The Full Text of “The Brook”

1I come from haunts of coot and hern:

2  I make a sudden sally
3And sparkle out among the fern,
4  To bicker down a valley.
5By thirty hills I hurry down,
6  Or slip between the ridges,
7By twenty thorps, a little town,
8  And half a hundred bridges.
9Till last by Philip’s farm I flow
10  To join the brimming river,
11For men may come and men may go,
12  But I go on for ever.
13I chatter over stony ways,
14  In little sharps and trebles,
15I bubble into eddying bays,
16  I babble on the pebbles.
17With many a curve my banks I fret
18  By many a field and fallow,
19And many a fairy foreland set
20  With willow-weed and mallow.
21I chatter, chatter, as I flow
22  To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
24  But I go on for ever.
25I wind about, and in and out,
26  With here a blossom sailing,
27And here and there a lusty trout,
28  And here and there a grayling,
29And here and there a foamy flake
30  Upon me, as I travel
31With many a silvery waterbreak
32  Above the golden gravel,
33And draw them all along, and flow
34  To join the brimming river;
35For men may come and men may go,
36  But I go on for ever.
37I steal by lawns and grassy plots:
38  I slide by hazel covers;
39I move the sweet forget-me-nots
40  That grow for happy lovers.
41I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
42  Among my skimming swallows;
43I make the netted sunbeam dance
44  Against my sandy shallows;
45I murmur under moon and stars
46  In brambly wildernesses;
47I linger by my shingly bars;
48  I loiter round my cresses;
49And out again I curve and flow
50  To join the brimming river;
51For men may come and men may go,
52  But I go on for ever.
The Brook” Summary
 The speaker of the poem, the brook itself, explains that it started out in a body of water
where birds called coot and heron often gather. Suddenly, the brook rushes forward. The
sunlight glitters on the water as the brook weaves through greenery that grows beside the
stream bank. The brook then flows gently into a valley.

Gaining momentum, the brook tumbles down many hills and seeps through narrow
crevices on some of the hillsides. Along the way, the brook passes several villages and a
small town, and flows underneath lots of bridges.

Finally, the brook glides past a farm that belongs to a man named Philip. The brook is on
its way to be absorbed by the river, which is already huge and overflowing. The brook
claims that while humans live short, impermanent lives, the brook itself will always
endure.

Picking its journey back up, the brook rushes over stone paths and streets, sounding like
music as it flows over the rocks. The brook pools into bays filled with churning water and
then tumbles over small stones that line the shore or are at the bottom of the bay.

The brook curves around the stream bank and passes many meadows and plots of
farmland, both in use and left to rest, as it travels through the countryside. It also flows
alongside land that seems to belong to fairies, its landscape dotted with green leafy plants
and delicate blossoms.

Rushing along, the brook makes little trickling noises as it travels to the almost
overflowing river. The brook reminds the listener that human life is fleeting, but the
brook itself is eternal.

The brook meanders through the countryside, zig zagging across the landscape. It points
out a flower drifting along with its waters, a few particularly hearty trout, and some
freshwater fish called graylings.

Occasionally, the brook's water bubbles up and foams as it journeys toward the river. The
surface of the brook sometimes forms little waves that crash melodically on top of the
pebbles and sand down below in the stream bed.
 The vigorous brook pulls the pebbles, flower petals, and fish along with it as it rushes to
join up with the large river. While humankind's time on earth is short and temporary, the
brook will continue to live on with no end in sight.

The brook quietly creeps past meadows and fields carpeted with grass and slips through
densely planted hazel trees that shade the landscape. The rippling water nudges
wildflowers called forget-me-nots that grow along the stream bank; the brook says these
particular wildflowers are meant for people who are blissfully in love.

The brook describes how it moves along quietly, sometimes looking dark and murky.
Other times, the light playfully bounces off of the stream (or perhaps the stream bounces
off of the riverbank). All the while, birds called swallows barely brush the water's surface
as they search for food. The sunlight shines through the foliage that surrounds the stream,
casting a woven pattern on the surface of the water; reflecting on a moving surface, the
sunlight looks like it is dancing playfully upon the brook's sandy, shallow water.

The water makes low, quiet sounds as it travels during nighttime, flowing past a forest
filled with prickly shrubs. The stream slows its pace when it comes to a sandbank heaped
with little pebbles and spends another unhurried moment swirling around the leafy greens
(such as watercress) that grow in the shallow waters of the stream.

Once again, the brook continues its winding journey to merge with the big river. The
brook reminds listeners that although individual humans are born and die, the brook is
eternal.

 “The Brook” Themes

o
 Mortal Humans vs. Eternal Nature

In Tennyson’s “The Brook,” the poem's refrain, “For men may come and men
may go, / But I go on for ever” is repeated four times, as the speaker of the poem
—the brook—emphasizes the central theme of the poem: that human life is
fleeting, while the brook, as part of the larger tapestry of nature, will endure
forever.

The refrain treats humankind as impermanent—as individuals who “come” and

“go”—and nature as eternal. In fact, the only two verbs associated with humans in
the poem are “come” and “go,” suggesting that human life is breezy and short-
lived, and that humans don’t endure the way that nature does. The brook, in
contrast, firmly asserts that “I go on for ever.” This claim of permanence is
bolstered by the way that the brook appears to be constantly renewing itself and
changing throughout the poem, adapting effortlessly to the surrounding landscape.
On the journey to the “brimming river,” the brook “make[s] a sudden sally”
(rushes forth), condenses itself so that it can “slip between the ridges” of a rocky
hillside, and contorts itself to fit the landscape as it “curve[s]” along the twists and
turns of the riverbank. Paradoxically, such constant change and adaptability allow
the brook to be unchanging on a more fundamental level—to “go on for ever,”
despite whatever lies in its path. The water of the brook moves constantly, but the
brook remains forever a brook. Near the end of the poem, though the brook seems
to be slowing down in the second to last stanza as it “linger[s]” and “loiter[s],” it
finds new energy in the final stanza: “And out again I curve and flow / To join the
brimming river; / For men may come and men may go, / But I go on for ever.”
The use of the word “again” in these lines further draws attention to the way that
the brook will continue to renew itself time and time again, never ceasing to exist
the way that humans do.
The brook further points to the fleeting nature of human life in lines 39-40, when
the brook rushes past “the sweet forget-me-nots / That grow for happy lovers.”
The “forget-me-not” is a type of wildflower. Its name hails from a German legend
about two lovers walking alongside a river. Seeing the blossoms on the riverbank,
the man decides to pick a handful of the wildflowers for his love. As he does so,
though, he gets swept up in the churning river and calls to his lover to never
forget him. This myth imbues Tennyson’s “happy lovers” with deeper
significance. The poem implies that all things human, both individual lives and
the love between two people, will be swept away by the passage of time and
mortality, while the brook and nature itself will live on.
o
 The Beauty and Power of Nature

In “The Brook,” Tennyson illustrates how nature, though captivating in its beauty,
is at the same time powerful and indifferent to the plight of humankind, making it
worthy of appreciation, respect, and perhaps even fear.

Tennyson uses a lively group of verbs and thoughtful imagery to depict the brook
as both beautiful and powerful. Throughout its journey, the brook describes how it
“sparkle[s],” “bubble[s],” and “make[s] the netted sunbeam dance.” These
positive verbs infuse the brook, and the wider natural world, with a certain
playfulness and beauty. Tennyson further depicts nature as being lovely and
idyllic through evocative images like the “lusty trout” and the delicate “blossom
sailing” gently on the water’s surface. The brook’s beauty is even reflected
through the various sounds it makes. As the brook “chatter[s] over stony ways,”
the sound of the water tumbling over rocks rings out like “little sharps and
trebles,” clearly aligning the brook with music. Similarly, Tennyson’s use
of onomatopoeia means that many of the brook’s actions contain a sort of
musical quality, as the brook “babble[s],” “chatter[s],” and “murmur[s]” as if it
were singing. Furthermore, the brook’s resilience lends it a certain presence and
power; it molds itself around the rest of the landscape, effortlessly “slip[ping]
between the ridges” of rocky hills, bumping across the backs of stones along the
way, and “wind[ing] about, in and out,” whenever necessary—nothing will stand
in its way.

Even as it highlights the depths of nature’s beauty and power, the poem also
underscores that nature is indifferent to humankind. The refrain, “For men may
come and men may go, / But I go on for ever” neatly encapsulates this idea,
painting human life as wholly insignificant. The brook is concerned only with
itself and other elements of nature, as evidenced by the brook’s frequent repetition
of the word “I” and observations about the surrounding “brambly wildernesses,”
“moon and stars,” and “lawns and grassy plots.” In contrast, the brook barely
mentions humans at all. Near the beginning of the brook’s journey (lines 7-8), the
brook flows alongside “twenty thorps, a little town, / And half a hundred bridges.”
In this instance, the brook mentions the spaces that humans have carved out for
themselves on the natural landscape without bothering to acknowledge the
humans themselves. Moments later, the brook slides past “Philip’s farm” on the
way to the river. Although it’s curious that the brook knows this man’s name in
the first place, the brook doesn’t pause to explain who Philip is or give him any
wider significance. It is not Philip that the brook recognizes, but the farm that will
outlive him—even as the brook itself will outlive the farm. Another example of
the brook’s indifference to humans appears in lines 39-40, which briefly mention
a pair of “happy lovers” among the wildflowers. Folded into these lines is
an allusion to a German myth about a man who is swept away in a river while
trying to pluck forget-me-nots for his beloved, presumably resulting in his death
by drowning—making these “happy lovers” a dark reminder of nature’s
overwhelming power and callousness toward humans.
o
 Human Life and Death

Even as the poem sets up a contrast between the eternal brook (and eternal nature
as a whole) versus mortal humanity, it simultaneously establishes the brook as an
extended metaphor for human life and, perhaps, death.

The brook changes and matures as the poem unfolds, reflecting the natural aging
process that all humans experience, and signaling that the brook’s journey to “join
the brimming river” represents the course of a human life. At the beginning of the
poem, the brook is dynamic; it “hurr[ies],” “chatter[s],” “bickers,” “babble[s],”
and “sparkle[s]” as it curves across the landscape like an energetic, exuberant
child. As the poem continues and then comes to a close, though, the brook
gradually seems to ease its pace, echoing the way time works on humans,
transforming them from spirited children to elderly folks who, like the brook just
before it reaches the river, “murmur,” “linger,” and “loiter” as they move slowly
through their days.

As part of the extended metaphor of the brook representing human life, the

brook’s joining with the river could be read as death and afterlife, as the brook is
absorbed by something greater than itself and lives on for eternity that way.
However, this reading is complicated by the certainty of the brook’s refrain that
it “go[es] on for ever,” while humans merely “come” and “go”; the refrain states
unequivocally that while the brook lives on as part of the “brimming river,”
humans only live from birth to death, and no further. Thus, the brook in the poem
asserts that men are simply mortal and therefore do not “go on for ever,” but the
extended metaphor that equates the brook's path to human life can be seen as
implying that humans, in death, join a kind of afterlife—a “brimming river” of
their own. This tension surrounding human life and death is never resolved in the
poem, a fact which perhaps reflects a kind of uncertainty or fear on Tennyson’s
part about whether there really is such a thing as human immortality as taught by
 Christianity (that is, that Christians receive “everlasting life” by going to Heaven
after death). This uncertainty is a notable theme found in many of Tennyson’s
later poems even as some other of his poems, such as his famous poem “Crossing
the Bar,” express more confidence in Christian teachings of human immortality
in Heaven.

 Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Brook”

o Lines 1-4

The brook, the speaker of the poem, explains its origins in the first line of the
poem, claiming to have “come from haunts of coot and hern,” meaning ponds or
marshes frequented by coot and heron (two kinds of coastal and freshwater birds).
This description of a location both gives the brook a starting point from which it
can begin its journey, and is significant because it foregrounds nature—the “coot
and hern,” along with their “haunts,” meaning their natural habitats. In this way,
the first line hints at the brook’s attitude toward nature versus humankind; it is
altogether focused on the natural world around it (of which it is also a part), and
sees nature as powerful, important, and enduring. (Humans, in contrast, are just
insignificant and temporary visitors—something the brook will explicitly spell out
later.)

In the second line, the brook begins its journey with a big rush of energy. The
word “sally” suggests that the brook surges forward enthusiastically, but the word
can also have a militaristic meaning, suggesting that the brook is making a sudden
raid or assault. While the brook isn’t exactly harsh and combative throughout the
poem, the martial language emphasizes that the brook is nonetheless a powerful
force to be reckoned with. This ties in with the broader idea that nature is
powerful and enduring.
The brook is energetic and lively throughout the bulk of the poem. For instance,
the word “sparkle” in the third line gives the brook a certain playfulness, and
implies that sunlight is reflecting off of the water’s surface. In the fourth line, the
word "bicker" means that the brook is making a pleasant trickling sound as it
flows into the valley; however, the other, and perhaps more common, meaning of
the word bicker—to squabble or argue—subtly gives the brook a more human
quality, setting the brook up to be an extended metaphor for human life. In this
part of that journey, with its quickness and energy, the brook is like a young child.

The first stanza showcases the structure and meter that persists for the rest of the
poem. As a ballad, "The Brook" is broken up into stanzas of four lines, which
breaks the poem up into more digestible chunks. The lines are written in common
meter—a commonly used meter that alternates between lines of iambic tetrameter
and iambic trimeter, or four metric feet per line and three metric feet per line,
each with an unstressed-stressed pattern of syllables. However, as the first stanza
shows, Tennyson put a little twist on common meter:

I come from haunts of coot and hern:
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley.

Note how the second and fourth lines of the poem diverge slightly from common
meter by ending in an extra unstressed syllable. In other words, the second and
fourth lines of the poem are written in iambic trimeter, or three metric feet
of unstressed-stressed syllables—with an extra unstressed syllable floating at the
end. This is called a feminine ending, and is actually quite common in poetry. The
purpose of feminine endings in "The Brook" is manifold. For now, notice how the
feminine endings actually draw attention to the masculine (stressed) endings of
the first and third lines: "hern" and "fern." In giving these words special emphasis,
 the poem emphasizes the importance of the "hern" and "fern" themselves, as
elements of nature. In other words, the feminine endings in this stanza actually
underscore the poem's broader claim that nature's power and importance is
unparalleled.

Introduction
This poem is extracted from “The Brook” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The
poet speaks in the voice of a brook, or a small stream, and tells us about the
journey it goes through to finally merge with the river. The poem is divided
into twelve stanzas. The rhyme scheme of each stanza is abab.
Stanza 1- 3
I come from haunts of coot and hern,

I make a sudden sally

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down,

Or slip between the ridges,

By twenty thorpes, a little town,

And half a hundred bridges.

Till last by Philip’s farm I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The poet assumes the voice of the brook. The brook says that it comes from
the haunts of coot and hern. So, it originates in a water body that is home to
birds such as the coot and the heron. It makes a sudden sally, or rushes
forward suddenly. Its water sparkles under the sunlight as it flows among
ferns. Then the brook flows down a valley.

The brook runs down thirty hills, or slips into the gaps between the hills. It
flows by twenty thorpes or villages, a little town, and half a hundred bridges.

At last, it flows by Philip’s farm to join the brimming river. The brook finally
joins the river after flowing past the farm of a man named Philip. It insists
that men may come and men may go, but it goes on for ever. This means that
although humans live short lives that are constantly changing, the brook will
last forever.

Stanza 4- 6
I chatter over stony ways,

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

With many a curve my banks I fret

By many a field and fallow,

And many a fairy foreland set

With willow-weed and mallow.

I chatter, chatter, as I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The brook flows over stony ways creating musical notes such as little sharps
and trebles. It bubbles into swirling seas and makes a murmuring sound on
the pebbles that line the bottom.

It curves many times along its banks, and passes by many a field and fallow.
Fallow land is the farmland that is not currently under cultivation. It also
passes by places that are so beautiful and enchanting that they seem to be
inhabited by fairies. These lands are filled with plants such as willow-weed
and mallow.

The brook makes noises that seem like chatter as it flows to join the
brimming river. It again repeats that men may come and men may go, but it
goes on for ever. Human lives are short and temporary, but forces of nature
such as the brook are permanent.

Stanza 7- 9
I wind about, and in and out,

With here a blossom sailing,

And here and there a lusty trout,

And here and there a grayling,

And here and there a foamy flake

Upon me, as I travel

With many a silvery waterbreak

Above the golden gravel,

And draw them all along, and flow

To join the brimming river

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The brook winds about, or zigzags in and out of many places. It sometimes
finds a flower blossom sailing along its surface. It also finds fish such as trout
and graylings in its waters.

Sometimes, the brook foams up as it flows. It travels with many a silvery

waterbreak above the golden gravel. This means that the surface of the brook
breaks out in silvery waves that crash against the sand and pebbles below it.

The brook draws all these things along and flows to join the brimming river.
The brook once again says that men may come and men may go, but it goes
on for ever.

Stanza 10- 12
I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows;

I make the netted sunbeam dance

Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and stars

In brambly wildernesses;

I linger by my shingly bars;

I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The brook slips, slides, glooms and glances. The word “gloom” represents
how the brook might turn dark and murky at times. The other words represent
its playful nature. It is accompanied by skimming swallows. Birds known as
swallows brush the surface of the brook as they search for food. The brook
makes netted sunbeams dance against its sandy shallows. When sunlight
passes through the surface of water, it forms a netted shadow on the sand
below the water. This shadow keeps moving because of the flowing water,
making it look like the sunlight is dancing.

The brook passes quietly in the night time under moon and stars as it flows
past forests filled with shrubs. It slows down to linger by its shingly bars, or
banks filled with little pebbles. It takes its time to loiter round the plants that
grow along its banks, such as cresses.

It then it curves out and flows to join the brimming river. It ends by again
stating that men may come and men may go, but the brook goes on for ever.

Conclusion
This poem narrates the journey of a brook. It flows over hills and by villages,
seeing various sights on its way, to ultimately join the river. The brook’s
journey shows us the beauty and power of nature. It also makes us aware of
human mortality and nature’s eternity.

The Brook by Tennyson — Analysis

Stanza by stanza analysis
Stanza 1 ..
I come from haunts of coot and hern, I make a sudden sally And sparkle out among the
fern, To bicker down a valley.
Here Tennyson, a keen observer of Nature, personifies a rocky stream when he describes
its cross country journey. This is why, the stream describes itself as a human being that
observes the myriad manifestations of Nature along its path. This is why, the word ‘I’
appears as the narrator.
The stream originates from a place which is a habitat of aquatic birds like the coot and
the heron. Then it takes a quick sharp turn to enter a field where the flowerless wild fern
grows. Then, it makes the ‘bickering’ sound (akin to humans) as it moves down the
valley.
Stanza 2 ..
By thirty hills I hurry down, Or slip between the ridges, By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.
The stream races past a land full of hills. The number ‘thirty’ is used as a metaphor to
denote the vast number of hills the stream passes by. It makes it way through ridges
that are common in hilly terrains. As it continues its journey, it leaves behind many
villages and a town and so many bridges. Like the earlier word ‘thirty’, the words
‘twenty’ and ‘half a hundred’ have been used to express a great number.
Stanza 3 ..
Till last by Philip’s farm I flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men
may go, But I go on for ever.
The stream has assumed the garb of a human being. It knows a man called Phillip whose
farm it flows by before it plunges in to a river full of water. Then, the stream gloats over
its ability to defy the ravages of time. It says that it has outlived even the mightiest men
born on earth. The author has perhaps been overwhelmed by the timeless existence of
the stream and man’s helplessness before the cycle of birth and death.
Stanza 4 ..
I chatter over stony ways, In little sharps and trebles, I bubble into eddying bays, I
babble on the pebbles.
The terrain the stream travels through is vast and varied. It negotiates turns, runs over
trebles, blows up bubbles when the going gets rough. When it dashes against the
innumerable stones and pebbles, it makes a continuous drone.
Stanza 5 ..
With many a curve my banks I fret  By many a field and fallow,  And many a fairy
foreland set  With willow-weed and mallow.
The stream appears to rejoice at its gorgeous flow through the undulated countryside
that abounds in farming fields and uncultivated lands. It flows past some pieces of land
that have rich vegetation. They look exquisitely beautiful. There are the willow-weeds
and mallows. Colorful birds chirp in the company of humming insects and butterflies
that look like fairies from the sky.
Stanza 6 ..
I chatter, chatter, as I flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men may
go, But I go on for ever.
The stream, agog with exuberance and joy, continues with its ‘chatter’. It flows
relentlessly to meet its final destination – the brimming river. The stream appears to
have an uncanny ability to weather the vagaries of nature and defy the onslaught of
time. It is indestructible, unlike the boastful humans who, despite their best efforts, can
not escape the jaws of death.
Stanza 7 ..
I wind about, and in and out, With here a blossom sailing, And here and there a lusty
trout, And here and there a grayling,
As the stream continues its journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside, it gets a
flower as its companion. It carries the flower along. It happily offers sanctuary to small
fishes like the trout and the grayling.
Stanza 8 ..
And here and there a foamy flake Upon me, as I travel With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel,
The stream encounters turbulence along its way as it hits various obstacles like stones,
rock pieces and gold-colored gravels. The splash creates foams and bubbles. These
foams shine brilliantly in sunshine assuming a silvery glow.
Stanza 9 ..
And draw them all along, and flow To join the brimming river For men may come and
men may go, But I go on for ever.
The force of the flowing water of the stream pushes all that come its way – from the
light flower to sand particles to gravel and stones. The destination remains the same –
the brimming river where the stream will empty its contents. This relentless flow of the
stream continues unmindful of time’s devouring potential. It is not a mortal like the
humans who have to surrender to death and destruction one day or the other.
Stanza 10 ..
I steal by lawns and grassy plots, I slide by hazel covers; I move the sweet forget-me-
nots That grow for happy lovers.
The stream passes by lawns and patches of meadows. It leaves behind shrubs like the
hazel. Some blue-colored ornamental flowers like the ‘forget-me-not’ associated with
romance fall on the waters of the stream. It carries them gladly. Thus, the stream
becomes nature’s messenger of love, life and longevity.
Stanza 11 ..
I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance, Among my skimming swallows; I make the netted
sunbeam dance Against my sandy shallows.
The stream has to maneuver its way past the many obstacles that tend to stop it. But,
the exuberant stream is unstoppable. It flows as the swallow birds looking for insects
skim over the surface of its water. The stream dances majestically in the sunlight as it
flows past its shallow sandy banks.
Stanza 12 ..
I murmur under moon and stars In brambly wildernesses; I linger by my shingly bars; I
loiter round my cresses;
The stream has no break in its journey. During its journey at night, it sees the moon and
the stars. The wilderness of the surrounding full of the thorny bramble shrubs does not
unnerve it. It mingles with the sand pebbles and the cabbage like plants. This stretch of
the journey appears to be slower in pace.
Stanza 13 ..
And out again I curve and flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men
may go, But I go on for ever.
Then the flow resumes in its relentless pace negotiating turns and curves. Finally it joins
the river, its final destiny. The stream again mocks the humans as ordinary mortals who
get consumed by time. On the other hand, the stream is perennial and undying.
—————————————————————.———————
The Brook [in 200 words]
 

Here Tennyson, a keen observer of Nature, personifies a rocky stream while describing
its cross-country journey. This is why, the word ‘I’ appears as the narrator.
The stream originates from a place inhabited by aquatic birds like the coot and the
heron. Then it takes a quick sharp turn to enter a field full of ferns. It makes a ‘bickering’
sound as it moves down the valley crossing some hills and their ridges. It leaves behind
many villages, bridges and a town.
The Brook Phillip whose farm it flows by before it plunges in to a river. The author
underlines man’s helplessness before the cycle of birth and death.
It flows past beautiful land rich in vegetation. There are the willow-weeds and mallows.
Colorful birds chirp joined by humming insects and butterflies.
The Brook flows relentlessly until it meets the brimming river. Small fishes like the trout
and the grayling live in its waters. The stream passes by lawns and meadows meeting
shrubs like the hazel.
It flows as the swallow birds looking for insects skim over the surface of its water.
Finally it joins the river, its final destiny. The stream again mocks the humans as ordinary
mortals who get consumed by time.
THE BROOK Line by Line – Explanation

Alfred Tennyson

Born – 6 August 1809, England

Died – 6 October 1892, England.

He was known as poet laureate of great Britain and Ireland

and was one of the most popular poet of the time

Notable works –

a) The

kraken

b) The lotos

eaters

c) Ulysses

d) In memoriam

e) The eagle

LINE BY LINE EXPLANATION

STANZA – 1

I come from haunts of coot and hern

I make a sudden sally,

And sparkle out among the fern,

To bicker down a valley.

Ø The brook
starts from those places which are often visited by the coot and hern (heron).

The brook emerges suddenly in this hilly area. It moves through the ferns and

sparkles when the sunshine reflects the crystal clear water. And when the brook

moves creates a lot of noise.

Poetic devices used –

‘I” (Line-1) – The whole poem brook is personified

‘hern’ is an example of poetic license. The word

‘heron’ has been turned into ‘hern’ to match the rhyming word ‘hern’.

‘I` …………….`(Line – 1)

‘I……………`(Line

– 2) Anaphora

“Sudden sally” (Alliteration)

“Bicker” – (onomatopoeia)

STANZA – 2

By thirty hills I hurry down,

Or slip between the ridges,

By twenty thorps, a little town,

And half a hundred bridges.

This stanza is an account of the

brook’s flowing through different areas. The poet has created wonderful

imageries when we read the brook flowing by thirty hills, slipping between

ridges (long narrow hills), twenty villages, a little town and fifty bridges.

Poetic Devises in use –

1) By thirty

hills I hurry down (Inversion)

2) Twenty

thorpes (Alliteration)

3) By

………………………..(Line – 1)

……………………………..

By (Line

-3) – Repetition

STANZA – 3

Till last by Philip’s farm I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The poet here tells us about the

merging point of the brook. The brook joins an overflowing river here Philips

farm is symbolised as a land mark of the ending of the journey of the brook.

Last two lines are the refrain bearing the main theme of the poem. The brook is

ever flowing, eternal without ceasing whereas we, the men are ephemeral. We

shall not live forever. We are subject to decay, decline and death.

Poetic – Devices in use

1. Till last

by Philip’s farm I flow (inversion)

2. Men may (Alliteration)

3. Come

…………..go (Line-3) (Antithesis)

STANZA – 4

I chatter over stony ways,

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

The

brook goes on the stony path creating chattering sounds. It makes sharp high

pitched sound when the brook clashes on the side banks of the land. It makes

bubbles when it falls from height in the spiral movement. When it moves on the

pebbles it creates soft pleasing sound.

Poetic Devices in use:

1. ‘Chatter`, ‘trebles`, ‘babble` –

onomatopoeia.

2. Line – 3 and Line – 4 –

Anaphora.

STANZA – 5

With many a curve my banks I fret

By many a field and fallow,

And many a fairy foreland set

With willow-weed and mallow.

The

brook moves on taking many curves and creates rough and unpleasant sound on the

banks of the brook. The brook moves through many field and uncultivated lands.

The brook goes through the foreland i.e. the land just before the merging

point. The poet describes the land to be fairy land as with flowers and

beautiful plants like willow and mallow it looks so.

Poetic Devices in use:

1. “With

many a curve my banks I fret” – Inversion.

2. “fairly foreland”,”

with willow seed” – Alliteration.

STANZA – 6

I chatter, chatter, as I flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The brook creates various sounds before

merging with its destination .The last two lines are the examples of refrain

which highlights the eternal state of the brook and its activity and the

ephemeral state of we, the humans.

Poetic Device in use :

1. Chatter

chatter- Repetition

2. Chatter

– Onomatopoeia

3. Chatter

chatter , men may –Alliteration

4. ……….come

………go- Antithesis

STANZA-7

I wind about, and in

and out ,

With here a blossom

sailing
And here and there a

lusty trout

And here and there a

grayling

The

brook on its way had lots of ups and downs and in its winding movement it often

falls from height and goes in deep water and comes out to continue to flow. The

brook carries blossoms on its way. Along with the brook there go a lot of

fishes like lusty trout and grayling.

Poetic Device in use:

1) …………………..and

in and out – Antithesis

2) 2)

………about and – Alliteration

3) Line (3)

and ……………………

(4)

………………….. Anaphora.

4) here and there – Repetition

STANZA – 8

And here and there a foamy flake

Upon me, as I travel

With many a silvery water break

Above the golden gravel,

When the brook moves , the waves clash with

each other and creates bubbles and those bubbles in group make pieces of foams.The

brook moves through different curves and the clashes creates silvery water

break .These foams and silvery water break can be visible on the surface of
the water and at the base of the brook there are golden coloured stones .

Poetic device in use –

1 here and there – Antithesis

2.

foamy flake ,golden gravel –Alliteration

STANZA-9

And draw them all along, and flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

The

brook carries fishes, foams and flowers with it to join the brimming river. And

then the refrain comes meaning the eternal state of the river to that of

transient one of humans.

Poetic device in use:

1) All

along, men may – Alliteration

2) Men may –

Repetition

3) Com

…………….go – Antithesis.

STANZA – 10

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,

I slide by hazel covers ;

I move the sweet forget-me-nots

That grow for happy lovers.”

 The

brook secretly moves though the grassy plots and lawns and moves swiftly by the

bushy hazel trees. The brook shakes and sweet forget – me- not flowers which

grow for happy lovers.

Poetic – Devices in use.

1) I (Line –

1,2 and 3) – Anaphora.

STANZA – 11

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,

Among my skimming swallows ;

I make the netted sunbeam dance

Against my sandy shallows.

The

brook moves along making different movements like slipping, sliding, moving

through darkness and so on. And there we find swallow birds to skim on the

surface of the water for food. The brook waves create a net like structure on

which the sunshine sparkles and it seems to us as if the sun beams are dancing.

Poetic Devices in use

1) I slip, I

slide, ZI gloom, I glance – Asyndeton

2) Skimming

swallows – sandy shallows – Alliteration

STANZA – 12

I murmur under moon and stars

In brambly wildernesses ;

I linger by my shingly bars ;

I loiter round my cresses ;

 At

night under the moon and stars, the brook goes on moving creating murmuring

sound through the natural land where thorny bushes grow. The brook often

lingers because of the stones on the way. The brook water moves purposelessly

around the plant named cresses.

Poetic Device in use

1) Murmur –

Onomatopoeia.

2) 2) Line –

2 and 3 – Anaphora.

STANZA – 13

And out again I curve and flow

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But I go on for ever.

After

facing the obstacles the brook again takes a curve and starts flowing to join

the brimming river. Last two lines refer to the refrain meaning the eternal

state of the brook and transient state of the humans.

Poetic Device in use.

1) And out

again I curve and flow – Inversion,

2) Men…may –

Alliteration

3) Men… may

– Repetition

The brook summary

           The poem "The Brook" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
is one of the most rhythmic and picturesque poems in
English. In the poem, the poet traces the journey of the
brook or stream as it rushes down from the remote hills to
join the overflowing river in the valley below.

The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges,

the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coot and heron. It
makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out
among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook
hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and
passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little
town. It chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling
laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows
by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming
sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an
overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and
happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside,
it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily
offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling. 

In the course of the journey, the brook meets various

obstacles like stone, pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. The
forces of the current push all that comes it's way from the
flower to sand particles, gravel, and stones. It moves by
lawns, grassy lands, hazel bushes, and those forget-me-
nots that grow for lovers to cherish. The brook passes by
the skimming swallows looking for insects and it dances
majestically in the sunlight as it flows past its shallow
sandy bank. The brook flows through the thorny shrubs
amidst the wilderness, pebbles, and plants like watercress
creating a soft and low sound in the silence of night under
the moonlight and stars. Finally, it joins the brimming river
- the final destination.

The poet, through a series of sound images and

onomatopoeic words, describes the movement of the
brook and bring out certain universal truths which form the
central idea of the poem: that human life is transitory, but
the nature is eternal; that there is an end to every form of
life, but the brook, a representation of nature, is
everlasting. This idea is expressed in the line which forms
the refrain of the poem - 
  "For men may come and men may go,
    But I go on forever".

 the brook summary video in hindi

The brook poem question and answers

A. Answer the following questions in one or two
words
1. Where does the brook come from?
Ans: The brook comes from the dwelling places of water birds like coot and
heron.
2. Whom does the brook want to join at the end of its journey?

Ans: The brook wants to join the overflowing river at the

end of its journey.

3. What are the flowers that grow near the brook?

Ans: The sweet forget-me-nots, the bright blue flowers grow near the brook.

4. Mention the name of the bird that flies above the brook? 
Ans: The swallow, a swift flying songbird, lies above the brook.

5. Where was the poet born?

Ans: The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson was born in Lincolnshire, England.

B. Answer the following questions in a few words.

1. What does the brook do as it flows down?
Ans: The brook comes out from the dwelling places of water birds like coot
and heron. It makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out among the
ferns. It bickers down a valley, slips between the ridges of hills, chatters aloud,
bubbles, and babbles. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by the
hazels moves aside the forget-me-nots, slips, glooms, glances, and murmurs
under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.

2. Mention some of the words relating to sound scattered throughout the

poem.
Ans: The words relating to sound scattered throughout the poem 'The Brook'
are - bicker, chatter, sharps and trebles, bubbles, babble, and murmur.

3. Mention some words relating to movement in the poem.

Ans: Words relating to movement in the poem 'The Brook' are - sally, sparkle,
slip, flow, eddying, wind, loiter, linger,  dance, skimming, slide, gloom, glance,
move, steal, draw, travel, sailing, come and go.

4. What does the brook represent? Human life or nature.

Ans: In the poem, the brook represents nature. The brook, through its
activities, shows that human life is temporary but nature is eternal. In human
life, there is an end to every life but the brook having no end keeps on flowing
ever and ever.

5. Explain the line " I murmur under moon and stars/In the brambly
wilderness".
Ans: The lines refer to the movement of the brook. The brook flows through
the thorny shrubs amidst the wilderness creating a soft and low sound in the
silence of the night under the moonlight and stars.

C. Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.

1. Quote the refrain of the poem 'The Brook'. Explain it briefly.
Ans: In a poem or song, the refrain is that part which repeated several times.
The refrains in the poem 'The Brook' is - 
  "For men may come and men may go,
    But I go on forever". 

This refrain is replete with deep thought. It is a constant reminder to the

readers that human life is temporary/transitory whereas nature, represented
by the brook, is permanent/eternal. The refrain further highlights the central
idea of the poem and maintains its unity.

2. Which lines in the poem compare the brook to a human being?

Ans: The comparison is brought in the refrain -

  "For men may come and men may go,

    But I go on forever".

These lines bring an effective contrast between the

transient nature of human and eternal flow of nature,
represented by the brook.

3. Describe in brief the journey of the brook in the early part of the poem.
Ans: The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges, the dwelling
places of aquatic birds like coot and heron. It makes a sudden movement and
flows sparkling out among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook
hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and passes through many
small villages, bridges, and a little town. It chatters on its stony path babbles
with gurgling laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows by the
farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming sunlight in a curving
movement before it joins into an overflowing river.

D. Give suitable answers to the following.

1. Discuss in brief the beauty of nature as described by the poet in the
poem.
Ans: The poet Lord Tennyson in his poem 'The Brook' describes the beauty
of nature at its best as he traces the journey of the brook rushing down from
the remote hills to join the overflowing river in the valley below.

The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges,

the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coot and heron. It
makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out
among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook
hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and
passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little
town. It chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling
laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows
by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming
sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an
overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and
happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside,
it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily
offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling. 

In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone,
pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by
the hazels moves aside the forget-me-nots, slip, glooms, glances, and
murmurs under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.

Thus all through the poem, the poet has depicted the beauty of nature in a
picturesque and vivid way.

2. How does the poet convey the central idea of the poem through the
journey?
Ans: In the poem 'The Brook' the poet Lord Tennyson, describes the journey
of the brook and brings out certain universal truths which form the central idea
of the poem i.e. human life is temporary but nature is eternal.

The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges,

the dwelling places of aquatic birds like coot and heron. It
makes a sudden movement and flows sparkling out
among the ferns, bickering down a valley. The brook
hurries down many hills, slips between the ridges and
passes through many small villages, bridges, and a little
town. It chatter on its stony path babbles with gurgling
laughter like a child as it flows into eddying bays. It flows
by the farms of a man called Philip, fields in the brimming
sunlight in a curving movement before it joins into an
overflowing river. As the brook continues its excited and
happy journey amid the flora and fauna of the countryside,
it carries the flower and foamy flake along and happily
offers refuge to fishes like trout and grayling. 

In the course of the journey, the brook meets various obstacles like stone,
pebbles, and 'golden gravel'. Further, it steals quietly on grasslands, slides by
the hazels move aside the forget-me-nots, slip, glooms, glances and murmurs
under the night sky to finally join the brimming river.

This journey of the brook is a representation of nature is everlasting whereas

human life is short-lived and transitory. This idea is clearly exhibited in the
refrain of the poem -

  "For men may come and men may go,

    But I go on forever".

The brook poem extra question and answers

1. What makes the brook sparkle?
Ans: The brook sparkles because the rays which come from the sun fall on its
watery surface. This surface reflects the sunlight and creates a sparkling
effect.

2. What does coot and hern mean?

Ans: 'Coot' means a small waterbird and 'hern' means freshwater and coastal
birds with long-legged.

3. Who is I referred to in the poem The Brook?

Ans: Here 'I' is referred to the brook in the poem brook because the poet
made the brook as the speaker of the poem.
 4. What does the brook take along with itself?
Ans: The brook takes many things along with a journey like a
blossom(flower), lusty trout(fish), grayling(fish), etc.

5. What flowers does the brook for happy lovers?

Ans: Forget-me-not is the flower in the brook that grow for happy lovers.

A place where a particular person or group spend a lot of time. In this case, "haunts"
refers to the ponds or lakes that freshwater birds frequent.

Coot are duck-like water birds that dwell in ponds, lakes, and streams. "Hern," a word
Tennyson made up, refers to herons: large, long-legged birds that wade in fresh water
and eat fish.

A journey that is begun abruptly; in the poem, the brook "make[s] a sudden sally,"
meaning that it abruptly begins its journey to the river. Sally may also refer to a sudden
military attack, which speaks to the brook's energy and power.

To pitter patter gently on a surface. Here, the brook is flowing down a valley and making
pleasant trickling sounds in the process.


Bicker can also refer to arguing about small and meaningless things. At the beginning of
the poem, the brook is lively and energetic like a child, and this youthfulness is
strengthened by the word "bicker," which paints a mental image of small children
squabbling about something trivial, like their toys.

A Middle English word for small villages.

Full or overflowing. In this case, the brook is going to be absorbed by a river that is so
big, it's already spilling over.

Swirling and churning. The "eddying bays" are lively and powerful, like a small whirlpool.

To form small waves, or to slowly corrode something by rubbing against it. In the case
of the first definition, the brook's surface breaks into small waves as it sloshes around
the curved stream bank. The second definition of "fret" suggests that the brook is slowly
wearing down the bank by constantly flowing around the curvature of the land.

Farmland that is plowed but unsown, often left alone for a certain period of time so that
the land can rest and become more fertile between harvests.


 A narrow strip of land that juts out into a body of water.

Willow-weed is a leafy green weed that grows on land or in swampy areas. Mallow are
flowering plants that produce purple, pink, and white blossoms.

Hearty, energetic, and healthy.

A type of freshwater fish known for its vibrant silver and violet coloring.

Small waves capped with whitewater, or foam.

A disruption on the surface of a stream, usually caused by an obstruction (such as a

large rock) down in the stream bed.


 A dense thicket of hazel trees and shrubs. The vegetation is so close together that it
forms a kind of "cover" or canopy.

A type of wildflower, usually with vibrant blue petals. The name "forget-me-nots" comes
from a German myth that tells the story of two lovers strolling alongside a river. The
man notices the beautiful blue wildflowers and stops to pick and handful for his love. In
picking the flowers, the man loses his balance and is promptly swept away by the river.
As he disappears, he yells to his beloved to "forget me not."

Swallows are a type of bird that are known for just barely brushing the surface of the
ground or water as they fly, hence the swallows in this poem that "skim" the surface of
the brook in search of a meal.

A bramble is a thorny shrub or tree (such as a blackberry shrub or a rose bush), so

"brambly wildernesses" means that the landscape is studded with these prickly shrubs.

Shingle refers to a pile of small stones that accumulates on the seashore. A bar is a
sandbank in a shallow part of a river or in the sea. In the poem, then, "shingly bars"
means bank covered in stones, like a pebble beach.




Cress is a leafy vegetable that grows when submerged in water. A commonly known
type of cress is watercress.