A legend of Northland Summary Class 9 English Beehive

About the Poet

The poem “A Legend of the Northland” is written by Phoebe Cary, who was an American poet born on September 4, 1824, in Mount Healthy, Ohio. She, along with her sister Alice Cary, became well known for writing poetry that was simple, thoughtful, and full of moral lessons. Phoebe Cary’s works often reflect her religious beliefs, compassion for people, and her ability to teach values through storytelling.

One of Phoebe Cary’s greatest strengths was her talent for expressing meaningful ideas in language that connected with ordinary readers. She wrote many devotional and moral poems that are still remembered today. Her poetry often draws on folk tales, everyday life, and legends, making them engaging for children as well as adults. In “A Legend of the Northland,” she retells an old tale in the form of a ballad, combining rhythm, music, and a clear message about kindness and generosity.

Cary’s poetry is characterised by its simplicity, musical quality, and moral depth. She believed poetry could guide people toward better values and conduct. Although her life was short—she passed away on July 31, 1871—her works, including this poem, continue to inspire readers with their timeless lessons and gentle storytelling.

Key Points of the Poem

• It tells the story of a greedy old woman who refuses to share her food with Saint Peter.
• Saint Peter punishes her for her selfishness by transforming her into a bird.
• The poem is set in a cold, northern land where the days are short and the nights are long.
• It conveys a moral lesson about the consequences of greed and selfishness.

Detailed Summary

Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few,
And the nights are so long in winter
That they cannot sleep them through;
Where they harness the swift reindeer 
To the sledges, when it snows;
And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:
They tell them a curious story —
I don’t believe ’tis true;
And yet you may learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.

Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet describes the setting of the story. The “Northland” refers to a cold, snowy region near the North Pole, where days are very short and nights are very long in winter. People there use reindeer to pull sledges over the snow, and children wear thick, furry clothes that make them look like little bear cubs. The poet then says that the people of this region tell a strange or curious story. Although the poet admits that it may not be literally true, she suggests that the story carries an important moral lesson for everyone.

Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just as he did, you know,
He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling round the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
And baking them on the hearth;
And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done,
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.

Explanation: 
In this stanza, the poet introduces Saint Peter, who was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He is described as traveling around the world, preaching and spreading religious teachings. While on his journey, Saint Peter grew very tired and weak because he had been fasting (not eating) the whole day. By evening, he reached a poor cottage where a woman was baking cakes on the hearth (fireplace). Feeling hungry, he humbly requested her to give him just one small cake from the many she had.

So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay,
She looked at it, and thought it seemed
Too large to give away.
Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one;
But it looked, when she turned it over,
As large as the first had done.
Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it flat;
And baked it thin as a wafer —
But she couldn’t part with that.
For she said, “My cakes that seem too small
When I eat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.”
So she put them on the shelf.

Explanation:
In this stanza, the woman reveals her selfish and greedy nature. When Saint Peter asked her for a cake, she first made a very small one, but as it baked, she felt it looked too large to give away. So, she made another, even smaller than the first, but when she turned it over, it still seemed just as big. Finally, she took a tiny bit of dough and rolled it out very thin, almost like a wafer, yet she could not bring herself to part with it. She reasoned that when she ate the cakes herself, they seemed too small, but when it came to giving them to someone else, they appeared too large. Thus, she put all the cakes on the shelf instead of sharing even a morsel with the hungry Saint Peter. This shows how greed prevents people from being generous, even when they have enough for themselves.

Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint;
And surely such a woman
Was enough to provoke a saint.
And he said, “You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter,
And fire to keep you warm.
Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food
By boring, and boring, and boring,
All day in the hard, dry wood.”

Explanation: 
In this stanza, Saint Peter becomes very angry with the woman. He was already weak and tired with hunger, and her extreme selfishness was enough to upset even a saint, who is usually very patient and forgiving. He tells her that she is too greedy and self-centered to live as a human being, enjoying the comforts of food, shelter, and warmth. As a punishment, he curses her to live like a bird. From now on, she would no longer eat proper food or live in a cozy home. Instead, she would have to build her nest as birds do and spend the whole day boring into the hard, dry wood to search for tiny insects to eat. This transformation was meant to teach her a lesson about the consequences of selfishness and the importance of generosity.

Then up she went through the chimney,
Never speaking a word,
And out of the top flew a woodpecker,
For she was changed to a bird.

Explanation: 
In this stanza, the poet describes the magical transformation of the selfish woman. As soon as Saint Peter cursed her, she rose up through the chimney without saying a single word. When she came out from the top, she was no longer a woman but had been changed into a bird — the woodpecker. This sudden change symbolises the punishment for her greed and selfishness. From then on, she would have to live like a woodpecker, always searching for her food by pecking into trees, instead of enjoying the comfort of a home and plenty of food.

She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same;
But all the rest of her clothes were burned
Black as a coal in the flame.
And every country schoolboy
Has seen her in the wood,
Where she lives in the trees till this very day,
Boring and boring for food.

Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet describes how the woman looked after her transformation into a woodpecker. The red cap she had been wearing on her head remained unchanged, but the rest of her clothes were burned black in the fire, giving the bird its typical black feathers with a red crown. The poet then adds that every schoolboy can see such a bird in the woods, living on trees. From that day till now, the woodpecker has been spending its life boring holes into the hardwood of trees to find food. This ending connects the legend to real life, showing how a moral story is linked to nature.

Theme/ Message

Theme

• Greed: The main theme of the poem is greed. The old woman’s inability to share her food with Saint Peter highlights how greed can lead to negative consequences.
• Consequences of Actions: The poem illustrates that every action has consequences. The woman's selfishness leads to her punishment, teaching us that we must consider the impact of our choices.
• Transformation and Redemption: The transformation of the woman into a bird signifies a loss of humanity, but it also opens up a new way of living, suggesting that change can lead to new opportunities.
• Humility: The poem underscores the importance of humility and generosity. The old woman's failure to share reflects a lack of these virtues.

Message

• The poem delivers a strong message about the dangers of selfishness and the importance of sharing. When the old woman refuses to share, she faces a severe consequence that forever alters her existence.
• It teaches readers that being greedy can lead to isolation and hardship. The woman's transformation into a woodpecker symbolizes how her greed has stripped her of human connections and happiness.
• The story encourages us to be mindful of our actions and their effects on others. It serves as a reminder that generosity enriches our lives and the lives of those around us.
• Finally, the poem suggests that it is never too late to learn a lesson. Even after her transformation, the woman continues to survive, implying that life goes on, and we can always strive to become better individuals.

Literary Devices in the Poem

1. Rhyme Scheme

• The poem is written in a ballad form with a regular rhyme scheme ABAB.
• Example: “Below / know” and “earth/hearth”.

2. Alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words)

• “They tell them a curious story” – repetition of the t sound.
• “Build as the birds do” – repetition of the b sound.

3. Repetition

• Words like “boring, and boring, and boring” are repeated to emphasise the continuous hard work of the woodpecker.

4. Imagery

• Vivid descriptions appeal to the senses:
  “The children look like bears’ cubs in their funny, furry clothes.”
  “Scarlet cap on her head… clothes burned black as coal.”

5. Simile (comparison using “like” or “as”)

• “The children look like bear cubs” – compares children in furry clothes to bear cubs.

6. Symbolism

• The transformation into a woodpecker symbolises punishment for selfishness and greed.
• The red cap symbolises the trace of her human identity that remains.

7. Hyperbole (exaggeration)

• “Enough to provoke a saint” – exaggerates how selfish the woman was, as even a saint lost patience.

8. Personification

• The poem personifies Saint Peter as a traveller who becomes angry and curses the woman, showing human-like emotions.

9. Didactic Tone

• The entire poem has a moral, teaching generosity and condemning greed.

Difficult Words

• Legend: A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not verifiable.
• Angered: To make someone very mad or upset.
• Greed: An intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or power.
• Fasting: The act of abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink for a period of time.
• Scarlet: A bright red colour.
• Provoked: To stimulate or incite someone to do or feel something, especially to provoke anger.
• Selfish: Lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
• Boring: To make a hole in something by drilling or similar means.
• Cottage: A small simple house, typically in the countryside.
• Hearth: The floor of a fireplace, often extending into a room; symbolises warmth and home.
• Humility: A modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness.
• Transformation: A thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.
• Woodpecker: A bird known for pecking holes in trees to find food or create nests.
• Scanty: Small or insufficient in quantity or amount.