AHSEC (ASSEB) Class 11 English Hornbill – Chapter 5 Solutions –The Laburnum Top | Assam Eduverse
Chapter Overview:
Assam Eduverse presents the summary and solutions of Class 11 English (AHSEC/ASSEB) – Hornbill, Chapter 5: The Laburnum Top by Ted Hughes. This chapter from the Class 11 Hornbill textbook is a vivid and reflective poem that explores nature, life, energy, and the impact of small creatures, making it essential for exam preparation with both summary and textbook solutions.
The poem The Laburnum Top describes a Laburnum tree, initially still and silent, until the arrival of a goldfinch. The bird brings the tree to life with her lively chitterings and trillings, which are compared to a machine springing into action. As the goldfinch feeds her young, she is described as the engine of her family, infusing energy and movement into the surroundings. When she departs, the tree falls silent once more, illustrating how a brief moment of life can transform a setting entirely. The poem captures the beauty of nature’s rhythms, vitality, and the interconnectedness of life in a simple yet profound manner.
Chapter 5: The Laburnum Top emphasizes the vitality of life, the wonders of nature, and the significance of even small beings. For Class 11 students (AHSEC/ASSEB), it provides a detailed summary and solutions to textbook questions, making it an engaging and insightful chapter in the Hornbill textbook.
AHSEC (ASSEB) Class 11 English Hornbill – Chapter 5: The Laburnum Top Solutions & Question Answers
📖 Summary of The Laburnum Top
Chapter 5 – Class 11 Hornbill
The poem describes a Laburnum tree that stands quiet and still until a goldfinch arrives, bringing it to life with her lively chitterings and trillings. Ted Hughes compares the bird’s sounds to a machine springing into action, emphasizing the sudden infusion of energy and motion. As she feeds her young, the goldfinch is portrayed as the engine of her family, her vitality transforming the tree and its surroundings.
The poem captures the contrast between stillness and motion, showing how a brief moment of life can dramatically alter a scene. Hughes reflects on the interconnectedness of life and the powerful impact of even the smallest creatures on nature’s rhythm. The imagery and sound in the poem emphasize both the beauty and the dynamism of the natural world.
Conclusion: Chapter 5 highlights the vitality of life, the wonders of nature, and the significance of even small creatures, leaving the reader with a profound appreciation for nature’s energy and harmony.
— From the book Hornbill
Find out
Q1. What laburnum is called in your language.
Answer: In Hindi, the Laburnum tree is often called ‘amaltas’.
Q2. Which local bird is like the goldfinch.
Answer: A bird like the goldfinch could be a sparrow or a bulbul, which are common and have a chirping, lively presence.
Think it out
Q1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
Answer: The beginning and the end are very similar. In the beginning, the tree is silent and still, and in the end, it “subsides to empty.” This emphasizes the temporary nature of the bird’s visit and highlights the cycle of quiet and activity in nature.
Q2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?
Answer: The bird’s movement is compared to a lizard’s—”sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt.” The comparison is based on the bird’s quick, sudden, and precise movements as it enters the thick, leafy branches of the tree.
Q3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?
Answer: The “engine” image is used to describe the constant sound and movement that starts up in the tree when the goldfinch arrives. The bird’s chirping and the fluttering of her wings are like a machine starting up, full of energy and purpose.
Q4. What do you like most about the poem?
Answer: What’s great about this poem is its beautiful imagery and its focus on a single, short moment in nature. It shows how a seemingly insignificant event, like a bird’s visit, can completely change the atmosphere of a place.
Q5. What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean?
Answer: This phrase refers to the markings on the goldfinch’s face. The black and yellow markings look like a striped mask, which makes her unique and identifies her. It’s like her personal signature.
Note down
Q1. the sound words
Answer: The sound words are ‘chirrup’, ‘chitterings’, and ‘trillings’.
Q2. the movement words
Answer: The movement words are ‘twitching’, ‘startlement’, ‘enters’, ‘trembles’, ‘flirts out’, and ‘launches away’.
Q3. the dominant colour in the poem.
Answer: The dominant colour is yellow, which is mentioned in the “yellow September sunlight” and the “yellowing” leaves of the Laburnum tree. The goldfinch itself is also a golden bird.
Thinking about language
Look for some other poem on a bird or a tree in English or any other language.
Answer: There are so many poems about birds and trees in different languages! You could find one in your own language that talks about the beauty of a specific tree or the song of a local bird, just like this poem.
Try this out
Write four lines in verse form on any tree that you see around you
Answer: That’s a fun challenge! Here’s a quick verse:
The mango tree, a giant, green and wide,
Gives sweet relief from summer’s scorching ride.
The parrots perch and squawk in joyful chat,
A buzzing world beneath a sun-soaked hat.
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