Poem-2
The Laburnum Top
Poet: Ted Hughes
✍️ Introduction about the Poet:
Ted Hughes (1930–1998) was a celebrated English poet and children's writer, known for his intense and vivid imagery drawn from nature. He often wrote about animals, birds, and the wild natural world. In “The Laburnum Top,” Hughes explores the connection between nature and life, using a simple scene to reflect deeper meanings about revival and transformation.
📝 Summary of the Poem:
“The Laburnum Top” is a short, symbolic nature poem describing how a silent and lifeless laburnum tree comes alive when a goldfinch bird arrives. The tree, which seems dull and quiet at first, becomes full of energy and sound as the bird feeds her chicks. Once she flies away, the tree becomes silent again. The poem captures the momentary liveliness and energy in nature and how life breathes new spirit into the stillness.
🌳 Stanza-wise Explanation:
📌 Stanza 1:
“The Laburnum top is silent, quite still
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,
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The poet describes a laburnum tree that is silent and still on a sunny September afternoon.
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Leaves are turning yellow (symbolizing the beginning of autumn), and seeds have already fallen, showing it is past its blooming period.
📌 Stanza 2:
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Suddenly, a goldfinch bird appears, making quick and jerky movements.
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Her arrival brings energy and excitement.
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She moves swiftly and cautiously like a lizard into the tree where her babies are.
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Her arrival activates the nest — the chicks start chirping, fluttering, and making sounds.
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The once silent tree now becomes lively and vibrant, almost like a machine turned on.
📌 Stanza 3:
“It is the engine of her family.
She stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch-end —
Showing her barred face identity mask.”
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The bird feeds her young ones (“stokes it full”), like fueling an engine.
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After feeding, she flutters to a branch-end, showing her barred (striped) face, which is a kind of unique identity.
The tree returns to silence and stillness, just like before.
📌Stanza 4:
“Then with eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings
She launches away, towards the infinite
And the laburnum subsides to empty.”
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With soft and delicate sounds, the goldfinch flies away into the sky (“towards the infinite”).
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Once again, the tree becomes silent and still, back to its earlier lifeless state.
🎯 Themes:
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Nature and life
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Silence vs sound
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Momentary beauty
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Motherhood and care
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Change and transformation
💬 Important Lines:
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“The laburnum top is silent, quite still...”
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“Then sleek as a lizard, and alert and abrupt...”
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“It is the engine of her family...”
💡 Poetic Devices Used:
| Device | Example |
|---|---|
| Personification | The tree is described as alive and silent |
| Simile | “Sleek as a lizard” – compares bird's movement |
| Imagery | Vivid description of the tree and the bird |
| Alliteration | “September sunlight”, “sleek as a lizard” |
| Enjambment | Lines continue without punctuation |
✨ Message / Moral:
The poem shows how even still and lifeless things can come to life with a touch of nature. It reflects the idea that life brings energy and meaning, even for a brief moment, and that beauty often lies in simple natural events.
💭Message of the Poem:
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The poem beautifully reflects the relationship between nature and life.
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It shows how the presence of life (goldfinch and chicks) can transform something dull (the tree) into something vibrant.
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Also, it emphasizes motherhood, care, and the cycle of life.
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