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The Poplar Field by William Cowper

Character

One Sentence Summary

Summary

Short – Questions

1. What changes did the poet see in the poplar field when he came back after 12 years?   

2. Why do you think the poet has written this poem in the first person?

3. How is human life related with plant life?

Long- Question

1. Discuss how the poet links up the idea of the cut down poplars with the end of human life and pleasures.         

2. Consider this poem as a defence of nature conservation. 



2. The Poplar Field  

William Cowper         

Character

I                       : speaker, poet

Poplar trees     ,           Ouse River,     The Black Bird

One Sentence Summary

The poplar trees, after they have been felled, not only make the atmosphere monotonous but also affect the human happiness.       

Summary

In the poem 'The Poplar field' the poet describes the cutting down of the poplar trees. He is very sad because the poplar trees are cut down. And his pleasures have gone away. He compares the past and the present, and says that the past time was far better for him than the present. In the past, there were poplar trees. They gave cool shade to the poet. The poet used to shelter under the poplar trees. There was a whispering sound in the cool colonnade. The poet could hear sweet melody of the Blackbird. The leaves of the trees created musical sound. The Ouse River received the image of the trees.

But now, the trees are cut down. There is no shade, no whispering sound, and no music. The Blackbird has gone away. The trees are laid in the grass. So, the place has become a joyless place. The poet thinks deeply about human life and their joys. He says that human life is short but human joys live shorter.      

Short – Questions

1. What changes did the poet see in the poplar field when he came back after 12 years?        

There are so many changes the poet saw in the poplar field when he came back after 12 years. The poplar trees have cut down. There is no shade now. Neither there is whistle of the branches. There is no cool colonnade. The river Ouse has no reflection of the trees. Now there is grass in the place of trees. The blackbird has fled to another place, and no one can hear the sweet song of blackbird.     

2. Why do you think the poet has written this poem in the first person?

The poem requests the people to save the forest; so simply it discusses the importance of nature conservation. But it is basically the personal experience of the poet. The tone of the poem is depressed. The whole poem is written in the first person narrative style. He enjoyed the poplar field, but unfortunately they have been cut down. Thus the poet expresses his own feelings and describes his painful experience in this poem. So naturally the poet has written this poem in the first person to show his sympathy with nature and express own feelings.

3. How is human life related with plant life?

Woods are one of the pieces of a chain of the surroundings; if one of the pieces is removed from the chain it can’t run in a smoother way. So a plant is territory of all kinds of creatures. Environment is beautiful and pleasant. Birds make the scene melodious and charming. For pleasures of man there is nothing left after destruction of plant life. His pleasures have shorter life than his life. Therefore, human life is dependent on plant life, in every way. That’s why; we should save the forest to save our life, too.

Long- Question

1. Discuss how the poet links up the idea of the cut down poplars with the end of human life and pleasures.           

The poet links up the idea of the cut down poplars with the end of human life and pleasure. He shows his barren or sad feeling when he saw the poplar field bare and monotonous. People have cut down the poplar trees. Then the field looks ugly and bare. There is sweet sound created by black bird and trees leaves. There he doesn't see any tree, or a black bird, neither cool shade nor even any image on the Ouse. He feels his past was far better than his present. This evergreen field changes into the monotonous dry place. There is no music, no shade, no whispering sound, and no bird too. It looks joyless place.     

The poet thinks deeply about human life and their joys. If the trees cut down haphazardly, it was misbalance the nature. It causes many natural disasters like flood, droughts desertification, famine, air/ water/ soil pollution etc. we can not have fresh air. The atmosphere creatures suffer from many dangerous diseases.

2. Consider this poem as a defence of nature conservation.

The poet is the nature loving person. This beautiful poem written in aspiration tone makes a strong case for nature conservation. We can’t lead our life independently without the nature. Man’s connection to nature is both old and strong.

Forests are gifts of nature. Human development itself has taken place on the bosom of the forests. Nature conservation means protection of natural resources such as forests, plants, wild life etc. The destruction of the forests and the wild-life in them will mean the most dangerous to the ecological balance. The cutting down of trees disturbs the cycle of nature. Thus nature conservation is linked with our very survival. In this poem the poet first presents the picture of the field after all the poplar trees are felled. The trees gave shade to people earlier and the wind whispered in the leaves and branches. The black bird has left and no more sings now. The poplar field now looks dull and barren. The poet can no longer enjoy the pleasures of sitting under the shade of those trees; watching the image of the trees in the pure waters of the Ouse and listening to the sweet notes of the black bird. Thus the poet loses touch with the nature and feels a great frustration. Unless nature is conserved, man’s survival is at danger. Thus this poem emphasizes the importance of nature conservation. Surely we are inviting our trouble by cutting down trees, which is the symbol of bad star.

 

 



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