Class 9 English Question Answers - The Brook

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Read the extracts and answer the following questions.

1. By thirty hills I hurry down,
 Or slip between the ridges,
 By twenty thorpes, a little town,
 And half a hundred bridges.

(a) How does the brook flows through the hills?
Ans. The brook flows through the hills by navigating various terrains, which can influence its smooth journey. It encounters different obstacles that may affect its flow, yet it continues to move gracefully.

(b) What are the things which come in its way?
Ans. The things that obstruct its path include flowers, fish, willows, and weeds.

(c) What is the brook’s destination?
Ans. The brook's final destination is a brimming river.

2. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
 Among my skimming swallows,
 I make the netted sunbeam dance
 Against my sandy shallows.

(a) Why does the poet repeatedly use ‘I’ in the above stanza? What poetic purpose does it serve?
Ans. By using ‘I’ repeatedly, the poet personifies the brook, allowing it to share the struggles it encounters during its journey. This technique helps to create a more intimate connection between the reader and the brook, making its experiences feel more relatable and alive.

(b) What are the various quick movements that the brook makes?
Ans. The brook exhibits a variety of movements during its journey. At times, it flows gently, while at other moments, it moves forcefully. Additionally, it creates a zigzag pattern, resembling the movement of a snake.

(c) Give the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.
Ans. The rhyming scheme of the stanza is abab.

3. I murmur under moon and stars
 In brambly wildernesses;
 I linger by my shingly bars;
 I loiter round my cresses;

(a) The movement of the brook appears to have undergone a change. How?
Ans. It is depicted in the lines above that the brook has slowed down. The poet has used the words 'linger and loiter' to show slow movement.

(b) What effect do ‘moon and stars’ have over the movement of the brook?
Ans. The moon and stars have a calming effect on the brook, causing it to slow down and murmur as it flows.

(c) What are ‘cresses’?
Ans. Cresses are peppery leaves from a plant related to cabbage. They are commonly used in salads for their distinctive flavour.

4. And out again I curve and flow
 To join the brimming river,
 For men may come and men may go,
 But I go on forever.

(a) What is the final destination of the brook?
Ans. The final destination of the brook is the brimming river.

(b) Explain ‘brimming river’.
Ans. The term brimming river refers to a river that is overflowing with water. It conveys a sense of fullness and vitality, suggesting that the river is at its peak capacity.

(c) What is the message of the poet?
Ans. The poet compares the journey of the brook with human life with the only difference that human life is mortal, whereas the brook is immortal.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. Give examples of alliteration and the beautiful images that form the texture of the poem ‘The Brook.’
Ans. Examples of alliteration in the poem include phrases like sudden sally, bubble babble, twenty thorpes, and field and fallow. These phrases create a rhythmic quality that enhances the poem's musicality. The poem also paints many beautiful images. One striking image appears in stanza two: “By thirty hills — a hundred bridges”. This line vividly illustrates the brook flowing through hills and valleys, crossing bridges, and passing by villages. Another captivating image is of the brook moving in a serpent-like manner, slipping and sliding among meadows, grassy plots, forget-me-nots, and floating fish.

Q2. How is the journey of the brook similar to the journey of life and yet different?
Ans. There are various similarities between the brook and the journey of life, e.g., both have a beginning, a middle-age and an end. There are struggles in the lives of both — the human life continues in spite of struggles and ups and downs and the brook continues to flow against all odds. But one thing is different — man is mortal, whereas the brook is eternal, a man may come and man may go but the brook goes on forever.

Q3. ‘The Brook’ proceeds like a travelogue. Discuss the importance of the various places that the brook encounters on its journey.
Ans. The brook travels through hills and vales, between ridges and underbridges, beside Philip’s farm, fallow land, and foreland, making its way through, with a blossom here and a trout there and many a grayling through obstructions of sand and gravel until it falls into the big river. It passes thirty hills and fifty bridges. It chatters and babbles and creates music as it flows.

Q4. Describe four movements that the brook makes during its journey. [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]
Ans: The brook exhibits several movements during its journey, as described by the poet Lord Tennyson. It makes a sudden sally as it emerges among the plants, sparkling in the sunshine. The brook hurries downhill, slipping between ridges and stealing by lawns. It glides and glances smoothly, moving gently and unobserved before finally emerging into the open. This journey is marked by its ability to flow and linger in various landscapes, showcasing its dynamic nature.

Q5. What is the symbolic meaning conveyed by “For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]
Ans: The brook is a small stream that originates in the mountains and grows larger as it flows. It produces various sounds as it moves over pebbles, slipping and sliding, winding around curves, and creating both musical and harsh noises. The brook's journey, from its birth to its growth, mirrors the stages of human life. Both begin, develop, and eventually end, facing challenges along the way while striving towards their goals. Ultimately, the brook embodies life itself. The phrase "For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever" signifies that while people may enter and exit our lives, the essence of life continues uninterrupted, much like the brook that flows eternally.

Q6. What does the poet want to convey through the poem, 'The Brook'? [CBSE 2011 (Term I)]
Ans: The brook represents the journey of life. The poet conveys that, like the brook, which continues to flow despite obstacles, people should also face their challenges and sorrows with resilience. The brook's unwavering path serves as a reminder that life's ups and downs should not hinder our progress.

Q7. Name the different things that can be found floating in the brook. [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]
Ans: The brook flows through various landscapes, including hills, gardens, and valleys. As it moves, it carries with it a variety of items such as flowers, ferns, pebbles, and weeds. You may also spot colourful fish like trout and grayling swimming in its waters. When the current is strong, it creates foam on the surface. The brook joyfully embraces everything it encounters on its journey.

Q8. What is the message given by the brook? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]
Ans: The poet conveys a message through the personification of the brook. Just as the brook bravely overcomes various hurdles and obstacles on its journey to reach its final destination, human beings should also remain undeterred. They must accept both the joys and sorrows of life and face all challenges that arise in pursuit of their goals with courage.