Class 11 commerce students can refer to Poem 2 The Laburnum Top notes given below which is an important Poem in the class 11 English book. These notes and important questions and answers have been prepared based on the latest CBSE and NCERT syllabus and books issued for the current academic year. Our team of English teachers has prepared these notes for class 11 English for the benefit of students so that you can read these revision notes and understand each topic carefully.

The Laburnum Top Notes Class 11 English

Refer to the notes and important questions given below for The Laburnum Top which is really useful and has been recommended by Class 11 English teachers. Understanding the concepts in detail and then solving questions by yourself will help you to learn all topics given in your NCERT Books.

THEME: 

The poem presents a vivid description of the laburnum tree which comes alive as the mother bird gold finch arrives to feed its young ones. Mother is like a pivot that feeds and
supports the machinery of the family.

MAIN POINTS:

• The poet has drawn a beautiful picture of an autumn afternoon. The laburnum tree is silent and still. Its leaves have turned yellow and some seeds have fallen. The whole tree comes to life with the arrival of the gold finch.
• Poet has compared the alert, abrupt and sleek movement of the goldfinch with a lizard. After feeding her young ones the goldfinch flies away towards the infinite sky.
• The laburnum tree becomes quiet and silent once again. The poet has compared the laburnum tree with a machine which starts up at the arrival of its engine(goldfinch).

POETIC DEVICES:

1. SIMILE: Sleek as a lizard ( goldfinch has been compared with a lizard)
2. ALLITERATION: a) September sunlight
(b) And Alert and abrupt
(c) Tree trembles (repetition of sound)
(d) Whistle-chirrup whisperings

3. Metaphor:
(a) A machine starts up (family of goldfinch has been referred to as machine).
(b) It is the engine of her family (the goldfinch is the engine here).
(c) Her barred face identity mask (the shadow on the bird’s face is compared to an identity mask).

4. PERSONIFICATION: The whole tree trembles and thrills

EXTRACTS:
(i) The laburnum top is silent, quite still
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

Question. Describe the effect of season on laburnum tree.
Ans. Since its autumn season, the leaves of the tree have turned yellow and the seeds have fallen.

Question. Which season has been described here?
Ans. Autumn season- “in the afternoon yellow September sunlight”

Question. Identify the poetic device in the second line.
Ans. Alliteration-“September sunlight”

Question. Find out word from the extract which mean:
1. Not moving
2. Quiet
[Ans. l. Still; 2. Silent]

(ii) Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup. A suddenness, a startlement, at a branch end. Then sleek as a lizard, and alert and abrupt, She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up Chitterings, and a tremor of wings, and trillings.

Question. What has she been compared to and why?
Ans. The goldfinch has been compared to a lizard because its movement is quick and alert while trying to find a way to the nest.

Question. Identify the literary device used in second-last line. Explain it.
Ans. Metaphor-“A machine starts up”. The family of the goldfinch has beenreferred to here as a machine. With the arrival of the goldfinch its young ones fill the tree with movements and sounds.

Question. Who does “she” refer to?
Ans. “She” refers to the goldfinch.

Question. Which words have been used by the poet to describe the sudden startlement on the Laburnum tree?
Ans. Chitterings, tremor of wings, trillings.

Question. Which poetic device/s has/have been used in the third line?
Ans. Simile-“Sleek as a lizard”
Alliteration: “And alert and abrupt”.

(iii) The whole tree trembles and thrills. It is the engine of her family. She stokes it full then flirts out to a branch-end Showing her barred face identity mask Then with the eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings She launches away, towards the infinite And the laburnum subsides to empty.

Question. Which poetic device has been used in the second line?
Ans. Metaphor-“lt is the engine of her family”.

Question. Find out word from the extract which means “bizarre and mysterious”
Ans. Eerie

Question. Who is the engine?
Ans. The goldfinch is the engine of her family as it stirs it to life and fills the tree with movements and various sounds.

Question. Which word from the extract can be replaced with “sky”?
Ans. Infinite

Question. What is the meaning of “she stokes it full”?
Ans. The goldfinch has perhaps brought food to feed its young ones which has filled her family with excitement and energy.

Question. Identify the literary device used in the fourth line.
Ans. Metaphor: “showing its barred identity face mask”- the shadow on the face of goldfinch has been referred to as face mask.

Question. Identify the figure of speech in the first line.
Ans. Personification: “the whole tree trembles and thrills”- the laburnum tree has been attributed with human-like qualities. It appears to be making voluntary movements.