3.4 The Brook – Class 7 – Balbharati

Author: Alfred Lord Tennyson

Genre: Nature Poem / Allegorical Poem

Textbook: English Balbharati – Class 7

Board: Maharashtra State Board

English Summary

The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a nature poem where the brook (a small stream) narrates its own journey. It begins from the “haunts of coot and hern,” sparkles among ferns, and flows through valleys, ridges, villages, and bridges before joining a brimming river. Along the way, it chatters over stones, babbles on pebbles, curves through meadows, and glimmers under the moon and stars. It passes fish, flowers, swallows, and golden gravel, creating vivid natural images. The refrain “For men may come and men may go, but I go on for ever” shows the permanence of nature compared to human life. The poem blends music, rhythm, and imagery to express continuity, beauty, and the eternal flow of life.

Theme / Central Idea

The poem highlights the eternal continuity of nature. It shows how the brook flows endlessly while human lives are short and temporary. It also celebrates the beauty of nature’s movement and sounds.

Word Meanings

Figures of Speech (with examples)

1. Personification – “I chatter, I murmur, I loiter” – the brook speaks like a human.

2. Alliteration – “I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance” – repetition of ‘s’ and ‘g’ sounds.

3. Refrain – “For men may come and men may go, but I go on for ever.” – repeated for emphasis.

4. Imagery – “With many a silvery waterbreak above the golden gravel.” – creates vivid pictures.

5. Metaphor – The brook is compared to the eternal flow of life.

   
   

Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme is abab throughout the poem.

Personal Response Questions (5)

1. What lesson do we learn from the refrain of the poem?

   The refrain teaches that human life is short, but nature is eternal. While people live and die, rivers and brooks continue flowing forever.

   
   

2. Which image in the poem do you find most beautiful? Why?

   The image of the brook sparkling among ferns and babbling over pebbles is most beautiful. It creates a lively and cheerful picture of nature’s music.

   
   

3. Why is the brook personified in the poem?

   The brook is personified to make it more expressive and relatable. By giving it human qualities, the poet brings out its liveliness and eternal journey.

   
   

4. What do you enjoy most in the description of the brook?

   I enjoy the rhythm and sound of the brook’s chatter, murmur, and babble. These words make me feel as if I can hear and see the brook flowing.

   
   

5. How is the brook’s journey similar to human life?

   The brook’s journey from its origin to the river resembles human life from birth to death. But unlike humans, the brook continues forever, symbolising eternity.

True or False (5)

1. The brook starts from Philip’s farm. → False (It passes Philip’s farm.)

2. The brook compares itself to human life. → True

3. The brook flows past villages, bridges, and valleys. → True

4. The refrain “Men may come and men may go” appears only once. → False (It is repeated several times.)

5. The brook flows finally into the sea. → False (It joins the brimming river.)

   
   

Probable Board / Exam Questions (5)

1. Where does the brook originate and where does it end?

   The brook originates from the haunts of coot and hern, sparkles among ferns, flows past ridges, valleys, villages, and Philip’s farm, and finally joins the brimming river.

   
   

2. How does the poet create sound effects in the poem?

   The poet uses words like “chatter,” “babble,” “murmur,” and “bicker” to imitate the sound of flowing water, giving the brook a musical quality.

   
   

3. What human qualities are given to the brook?

   The brook is given human qualities like chattering, murmuring, loitering, and fretting. These make it seem alive and relatable.

   
   

4. What is the significance of the line “For men may come and men may go, but I go on for ever”?

   The line shows the contrast between short human life and the eternal flow of nature. It stresses the permanence of natural forces.

   
   

5. How does the brook describe its journey?

   The brook describes its journey as lively and musical, flowing past hills, villages, fields, bridges, and meadows, meeting birds, fishes, flowers, and finally merging with the river.

Appreciation / Reflection Paragraph

The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a lyrical nature poem that personifies a brook narrating its journey. Through imagery, sound words, and rhythm, the poet creates a vivid picture of flowing water. The repetition of the refrain gives the poem depth, stressing eternity of nature. The personification makes the brook seem cheerful and alive, while metaphors connect it to human life. The poem is memorable because it celebrates beauty, continuity, and the eternal flow of nature.

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