NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem 2 The Laburnum Top

Find out

Question:- 1. What laburnum is called in your language.

Answer:-  In my language hindi, laburnum is called ‘Amaltaas’.

Question:- 2. Which local bird is like the goldfinch.

Answer:- Birds which sing melodiously like the goldfinch in India include the Lutino Indian Ringneck , the Asian Koel, the Bulbul, the House Sparrow, the Himalayan Cuckoo, the Swallow and so on.

Think it out

Question:- 1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?

Answer:- The poem begins with a description of the silence and stillness of the laburnum. The poem ends with a return to the laburnum’s silence and nothingness.

Question:- 2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?

Answer:- The movement of the bird is compared to that of a lizard in the poem. The sleek, alert, and abrupt movement with which the bird enters its nest serves as the basis for the comparison.

Question:- 3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?

Answer:- The engine is the machine’s source of energy. It is compared to a bird since she too provides energy to her family. A machine can’t work without an engine, and without her, her family can’t thrive.

Question:- 4 – What do you like most about the poem?

Answer:- The poem’s simplicity and pictorial presentation appeal to me. The comparison of a bird’s movement to that of a machine and Lizard is done well. Goldfinch chirping and trilling can also be heard.

Write your own answer.

Question:- 5. What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean?

Answer:-  Because the mother bird is the family’s “engine,” the picture of an engine is invoked. In the same manner as an engine runs a machine, she works to create nourishment for her offspring.

Note down

Question:- 1. the sound words

Answer:- Chirrup, chitterlings, trillings, whistle-chirrup whisperings

Question:- 2. the movement words

Answer:– The movement words from the poem are seeds fallen, sleek as a lizard, enters the thickness, tremor of wings, tree trembles and thrills, flirts out to a branch-end, she launches away.

Question:- 3. the dominant colour in the poem.

Answer:- Yellow

List the following

Question:- 1. Words which describe ‘sleek’, ‘alert’ and ‘abrupt’.

Answer:- Sleek – Smooth, Polished, Effortless

Alert – Watchful, Careful, Brisk, Active

Abrupt – Hasty, Quick, Sudden, Rushed

Question:- 2. Words with the sound ‘ch’ as in ‘chart’ and ‘tr’ as in ‘trembles’ in the poem.

Answer:- Words with the sound ‘Ch’ – Chirrup, Chitterings.

Words with the sound ‘Tr’ – Tremor, Trillings, Tree, Trembles, Thrills.

Question:- 3. Other sounds that occur frequently in the poem.

Answer:- St’ – Still, Startlement, Starts up

‘-ings’ – Chitterings, Wings, Trillings, Whisperings

‘-ill’ – still, till, thrills.