Here are the most important examination-focused questions and answers for the poem "The Laburnum Top" by Ted Hughes from Class 11 English. These will help students understand the central ideas and poetic devices in one reading.
Short Summary – “The Laburnum Top”
The poem describes a quiet laburnum tree in the yellow September sunlight, still and almost lifeless. Suddenly, a goldfinch arrives, enters the branches, and fills the tree with chirruping and movement. The tree becomes alive like an engine as the bird feeds her young. After completing her task, the goldfinch flies away towards the sky, and the tree returns to silence. The poem highlights how life and energy are momentary yet powerful, transforming the environment before fading back to calm.
Literary Devices & Poetic Features
- Simile: “Sleek as a lizard” — compares the bird’s movement to a lizard.
- Metaphor: The tree becomes “the engine of her family.”
- Personification: The tree is described as “trembling” and “thrilling.”
- Alliteration: twitching chirrup, tree trembles and thrills.
- Onomatopoeia: chirrup, chitterings, trillings — sound words mimic bird calls.
- Imagery: Visual (yellow September sunlight, barred face), Auditory (chirrup, trillings).
MCQs
1. The poem is set in which season?
A) Spring
B) Winter
C) September (early autumn)
D) Summer
Answer: C) September (early autumn)
2. What is the dominant colour in the poem?
A) Green
B) Yellow
C) Brown
D) White
Answer: B) Yellow
3. Whose arrival brings the tree to life?
A) A sparrow
B) A goldfinch
C) A dove
D) A lizard
Answer: B) A goldfinch
4. The goldfinch’s movement is compared to:
A) A snake
B) A squirrel
C) A lizard
D) A butterfly
Answer: C) A lizard
5. What does “engine of her family” symbolise?
A) The tree’s branches
B) The bird’s nest full of young ones
C) The wind blowing
D) The falling seeds
Answer: B) The bird’s nest full of young ones
6. What sound words are used to describe the activity in the tree?
A) Chirrup, chitterings, trillings
B) Barking, howling
C) Croaking, buzzing
D) Rustling, roaring
Answer: A) Chirrup, chitterings, trillings
7. What happens when the goldfinch flies away?
A) The tree catches fire
B) The tree subsides to emptiness and silence
C) The leaves turn green
D) The tree starts flowering
Answer: B) The tree subsides to emptiness and silence
8. The poem uses which poetic device in “Sleek as a lizard”?
A) Metaphor
B) Personification
C) Simile
D) Alliteration
Answer: C) Simile
9. Which line shows the end of activity in the tree?
A) “The whole tree trembles and thrills”
B) “She launches away, towards the infinite”
C) “She stokes it full”
D) “Till the goldfinch comes”
Answer: B) “She launches away, towards the infinite”
10. The poem mainly celebrates:
A) The beauty of flowers
B) The harmony of life and nature
C) The fear of birds
D) The danger of poisonous seeds
Answer: B) The harmony of life and nature
Very Important Questions and Answers
1. What happens at the beginning and the end of the poem?
Answer: The poem begins with the Laburnum tree standing silent and still in the afternoon sunlight, lifeless and empty. It ends with the tree returning to its previous state of silence and emptiness after the goldfinch leaves, showing the cycle of activity and quietness.
2. Describe the role of the goldfinch in the poem.
Answer: The goldfinch is a small singing bird that brings sudden life and energy to the Laburnum tree. Her arrival starts a commotion as she feeds her young, turning the silent tree into a lively hub of activity, then leaves just as suddenly, taking the vitality with her.
3. What is the poet’s purpose in comparing the bird’s movement to a lizard?
Answer: The poet compares the bird’s movement to a lizard because it is sleek, alert, and abrupt. This simile highlights the goldfinch’s agility and quickness as she darts into the tree to care for her young.
4. Why is the phrase "engine of her family" used in the poem?
Answer: "Engine of her family" refers to the goldfinch fueling the energy and excitement of her family as she feeds her chicks. It symbolizes how her presence sets the whole tree trembling and lively, like a machine powered by her actions.
5. What does "her barred face identity mask" mean?
Answer: The phrase "her barred face identity mask" describes the unique markings on the goldfinch’s face. It emphasizes the bird's individuality and helps in identifying her among other birds.
6. What imagery and sound devices are used in the poem?
Answer: The poem uses imagery such as "yellow September sunlight," "sleek as a lizard," and "engine of her family." Sound devices include words like chirrup, chitterings, trillings, and tremor, which create a vivid soundscape representing the bird and her family’s excitement.
7. What themes does the poem "The Laburnum Top" present?
Answer: The poem explores the relationship between nature and life. The laburnum tree seems lifeless until the goldfinch appears, symbolising how life and energy come from nurturing and family bonds. The tree becomes an “engine of her family,” trembling with activity as she feeds her chicks. The poem also reflects the cycle of life: silence → activity → silence, suggesting that vitality is momentary but beautiful. The dominant yellow symbolises warmth and continuity despite seasonal change.
8. Extract: “And the laburnum subsides to empty.” — What is the effect of this ending?
Answer: The line restores stillness and peace. It completes the cycle — silence to activity back to silence — showing that the goldfinch’s visit was brief but filled with vitality.
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