“Orpheus with his lute”

Line-by-line Meaning & Explanation

1. “Orpheus with his lute made trees,”
Orpheus, the legendary musician with his lute (a musical instrument), could even
make trees respond to his music.
(Meaning: His music had magical power over nature.)
2. “And the mountain tops that freeze,”
Even the cold, frozen mountaintops seemed to bow in response to his song.
(Meaning: His music softened even the hardest and stillest things.)
3. “Bow themselves, when he did sing:”
The mountains themselves seemed to bend down, as if in respect, whenever he
sang.
4. “To his music plants and flowers”
Plants and flowers bloomed in response to his music.
5. “Ever sprung; as sun and showers”
His music made plants and flowers spring up as naturally as sunlight and rain help
them grow.
6. “There had made a lasting spring.”
His music created an eternal springtime, full of beauty and life.
7. “Everything that heard him play,”
Every creature or thing that heard his music…
8. “Even the billows of the sea,”
Even the waves of the sea (normally restless) listened to him.
9. “Hung their heads, and then lay by.”
The waves grew calm, stopped moving, and seemed to bow in silence.
10. “In sweet music is such art,”
Music has such powerful and magical art in it…
11. “Killing care and grief of heart”
That it can remove worries and grief from the human heart.
12. “Fall asleep, or hearing, die.”
Sadness and care either fall asleep (become inactive) or die completely when
sweet music is heard.

Theme
• Power of Music – Music can move not just human beings but also nature itself.
• Harmony between Nature and Art – Music creates unity and peace in the world.
• Healing Power of Music – Music soothes grief, eases sorrow, and brings joy.
• Orpheus as a Symbol of Artistic Genius – His mythical gift shows how true art is
eternal and divine.
Summary
The poem praises the mythical musician Orpheus, whose lute-playing was so enchanting that
even trees, mountains, flowers, and the sea responded to it. His music created eternal spring
and harmony in nature. Shakespeare then extends this idea to music in general, suggesting
that music has the power to calm sorrow, remove grief, and bring peace to the human heart.

Literary Devices
1. Allusion – Reference to Orpheus, the mythical musician from Greek mythology.
2. Imagery – Vivid description of nature (trees, mountains, flowers, sea waves).
3. Personification – Nature is given human qualities (mountains bow, sea waves hang
their heads).
4. Hyperbole – Exaggeration of music’s power (making spring eternal, calming the
sea).
5. Alliteration – Repetition of consonant sounds (e.g., fall asleep; flowers / freeze).
6. Symbolism – Orpheus symbolizes the ultimate power of art and music.
7. Rhyming couplets – The poem follows a rhyme scheme (aabbcc...).

Important Vocabulary with Synonyms

• Lute – a stringed musical instrument (like a guitar).
• Freeze – become still, unmoving; synonyms: stiffen, harden.
• Bow themselves – bend down in respect; synonyms: submit, lower.
• Sprung – grew, emerged; synonyms: bloom, arise.
• Billows – large sea waves; synonyms: surges, swells.
• Lay by – became still, rested; synonyms: paused, stopped.
• Art – skill, craft; synonyms: talent, mastery.
• Grief of heart – deep sorrow; synonyms: sadness, anguish.

1. On which elements of nature does Orpheus's music have an effect? How does it affect
them?

• Orpheus’s music affects trees, mountain tops, plants, flowers, and even the waves
of the sea.
• His music makes trees and mountains bow down, plants and flowers bloom, and
the sea waves calm down and become still.

2. Ever sprung; as sun and showers / There had made a lasting spring. How does the poem
use different meanings of the word 'spring' here?

• The word “spring” has two meanings:

 1. Spring season – when flowers bloom and nature becomes green.
2. To spring (verb) – to rise, grow, or leap suddenly.
• In the poem, Orpheus’s music makes plants spring up (grow quickly), and it creates
an effect as if there was eternal spring season.

3. The mountain tops Bow themselves while the sea waves Hung their heads, and then lay by.
Which of these can really be seen? Explain.

• In reality, sea waves calming down and becoming still can be seen.
• But mountains bowing down is imaginary and magical because mountains are
fixed and cannot move.

4. This poem talks about different effects of music. Which of these are magical and which of
these can be observed in real life?

• Magical effects: Trees and mountains bowing, flowers blooming instantly, waves of
the sea bowing their heads.
• Real-life effects: Music calming the mind, reducing worries and grief, making people
peaceful and happy.

5. The two stanzas of the poem describe two different kinds of effect that music has.
Underline the correct difference.

✅ The correct answer is:

(b) The first stanza describes movement and liveliness ('bow', 'sprung') while the second
stanza describes a calming effect ('lay by', 'fall asleep').

Orpheus with his Lute – Extra Questions

A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

(Each carries 1 mark)

1. Who is the central figure in the poem?

a) Apollo
b) Orpheus ✅
c) Hermes
d) Dionysus
2. What instrument does Orpheus play?
a) Flute
b) Harp
 c) Lute ✅
d) Violin
3. What effect did Orpheus’s music have on trees?
a) They shed leaves
b) They bowed ✅
c) They withered
d) They danced
4. What did the mountain tops do when Orpheus sang?
a) Shook violently
b) Bowed ✅
c) Crumbled
d) Froze more
5. Which natural elements are mentioned as responding to Orpheus’s music?
a) Trees, flowers, seas ✅
b) Fire, sky, thunder
c) Sand, stars, rivers
d) Birds, animals, wind
6. The poem compares Orpheus’s music to ________.
a) Winter storm
b) Sun and showers ✅
c) Desert wind
d) Thunder
7. “Ever sprung” suggests that plants and flowers…
a) Died forever
b) Kept blooming ✅
c) Stopped growing
d) Fell asleep
8. What does “lasting spring” symbolize?
a) Endless winter
b) Eternal youth and freshness ✅
c) Stormy weather
d) Death
9. What effect did Orpheus’s music have on the sea?
a) Made waves rise higher
b) Made waves hang their heads and rest ✅
c) Created a storm
d) Turned the water into ice
10. The poem suggests that music has the power to:
a) Create noise
b) Kill care and grief ✅
c) Bring war
d) Destroy nature
11. “Hung their heads” refers to:
a) People bowing
b) Waves calming down ✅
c) Trees falling
d) Animals sleeping
12. Which of the following literary devices is seen in “sun and showers”?
a) Personification
 b) Alliteration
c) Imagery ✅
d) Irony
13. Orpheus’s music could even affect the:
a) Stars
b) Billows of the sea ✅
c) Clouds
d) Sunlight
14. “Killing care and grief of heart” means:
a) Music increases pain
b) Music makes sadness disappear ✅
c) Music kills people
d) Music is boring
15. The effect of Orpheus’s music on emotions was:
a) Violent
b) Calming ✅
c) Aggressive
d) Bitter
16. The poem suggests music is a form of:
a) Noise
b) Magic ✅
c) Silence
d) Trick
17. Which stanza shows a calming effect of music?
a) First
b) Second ✅
c) Both
d) None
18. “Orpheus with his lute made trees” – here ‘made’ means:
a) Forced to grow
b) Caused them to bow ✅
c) Ordered them to dance
d) Made them fall
19. What does “fall asleep, or hearing, die” suggest?
a) Music brings rest or peace ✅
b) Music is dangerous
c) Music makes people deaf
d) Music kills plants
20. The poem mainly highlights:
a) Power of dance
b) Power of music ✅
c) Power of magic tricks
d) Power of silence

B. Short Questions (2 Marks)

 1. Who was Orpheus?
Ans: Orpheus was a legendary Greek musician and poet whose music had magical
powers to move nature.
2. What instrument did Orpheus play?
Ans: He played the lute.
3. What happened when Orpheus played his lute?
Ans: Trees bowed, mountains bent, flowers bloomed, and even the sea calmed.
4. How did music affect trees?
Ans: It made them bow as if showing respect.
5. What did mountains do when Orpheus sang?
Ans: They bowed themselves.
6. How did music affect plants and flowers?
Ans: They bloomed continuously, creating an everlasting spring.
7. What does “lasting spring” mean?
Ans: It means eternal freshness, youth, and beauty.
8. What happened to the waves of the sea?
Ans: They hung their heads and became calm.
9. Which emotions did music affect?
Ans: It removed care, sorrow, and grief.
10. What does “Killing care and grief of heart” mean?
Ans: Music has the power to heal sadness and worries.
11. What is compared to sun and showers?
Ans: The blooming of plants and flowers due to Orpheus’s music.
12. Which stanza describes magical effects?
Ans: The first stanza.
13. Which stanza describes real-life effects of music?
Ans: The second stanza.
14. What is the theme of the poem?
Ans: The magical and healing power of music.
15. How is nature personified in the poem?
Ans: Trees, mountains, and sea waves are shown as bowing and responding like
humans.
16. What art is hidden in sweet music?
Ans: The art of calming sorrows and bringing peace.
17. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans: aabbcc.
18. What literary device is used in “billows of the sea hung their heads”?
Ans: Personification.
19. Why does the poet refer to “fall asleep”?
Ans: To show that music can soothe people into peace and rest.
20. What is the message of the poem?
Ans: Music is a divine force that brings harmony, calmness, and joy.

C. True or False
1. Orpheus played the flute. ❌ (False – he played the lute)
2. The trees bowed when Orpheus sang. ✅ (True)
 3. The sea became stormy due to his music. ❌
4. Flowers bloomed like it was always spring. ✅
5. Mountains stood tall and rigid when he played. ❌
6. Orpheus’s music created lasting spring. ✅
7. Music increased grief in the heart. ❌
8. Waves of the sea became calm and quiet. ✅
9. The poem describes only magical effects. ❌
10. The second stanza shows the calming effect of music. ✅
11. “Ever sprung” means flowers died. ❌
12. Orpheus’s music is compared to sun and showers. ✅
13. Music has the power to kill sadness. ✅
14. Orpheus was a Roman god. ❌
15. “Hung their heads” refers to sea waves calming down. ✅
16. The poem has six lines in each stanza. ✅
17. Music is described as a form of art. ✅
18. The rhyme scheme is ababcc. ❌
19. Orpheus’s music affected both nature and human emotions. ✅
20. The poem glorifies the power of magic tricks. ❌

D. Complete the Sentences

1. Orpheus with his lute made ________.
Ans: trees bow.
2. The mountain tops that freeze ________.
Ans: bowed themselves when he did sing.
3. To his music plants and flowers ________.
Ans: ever sprung.
4. As sun and showers, there had made ________.
Ans: a lasting spring.
5. Everything that heard him play ________.
Ans: responded to his music.
6. Even the billows of the sea ________.
Ans: hung their heads.
7. In sweet music is such art that ________.
Ans: grief of heart falls asleep.
8. Orpheus’s music could make nature ________.
Ans: move and respond.
9. The waves of the sea ________.
Ans: lay by calmly.
10. Music has the power to kill ________.
Ans: care and grief.
11. “Ever sprung” means that flowers ________.
Ans: bloomed endlessly.
12. The first stanza talks about ________.
Ans: magical effects of music.
13. The second stanza shows ________.
Ans: real calming effects of music.
14. Orpheus was famous for his ________.
Ans: magical music.
15. “Lasting spring” symbolizes ________.
Ans: eternal youth and joy.
16. Mountains bowed themselves as if ________.
Ans: paying respect.
17. The poem shows that music can heal ________.
Ans: the human heart.
18. Orpheus could calm even the ________.
Ans: waves of the sea.
19. The art of music lies in its power to ________.
Ans: soothe and inspire.
20. Shakespeare highlights the ________ power of music.
Ans: magical and healing.