she is wearing a mask that has bars on it. So, barred – is actually an adjective for
the flowers and has been transferred from there and applied to the bird.
Q.5 ‘It is the engine of her family; she strokes it full.’ Explain the significance of these
lines.
Answer: The goldfinch has been called the engine of her family. Just as the engine starts up
the machine, her arrival in the nest has suddenly started up the silent machine i.e. the young
ones have started chittering and making noise. The expression 'She stokes it full' means that
she has fed the young ones who now have the energy to become active and make noise.
LONG ANSWER TYPE
Long Answer Type Questions to be answered in 120-150 words. Questions can be based
on incident / theme/ passage/ extract/ event as reference points to assess extrapolation
beyond and across the text. The question will elicit analytical and evaluative response
from student.
Q.1 The arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum top brings about a change in the poem.
How do you interpret this change? Is change good or bad in life? Answer: At the start of the
poem, the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem is silent and still. There is hardly any activity
on it as the sunlight falls on it on a September afternoon. However, with the arrival of the
goldfinch, it suddenly becomes a place of feverish activity. The silence of the place is broken
by the twittering and chirruping of the chicks and the goldfinch.
I think that the change brought about by the arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum top is
good, as it breaks the monotony. The tree becomes alive and lively with the movement of the
goldfinch and the twittering’s and chirruping’s of the chicks.
Change can be good or bad in life depending on a situation. However, the fact is that change
is the only constant in life. So, even if a change is bad, we have to accept it and move on in
life.
Q.2 What values do you learn from the goldfinch in the poem ‘The ‘Laburnum Top?
Answer: The goldfinch has its nest on the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem, ‘The
Laburnum Top’. Her chicks stay in the nest while she (the mother goldfinch) keeps going out
at regular intervals to get food to feed her chicks. This shows her caring nature and highlights
the values of motherly care and affection of a mother towards her offspring.
The other aspect of the goldfinch that is captured in the poem is its movement. She arrives at
the Laburnum top in a sudden manner and is very much alert to her surroundings. The poet
has compared her movement with the sleek movement of a lizard. However, there is a reason
for her moving like this (in an alert and sudden manner). She is moving in this manner so as
to avoid getting noticed by any predator. She does not want any predator to know that her
chicks are resting in her nest on the Laburnum top as then the predators may kill them or
harm them. The values of safety and security for her offspring is highlighted in this act of the
goldfinch.
Q.4 Give a brief account of the sounds and movement of the goldfinch on the laburnum
top.
Answer: The goldfinch chirrups and suddenly settles on the end of a branch on the top of the
laburnum tree. Then quite suddenly and watchfully she enters the middle part of the tree. She
moves smoothly like a lizard. Then the tree is filled up with a series of short, quick, high
pitched chattering sounds, shaking of wings and quavering sound. The whole tree shakes
slightly and is excited. It seems as if a whole machine has started working. This thickness of
the tree houses the family of goldfinch and she stokes the engine of her family before leaving
the tree and flying off to the infinite. The laburnum top regains its silence and stillness.