The Brook question answers: Hello guys here you get the previous year's paper question the Brook poem summary or critical analysis and question answers, ncert solution of class 12 ahsec Assam Board alternative English vibgyor book. Also, get a short summary of the poem Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson's video explanation in Hindi. All comprehension, extra, and textual question answers of this poem are given here.
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The brook summary
The poem "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson is one of the most rhythmic and picturesque poems in English. In the poem, the poet traces the journey of the brook or stream as it rushes down from the remote hills to join the overflowing river in the valley below.
The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coots and herons. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges, and passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little town. Its chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside, it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling.
In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone, pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. The forces of the current push all that comes it's way from the flower to sand particles, gravel, and stones. It moves by lawns, grassy lands, hazel bushes, and those forget-me-nots that grow for lovers to cherish. The brook passes by the skimming swallows looking for insects and it dances majestically in the sunlight as it flows past its shallow sandy bank. The brook flows through the thorny shrubs amidst the wilderness, pebbles, and plants like watercress creating a soft and low sound in the silence of night under the moonlight and stars. Finally, it joins the brimming river - the final destination.
The poet, through a series of sound images and onomatopoeic words, describes the movement of the brook and brings out certain universal truths which form the central idea of the poem: that human life is transitory, but the nature is eternal; that there is an end to every form of life, but the brook, a representation of nature, is everlasting. This idea is expressed in the line which forms the refrain of the poem -
"For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever".
The brook poem question and answers
A. Answer the following questions in one or two words
1. Where does the brook come from? (2019)
Ans: The brook comes from the dwelling places of water birds like coots and herons.
2. Whom does the brook want to join at the end of its journey? (2020)
Ans: The brook wants to join the overflowing river at the end of its journey.
3. What are the flowers that grow near the brook?
Ans: The sweet forget-me-nots, the bright blue flowers grow near the brook.
4. Mention the name of the bird that flies above the brook? (2020, 22)
Ans: The swallow, a swift-flying songbird, lies above the brook.
5. Where was the poet born?
Ans: The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson was born in Lincolnshire, England.
B. Answer the following questions in a few words.
1. What does the brook do as it flows down? (2019)
Ans: The brook comes out from the dwelling places of water birds like coots and herons. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns. It bickers down a valley, slips between the ridges of hills, chatters aloud, bubbles, and babbles. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by the hazels moves aside the forget-me-nots, slips, glooms, glances, and murmurs under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.
2. Mention some of the words relating to sound scattered throughout the poem.
Ans: The words relating to sound scattered throughout the poem 'The Brook' are - bicker, chatter, sharps and trebles, bubbles, babble, and murmur.
3. Mention some words relating to movement in the poem.
Ans: Words relating to movement in the poem 'The Brook' are - sally, sparkle, slip, flow, eddying, wind, loiter, linger, dance, skimming, slide, gloom, glance, move, steal, draw, travel, sailing, come and go.
4. What does the brook represent? Human life or nature.
Ans: In the poem, the brook represents nature. The brook, through its activities, shows that human life is temporary but nature is eternal. In human life, there is an end to every life but the brook having no end keeps on flowing ever and ever.
5. Explain the line " I murmur under moon and stars/In the brambly wilderness".
Ans: The lines refer to the movement of the brook. The brook flows through the thorny shrubs amidst the wilderness creating a soft and low sound in the silence of the night under the moonlight and stars.
C. Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
1. Quote the refrain of the poem 'The Brook'. Explain it briefly.
Ans: In a poem or song, the refrain is that part which repeated several times. The refrains in the poem 'The Brook' is -
"For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever".
This refrain is replete with deep thought. It is a constant reminder to the readers that human life is temporary/transitory whereas nature, represented by the brook, is permanent/eternal. The refrain further highlights the central idea of the poem and maintains its unity.
2. Which lines in the poem compare the brook to a human being?
Ans: The comparison is brought in the refrain -
"For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever".
These lines bring an effective contrast between the transient nature of humans and the eternal flow of nature, represented by the brook.
3. Describe in brief the journey of the brook in the early part of the poem. (2017, 20)
Ans: The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coots and herons. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little town. It chatters on its stony path and babbles with gurgling laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an overflowing river.
D. Give suitable answers to the following.
1. Discuss in brief the beauty of nature as described by the poet in the poem.
Ans: The poet Lord Tennyson in his poem 'The Brook' describes the beauty of nature at its best as he traces the journey of the brook rushing down from the remote hills to join the overflowing river in the valley below.
The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coots and herons. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little town. Its chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside, it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling.
In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone, pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by the hazels moves aside the forget-me-nots, slips, glooms, glances, and murmurs under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.
Thus all throughout the poem, the poet has depicted the beauty of nature in a picturesque and vivid way.
2. How does the poet convey the central idea of the poem through the journey? (2018)
Ans: In the poem 'The Brook' the poet Lord Tennyson, describes the journey of the brook and brings out certain universal truths which form the central idea of the poem i.e. human life is temporary but nature is eternal.
The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coots and herons. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little town. Its chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside, it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling.
In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone, pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by the hazels moves aside the forget-me-nots, slips, glooms, glances, and murmurs under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.
This journey of the brook is a representation of nature as everlasting whereas human life is short-lived and transitory. This idea is clearly exhibited in the refrain of the poem -
"For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever".
Previous year's paper note
1. Who is the 'I' in the poem 'The Brook'? (2016)
Ans: The brook is the 'I' in the poem 'The Brook'.
2. Who does the brook rush down to join? (2016)
Ans: The brook rushes down to join the brimming river.
3. What are the fishes that inhabit the brook? (2016)
Ans: The trout and the grayling inhabit the brook.
4. What is the refrain in the poem, 'The Brook'? Bring out the profundity in it. (2016, 18, 19, 22)
Ans: The refrain in the poem is "For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever." The journey of the brook brings out certain universal truths which form the central idea of the poem. Human life is transitory but nature is eternal; there is an end to every form of life, but the brook, a representation of nature, is everlasting.
5. What bird skims over the brook? (2017)
Ans: Swallows skim over the brook.
6. What flowers grow by the brook for happy lovers? (2017, 19)
Ans: Forget-me-nots grow by the brook for happy lovers.
7. What is a brook? (2017)
Ans: A brook is a small stream.
8. Describe the journey of the brook till it reaches Philip's farm. (2017, 20)
Ans: See above Qno. 3 (C. Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.)
9. I chatter over stony ways, -
In little sharps and trebles.
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles. (2017, 20, 22)
Ans: These lines have been taken from the poem 'The Brook' composed by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The poet invokes the sounds and sights of the countryside as he follows the journey of the brook from the high hills down to the villages and towns. The brook slides over stony ways with a high-pitched sound and a lot of noise. The movement of the brook is sometimes forceful and strong and sometimes very leisurely. As it moves and glides in a spiral manner, it creates bubbles and makes a sound that resembles that of one talking gaily.
10. What are many forelands set within 'The Brook'? (2018)
Ans: The poet here refers to fragments of land foreland jutting out along the course of the brook. This foreland has many weeds, mallows, and other plants growing on it. When bright little colorful birds, butterflies, and insects perch on these weeds, the foreland looks almost magical as if alight with fairies. Thus the forelands have been referred to as fairyland here.
11. What is the purpose of the journey of the brook? (2018)
Ans: The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling places of aquatic birds. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little town. As the brook continues its excited and happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside, it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling.
In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone, pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. Finally, it joins the brimming river - the final destination which was its purpose.
12. Critically discuss the central idea of 'The Brook'. (2018)
Ans: See above Qno. 2 (D. Give suitable answers to the following.)
13. Where does the brook come from? (2019)
Ans: The brook comes from the dwelling places of water birds like coots and herons.
14. What does the brook do as it flows down? (2019)
Ans: See above Qno. 1 (B. Answer the following questions in a few words.)
15. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallowness;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows. (2019)
Ans: These lines are taken from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Brook".
In the present context, Tennyson a keen observer of nature personifies a rocky stream when he describes its crisscross journey. The brook rushes down from the remote hills to join the overflowing river in the valley below. The brook moves forward doing a variety of movements during its journey. It slips, slides, and moves through the darkness. The swallow birds skim on the surface of the water for food. In the course of a journey, waves of the brook create a net-like structure on which the sunshine sparkle. It looks as if the rays of the sun are dancing on its surface.
16. Whom does the brook want to join at the end of its journey? (2020)
Ans: The brook wants to join the overflowing river at the end of its journey.
17. Name the birds that fly above the brook. (2020, 22)
Ans: The swallow, a swift-flying songbird, lies above the brook.
18. What does the brook represent? (2020).
Ans: The brook represents nature that it is permanent while the life of human beings is impermanent.
19. How many hills do the brook run past? (2022)
Ans: Thirty hills the brook run past.
20. What is meant by "shingly bars"? (2022)
Ans: In this poem, shingly bars refer to accumulated masses of small pebbles.
Extra questions and answers
1. What makes the brook sparkle?
Ans: The brook sparkles because the rays which come from the sun fall on its watery surface. This surface reflects the sunlight and creates a sparkling effect.
2. What does coot and hern mean?
Ans: 'Coot' means a small waterbird and 'hern' means freshwater and coastal birds with long-legged.
3. Who is I referred to in the poem The Brook?
Ans: Here 'I' is referred to the brook in the poem brook because the poet made the brook as the speaker of the poem.
4. What does the brook take along with itself?
Ans: The brook takes many things along with a journey like a blossom(flower), lusty trout(fish), grayling(fish), etc.
5. What flowers does the brook for happy lovers?
Ans: Forget-me-not is the flower in the brook that grows for happy lovers.
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5. On not being a philosopher notes
6. Sita notes
7. The brook notes
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