11th English Guide Lesson 3 Poem Lines Written in Early Spring

TN 11th English Solutions Poem Chapter 3 Lines Written in Early Spring

11th English Guide Lesson 3 Poem Lines Written in Early Spring Book Back Answers. 11th Standard Samacheer kalvi guide English All Unit 3 Book Back Question and answers. 11th TN Text Book Download PDF All Subject. Class 11 English Book Back and additional question and answers. 11th Free Online Test. 

 

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Warm Up

1. Do you go for leisurely walks? If you are a city-dweller, what or who would you expect to see on your way?

Answer:

• Yes, I do go for morning walks with my classmate Ragu. I live in Chennai. We go to the beach for the walk. We come across policemen, doctors, aged people and some small children too briskly engaged in long walks. They enjoy the morning sun at the back drop of the golden sea. Also I find a host of vendors selling vegetable soups, bittergourd soup and nourishing drinks on the seashore. There are points where pure water is sold in glasses. The spring dug out a few hundred metres near the sea is really sweet. I find one ‘Green volunteer group’ collecting all plastic garbage and cleaning the beach.

2. If you go to a village, what scenes would you observe?

Answer:

• If I go to a village, I will find Water-thirsty lands and their owners longing for rains. I will also . find some farmers trying to coax their borewell owners to provide necessaiy water for their little vegetable garden to help them eke out a living. I will also find young children getting ready to go to school. There would be hens busy searching for their breakfast or chanticleers announcing their supremacy on the roof-tops.

11th English Lines Written in Early Spring Textual Questions

1. Find words from the poem that convey the following ideas.

I heard a thousand blended notes

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

 

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What Man has made of Man.

 

Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,

The periwinkle trail’d its wreaths;

And ‘tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

 

The birds around me hopp’d and play’d

Their thoughts I cannot measure,

But the least motion which they made

It seem’d a thrill of pleasure.

 

The budding twigs spread out their fan

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

 

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature’s holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What Man has made of Man?

(a) connected together

(b) spread over the surface of the ground in a straggling manner

(c) make out or understand

(d) slender woody shoots growing from branches or stems of trees

Answer:

(a) blended

(b) tailed

(c) reason

(d) twigs

2. Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with the words given below

bower	grove	distressed
pleasant	breezy	peace
sorrow	nature	calm

 

The speaker says that while sitting in a (1) _____ , his mind is filled with both (2) _____ and sad thoughts. He could associate himself with (3) _____ . But he feels (4) _____ at the fact that human beings are exploiting nature. The atmosphere around is (5) _____ and pleasant with flowers in the sweet (6) _____ The air is (7) _____ and everything seems to be happy. When Nature desires such (8) _____ , it is only the irresponsible act of human beings that brings (9) _____ to other human beings and to nature.

Answer:

1. grove
2. pleasant
3. nature
4. distressed
5. calm
6. bower
7. breezy
8. peace
9. sorrow

3. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow.

(i) And ‘tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes…

(a) What is the poet’s faith?

Answer:

The poet has faith that nature lives, breathes and enjoys its own presence. Twigs, birds, creepers all live in harmony with each other in absolute bliss and contentment.

(b) What trait of Nature do we see here?

Harmonious relationship of birds, brook, plants and creepers and willingness to co-exist with one another is the trait evident in nature.

(ii) And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there…

(a) What did the poet notice about the twigs?

Answer:

The budding twigs spread out their fan to catch the breezy air.

(b) What was the poet’s thought about then?

Answer:

The poet thought the twigs were experiencing the joy of their contact with the breezy air.

Lines Written In Early Spring Summary Question (iii)

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature’s holy plan.

(a) What does ‘heaven’ refer to?

Answer:

• Heaven refers to the natural source, the heaven, (i.e) God that created life on the earth.

(b) Why does the poet call it ‘holy’?

Answer:

• The poet believes that the harmonious, peaceful and happy co-existence of birds, plants, trees and brooks soothes the troubled mind of man. So, the poet feels as if he were inside a sacred place when he is in the woods. So, he calls the plan ‘holy’.

4. Explain the following lines with reference to the context in about four to five sentences each.

(i) In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem “Lines Written in Early Spring” written by William Wordsworth.

Context: William Wordsworth was inspired in a small woodland grove, a landscape of beauty. He came upon this spot when walking near Alford village. While sensing the blissful mood and happiness of birds, plants, creepers and the murmuring brook, he juxtaposed what humans did to their kind in Napoleonic wars and amidst happy nature couldn’t help feeling sad. At that occasion, he said these words.

Explanation: The poet was captivated by the celestial beauty of the woodland near Alford village. The chirping of birds, the blooming flowers and the brooks expressed their ecstasy of being alive. But their charm, peace and contentment made Wordsworth compare the lives of war-mongers. Suddenly he became sad.

Comment: The poet beautifully portrays his mixed feelings.

(ii) The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,

Their thoughts I cannot measure. .

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem “Lines Written in Early Spring” written by William Wordsworth.

Context: The poet was quite impressed with the beauty and peace that prevailed in the woodland. The birds were oblivious to the presence of the poet. They hopped and chirped around him in absolute bliss. The poet said these words while trying to fathom their thoughts. Explanation: The poet was overwhelmed with delight in the company of birds, plant kingdom and the brook. He tried hard to understand the thoughts of the birds through the bird’s language. But he couldn’t succeed. He simply inferred that they were thrilled and enjoying the jocund company.

Comment: The. lines bring out the nature of the ‘Nature Poet’. .

(iii) Have I not reason to lament

What Man has made of Man?

Answer:

Reference: These lines are from the poem “Lines Written in Early Spring” written by William Wordsworth.

Context: William Wordsworth was inspired by a small woodland grove, a landscape of beauty. He came upon this spot when walking near Alford village. While sensing the blissful mood and happiness of birds, plants, creepers and the murmuring brook, he juxtaposed what humans did to their kind in Napoleonic wars and amidst happy nature couldn’t help feeling sad. At that occasion, he said these words.

Explanation: William Wordsworth derived extreme pleasure listening to the songs of birds and voiceless communication of joy between plants, twigs and flowers. Though he could not fathom the meaning, he realized the blissful state of nature. But he remembered the depravity of man which was evident in Napoleonic wars. He was fed up with man’s capacity to destroy innocent lives and property. So, he lamented “what man has made of man”.

Comment: The mixed feelings of happiness and sadness is well brought out.

5. A. Read the following sets of lines and identify the figures of speech used in each extract.

(i) To her works did Nature link

Answer:

• Personification

(ii) The human soul that through me ran…

Answer:

• Metaphor

Question (iii)

And ‘tis my faith that every flower…

Answer:

Personification

 

Question (iv)

What Man has made of Man?

Answer:

Alliteration man, made, man

B. Read the poem once again. Identify the rhyme scheme and pick out the rhyming pairs of words.

ab, ab is the rhyming scheme of the poem

link – think, wreaths -breathes, measure – pleasure, fan – can, air – there, plan – man, ran – man . are some of the rhyming words found in the poem.

6. Based on your reading of the poem,answer the following questions in a sentence or two each.

Question (a)

How does the poet feel while enjoying the beauty of Nature?

Answer:

The poet was in a sweet mood reclining in a grove. Hearing a thousand blended notes, his mind was filled with pleasant thoughts. He was very happy.

Question (b)

Does Nature affect a person’s thoughts and feelings? Explain.

Answer:

Yes, the beauty, harmony, peace and nature’s pure joy enlivened the poet’s spirits. He couldn’t help comparing the happiness of nature with self-destructive wars of human beings. He was sad remembering humans.

Question (c)

How do people bring grief and sorrow to one another?

Answer:

People are jealous of one another’s wealth and possessions. One tries to harm the other by waging or provoking wars. Thus people bring grief and sorrow to one another.

Question (d)

Why does the poet think that the birds were happy?

Answer:

The poet thinks that the birds were happy because they hopped and played around him. Their least motion displayed their most joy.

Question (e)

The poet finds joy in various objects of Nature. Explain.

Answer:

The poet found joy in the primrose tufts, the sweet bower, the periwinkle and the singing ; birds.

Question (f)

Bring out the poet’s thoughts, while comparing Nature with human behaviour.

Answer:

The poet’s joy of witnessing the soul refreshing joy of plants, flowers and birds did not last long. He remembered the cruelty with which dictators were throwing bombs and taking away the lives of innocent people. He couldn’t bear the destruction of life and property. He lamented, “What man has made of man?”.

7. Complete the following sentences by choosing the best options.

Question (a)

The poet experiences sadness because _________

(i) the blended notes are jarring

(ii) Nature is filled with negativity

(iii) he is worried about the destruction caused to Nature

(iv) natural calamities occur frequently

Answer:(iii) he is worried about the destruction caused to Nature

Question (b)

The poem is set in a _________

(i) city

(ii) village

(iii) grove

(iv) park

Answer:(iii) grove

Question (c)

The poem speaks of _________ .

(i) Man’s plan to shape destiny

(ii) Man seeking pleasure and riches

(iii) Man indulging in wars and acts of destruction

(iv) Man’s fear of Nature

Answer:(iii) Man indulging in wars and acts of destruction

8. Answer in a paragraph of about 100-150 words.

Question 1.

Do you think the poet wants to say that man is unhappy because he has lost his link with nature and forgotten how to enjoy nature or because man is cruel to other men?

Answer:

The poet William Wordsworth wants to convey the readiness of nature to teach the art of ‘living together in harmony, peace and bliss. But man has lost his sensitivity to listen to the joyful lessons of nature. His greed and love for possession of territories and abject cruelty to [ fellow humans and nature has disillusioned the poet. He has almost lost faith in the capacity of humans to love and live in harmony with nature, Man has gone to the extent of denuding

the forest which really sustain life on earth. Rare species in the forests are on the brink of; destruction. Animals and birds in the red list are growing in number to the great distress of nature lovers. So, I believe Wordsworth is unhappy for both (i.e) man’s losing the link with nature and his infinite capacity to be cruel to other men.

Listening Activity

9. Some phrases have been left out in the poem below. First, read the poem. Then, fill in the missing words on listening to the reading or the recording of it in full. You may listen ’ again, if required.

(For listening to the poem refer to our website wwwfullcircleeducation. in)

“To Autumn” by William Blake (1783)

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain’d

’With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit

,Beneath my shady roof; there thou may’st rest,

And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,

And all the daughters of the year shall dance!

Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.’

“The narrow bud opens her beauties to

The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;

 

Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning,

and Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve, .

Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,

And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.

The spirits of the air live in the smells

Of fruit; and joy, with pinions light, roves round

The gardens, or sits singing in the frees.”

Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,

Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak .

Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load. .

 

To Autumn:

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained

With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit

Beneath my (1) _____ , there thou may’st rest,

And tune thy jolly voice to my (2) _____ ;

And all the daughters of the year shall dance !

Sing now the (3) _____ of fruits and flowers. “

The (4) _____ opens her beauties to

The sun, and love runs in her (5) _____ v.;

 

Blossoms hang round the brows of morning, and

Flourish down the . (6) _____ of modest eve,

Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,

And (7) _____ strew flowers round her head.

The spirits of the air live on the smells

Of fruit; and joy, with (8) _____ , roves round

The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.”

Thus sang the (9) _____ as he sat,

Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak Hills fled from our sight; but left his (10) _____

Answer:

1. shady roof
2. fresh pipe
3. lusty song
4. narrow bud
5. thrilling veins
6. bright cheek
7. feathered clouds
8. pinions of light
9. jolly autumn
10. golden load

Speaking Activity

10. Answer the following Questions

Question (a)

What scene in nature gives you pleasure? Talk for a minute describing a natural scene that gave you a lot of joy. What did you see, hear, smell or feel that gave you joy?

Answer:

Every morning I take a walk in the Municipality’s park. The landscaping has been done with an aesthetic mind by gardener Kali. During daybreak, the yellow sun embraces the flowers in the park. They face the sun with coyness befitting a bride. They blush and spread their fragrance. I watch the beauty of the roses and some yellow flowers. I feel refreshed. The morning breeze, the pearl – like mist beads crowning the grass, the swallows which chirp and look for grains or crumbs, all the aged couple walking with empathy for one another fills my heart with joy. These everyday scenes makes my day all through the year.

Question (b)

Work in groups of 4-6. Discuss how you would preserve the environment and protect Nature. One or two representatives may share their ideas with the class.

Answer:

Janani : I represent “Green warriors” group. My group is of the strong opinion that . National Green Corps must wage a war against ignorance of people. People do not know that’ by cutting woods, they are perpetuating their own poverty. We believe sustainable lumbering is the only way to help poor people and at the same time turn them into guardian angels of the forest.

Karthick : I represent “Green Earth” group. Could you please throw more light on “Sustainable lumbering”? Do you mean to say that people would use the woods and yet protect them too.

Janani : Thank you for asking a very intelligent question. Poor people who live in forest village do not have money to buy gas cylinders. We don’t have enough forest officers to neither protect the trees nor the poor animals which are kept even inside the most protected National forest in Kazirenga. Haven’t you heard of Jamuna Tudu, the Lady Tarzan of Jharkhand? In Maturkhan village, Jamuna the newly wedded bride, was deeply disturbed by the illegal felling of long tall trees. To her shock, Timber mafias had brow beaten the villagers.

Since 2000, Jamuna spoke to the village women to use dry sticks and twigs for firewood but she made them understand that only if trees survived, there would be rains and villagers will be able to cultivate their lands. She has created 300 forest protection women committees. They protect the forest. About 50 hectares of forests have been reclaimed. Niti Ayog has conferred “Women transforming India award of 2017”. Seeing Women’s determination to conserve the environment, forest officials and State Government have provided water facilities and schooling facilities, to this remote village.

Karthick : We place on records the valuable information provided by Janani. We would like . to supplement her ideas.

We, the student community can go on a campaign against the rising carbon footprint, pollution, global warming and all man-made evils due to the failure of man to protect the environment.

Because of man’s failure to live in harmony with nature the possibility of perpetuation of human race is at stake. Let us love nature and protect the environment for making the earth a safer place to live for future generation. Thank you

11. Answer the following in a paragraph of 100-150 words each.

(a) ‘Nature can nurture’. Describe how this process happens.

Answer:

• Human beings are able to live on earth simply because earth offers them enough food to live on. The plants, trees, flowers, crops, cereals and greens that grow on earth gives all the nutrients necessary for man to survive inclement weather and other challenges. Where there is still heavy rains, we have forest coverage which supports ‘water cycle’ and periodic rainfall. If forests are well-guarded from timber mafia and stupid people who fell them indiscriminately for fire wood, forests would pay back thousand times by pumping out oxygen and taking in carbon-di-oxide.
• All of us know that they are free washermen of the air. Earth tries to grow drought-resistent plants and trees where rainfall is poor. With efficient water management. Nature would grow more food for us and nurture us and ensure the continuity of human race on this planet.

(b) When humanity fails to live in harmony with Nature, its effects are felt around the world. Why and how?

Answer:

• Man, the worst predator, kills for no reason. Man has to protect forests and live in harmony with nature. Instead man is callous. He kills elephants for their tusks, Rhinoceros for their hom, and polar bears for their fur. Huge trees, in Rainforests, which have been protecting lives of many
• species and insects, are being felled for timber and industrialization. Due to the increase in the denudation of forests, global warming has increased. Water levels in the ocean is increasing. Heat waves are threatening the lives of people. Polar ice is melting. Scientists fear that if this, persists, there will be hostility caused by water-sharing. Like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, there will be political unrest and community conflicts demanding share in drinking water and water for irrigation purposes. In South Africa, zero waterday is fast approaching.
• The scarcity of pottable water is going to be a huge humanitarian crisis. As we have failed to protect the national resources, carbon foot print is expanding to alarming levels. Delhi experiences difficulty as planes struggle to land or take off due to thick smog in and around Delhi. As toxic waste is released by Sterlyte and other industries people in Thoothukudi are becoming victim of cancer and other lung related disorders. Atomic power plants also retain potential hazards like radio-activity. Thus humanity’s failure to live in harmony with nature is threatening to wipe out human race.

(c) Write a letter to the Councillor of your Ward, explaining why a park is necessary in your locality.

XYZ

18.10.2018

From

• ABC
• 18, Mukilan Street,
• Nehru Colony,

To

• Thiru Mayavan,
• Councillor, Ward 1,
• Dharmapuri

Sir,

Sub: Request for establishing a Children’s park in Nehru colony in XYZ – reg.

I am living at the above address with my parents. Nehru colony is now fast developing. I am told that the land ear-marked for children’s park is going to be sold for construction of shopping mall. Since all the plots have been sold, we children and the aged, need the park for some morning exercises and evening relaxation. I request you to intervene and advise municipality not to sell the park space for commercial purposes. PleaSe take steps to establish a park for us.

Thanking you in advance for immediate action.

Yours sincerely,

ABC

To

• Thiru Mayavan
• Councillor, Ward 1
• Dharmapuri

Lines Written in Early Spring About the Poet

 

William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge published together Lyrical Ballads in 1798. It was Wordworth who broke the myth of writing poetry lor an elite audience. It is nothing but ‘a man speaking to man’. He defined poetry as “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” and “emotions recollected in tranquility”. Wordsworth, the nature poet wrote poems easy to be read and enjoyed by common people. His Lucy poems, Michael. Daffodils, The Solitary Reaper, To the cuckoo. Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey have established his reputation as a poet.

Lines Written in Early Spring Summary

Introduction: Wordsworth presents the natural world of birds and flowers as one of calm agreement and pleasure, contrasted with the implied failure of mankind to live up to such a model. What precisely “Man has made of what man” is unstated and that’s probably for the best to explicit about how Wordsworth feels man has failed his fellow men – whether through allowing his fellow humans to starve from poverty and exploitation or through reverting to savage violence. The poem was written against Napoleonic wrars, which followed on the hot heels of the reign of terror.

This poem signals the start of Romantic era and is included in “preface to lyrical ballads”. It also signals the beginning of a platonic relationship between S.T. Coleridge and William Wordsworth. The poem is in a form of a ballad consisting of six quartains. The rhyming scheme is ab ab.

In the first quartain, the divinity of nature is revealed in the phrase “a thousand blended notes” implying almost a pervasive presence of nature akin to omnipresence of God.

The second quartain moves briefly away from nature to reminisce on the misery that other humans have caused each other since time immemorial. The poet says man’s state by nature is close to nature “Through primrose tufts, in that green bower. The periwinkle trailed its wreaths; And’tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breaths”. The presence of nature as living things strikes. Through out the poem, Wordsworth builds up the idea of a living, breathing world that is only a fraction removed from humanity. “The hopping birds”, “the budding twigs” enjoy their being there. The plants, creepers and birds fulfil nature’s holy plan of living in harmony with one another. But the poet is quick to add “Have I no reason to lament. What man has made of man!”

Through out the poem, there was an attempt made by nature to heal the injured soul of the poet. The world of nature untouched by the miseries of humanity, continues on while human soul, bound in its rigid case of mortality and reason, is left behind to experience the misery of the human world.

Lines Written in Early Spring Glossary

Textual:

• bower – a pleasant shady place under trees
• grieve – mourn or to feel intense sorrow
• grove – a small area of land with a group of trees
• lament – to express sorrow or unhappiness about something
• periwinkle – a trailing plant with large blue flowers
• primrose – a wild plant with yellow flowers
• recline – lean back in a position of rest
• sate – old fashioned spelling for sat
• tufts – bunches

Additional:

• attempt – effort
• celestial – heavenly
• chirping – singing
• faith – trust
• harmony – everywhere
• peaceful co-existence
• heal – cure
• misery – difficulty
• pervasive – prevalent