"The Darkling Thrush"
11th class Poem
Original Readings
"The Darkling Thrush"
Paraphrasing of the Poem “The Darkling Thrush” By Thomas Hardy:
Stanza-1
I leant upon a coppice gateWhen Frost was spectre-grey, And Winter's dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres,And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-1 line by line:Line 1: "I leant upon a coppice gate"
👉 The poet says he leaned on a wooden gate that opens into a to a small forest or wooded area.
Line 2: "When Frost was spectre-grey,"
👉 It was a cold winter evening, and the frost had turned everything grey and ghost-like.
Line 3: "And Winter's dregs made desolate"
👉 The last remains of winter made the surroundings look empty, lifeless, and sad.
Line 4: "The weakening eye of day."
👉 The fading sunlight was growing weak as the day came to an end.
Line 5: "The tangled bine-stems scored the sky"
👉 The twisted, leafless vines and creepers appeared to scratch across the sky.
Line 6: "Like strings of broken lyres,"
👉 They looked like the broken strings of musical instruments, symbolizing sadness and silence.
Line 7: "And all mankind that haunted nigh"
👉 All the people living nearby had gone indoors.
Line 8: "Had sought their household fires."
👉 They had gathered around their warm home fires, leaving the outside world empty and lonely.
In this stanza, the speaker describes that he stands leaning on a small gate that opens into a wooded area or to a small forest during a cold, wintry evening. The frost has turned everything grey and ghost-like, and the remaining part of the winter has made the surroundings look empty and lifeless. The sunlight is weak as the day ends. The twisted stems of plants look like broken strings of musical instruments stretched across the sky, adding to the sadness of the scene. Everyone nearby has gone home to warm themselves by their fires, leaving the landscape cold, deserted, and silent.
Stanza-2The land's sharp features seemed to be The Century's corpse out leant, His crypt the cloudy canopy,The wind his death-lament. The ancient pulse of germ and birthWas shrunken hard and dry, And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-2:
Line 1: "I leant upon a coppice gate"
👉 The poet says he leaned on a wooden gate that opens into a to a small forest or wooded area.
Line 2: "When Frost was spectre-grey,"
👉 It was a cold winter evening, and the frost had turned everything grey and ghost-like.
Line 3: "And Winter's dregs made desolate"
👉 The last remains of winter made the surroundings look empty, lifeless, and sad.
Line 4: "The weakening eye of day."
👉 The fading sunlight was growing weak as the day came to an end.
Line 5: "The tangled bine-stems scored the sky"
👉 The twisted, leafless vines and creepers appeared to scratch across the sky.
Line 6: "Like strings of broken lyres,"
👉 They looked like the broken strings of musical instruments, symbolizing sadness and silence.
Line 7: "And all mankind that haunted nigh"
👉 All the people living nearby had gone indoors.
Line 8: "Had sought their household fires."
👉 They had gathered around their warm home fires, leaving the outside world empty and lonely.
Stanza 2
Line 1: "The land's sharp features seemed to be"
To the poet, the landscape looked bare, harsh, and lifeless.
Line 2: "The Century's corpse outleant,"
The land looked like the dead body of the 19th century (the century just ending).
Line 3: "His crypt the cloudy canopy,"
The cloudy winter sky seemed like the tomb or burial place of the dead century.
Line 4: "The wind his death-lament."
The cold wind sounded like a mournful song sung for the dead.
Line 5: "The ancient pulse of germ and birth"
The natural energy of life, growth, and creation had stopped beating.
Line 6: "Was shrunken hard and dry,"
That life force seemed dried up and lifeless in the cold of winter— everything seemed lifeless.
Line 7: "And every spirit upon earth"
All living beings, including humans.
Line 8: "Seemed fervourless as I."
Seemed as spiritless and hopeless as the poet himself.
In this stanza, the speaker describes further that the landscape looked bare, harsh, and lifeless and imagines it as the dead body of the 19th century, which is now coming to an end. The cloudy sky looks like the tomb of this dead century, and the blowing wind sounded like a mournful song for the dead. All signs of life and growth have vanished; nature appears dry and lifeless. Every living creature seems spiritless, dull, and hopeless—just like the poet himself, who feels no enthusiasm or joy.
Stanza-3At once a voice arose among The bleak twigs overheadIn a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited;An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,In blast-beruffled plume,Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-3:
Line 1: "The land's sharp features seemed to be"
To the poet, the landscape looked bare, harsh, and lifeless.
Line 2: "The Century's corpse outleant,"
The land looked like the dead body of the 19th century (the century just ending).
Line 3: "His crypt the cloudy canopy,"
The cloudy winter sky seemed like the tomb or burial place of the dead century.
Line 4: "The wind his death-lament."
The cold wind sounded like a mournful song sung for the dead.
Line 5: "The ancient pulse of germ and birth"
The natural energy of life, growth, and creation had stopped beating.
Line 6: "Was shrunken hard and dry,"
That life force seemed dried up and lifeless in the cold of winter— everything seemed lifeless.
Line 7: "And every spirit upon earth"
All living beings, including humans.
Line 8: "Seemed fervourless as I."
Seemed as spiritless and hopeless as the poet himself.
Stanza 3
Line 1: "At once a voice arose among"
Suddenly, the poet heard a sound coming from above.
Line 2: "The bleak twigs overhead"
It came from the bare branches of trees.
Line 3: "In a full-hearted evensong"
It was a joyful evening song sung with full emotion and heart.
Line 4: "Of joy illimited;"
The song expressed boundless joy and happiness.
Line 5: "An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,"
It was sung by an old, weak, and thin bird — a thrush.
Line 6: "In blast-beruffled plume,"
Its feathers were ruffled and blown by the harsh winter wind.
Line 7: "Had chosen thus to fling his soul"
The bird had chosen to pour out its heart and soul in song.
Line 8: "Upon the growing gloom."
It sang joyfully even as darkness and sadness surrounded everything.
In this stanza the poet suddenly hears a cheerful sound coming from the bare branches above him. It is a bird, an old and weak thrush, singing a happy and full-hearted song. Despite its frail body and rough feathers blown by the cold wind, the bird sings joyfully, pouring out its heart and soul. It spreads its song across the dark, gloomy evening, bringing a sudden contrast of life and hope to the depressing surroundings.
Stanza-4So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic soundWas written on terrestrial thingsAfar or nigh around,That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night airSome blessed Hope, whereof he knewAnd I was unaware.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4:
Line 1: "At once a voice arose among"
Suddenly, the poet heard a sound coming from above.
Line 2: "The bleak twigs overhead"
It came from the bare branches of trees.
Line 3: "In a full-hearted evensong"
It was a joyful evening song sung with full emotion and heart.
Line 4: "Of joy illimited;"
The song expressed boundless joy and happiness.
Line 5: "An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,"
It was sung by an old, weak, and thin bird — a thrush.
Line 6: "In blast-beruffled plume,"
Its feathers were ruffled and blown by the harsh winter wind.
Line 7: "Had chosen thus to fling his soul"
The bird had chosen to pour out its heart and soul in song.
Line 8: "Upon the growing gloom."
It sang joyfully even as darkness and sadness surrounded everything.
Stanza 4
Line 1: "So little cause for carolings"
To the poet, there seemed to be no reason for such happy singing.
Line 2: "Of such ecstatic sound"
The bird’s joyful song sounded full of energy and excitement.
Line 3: "Was written on terrestrial things"
Nothing on earth seemed to show a reason for joy.
Line 4: "Afar or nigh around,"
Neither near nor far was there anything to be happy about.
Line 5: "That I could think there trembled through"
The poet began to wonder if perhaps there was something behind the bird’s joy.
Line 6: "His happy good-night air"
Its cheerful evening song seemed to carry a hidden message.
Line 7: "Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew"
Maybe the bird knew of some divine or hidden hope that the poet did not understand.
Line 8: "And I was unaware."
The poet admits he himself did not understand or feel that hope — only the bird seemed to know it.
In the final stanza the poet is surprised that such a happy and excited song could come from such a sad and lifeless world. There seems to be no reason for the bird’s joy because everything around is dull and hopeless. Yet, the bird continues to sing with pure happiness. The poet feels that the bird knew of some divine or hidden hope that the poet did not understand and that making him sing so happily. The bird’s song becomes a symbol of hope and faith in a world filled with despair.
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Summary Writing Steps to Follow:
1. Read the poem "The Darkling Thrush" by Thomas Hardy carefully.2. After reading, write a summary of the poem in your own words including the following elementsThe main theme or message of the poem.A brief description of the speaker's feelings and emotions. Key imagery or symbols used in the poem. 3. Your summary should be clear, concise, and well-organized. 4. Aim to capture the essence of the poem while keeping your summary within 100- 150 words.
The Summary of "The Darkling Thrush" by Thomas Hardy
1. In the poem “The Darkling Thrush,” Thomas Hardy describes a cold, gloomy winter evening at the end of the nineteenth century. The poet stands by a gate, observing a lifeless landscape covered in frost, with bare trees and a dull, fading sky. Everything around him appears dead and hopeless, reflecting his own feelings of sadness and despair. Suddenly, he hears a joyful song coming from an old, weak thrush perched on the leafless branches. Despite the harsh weather and dark surroundings, the bird sings with pure happiness and hope. The poet wonders what gives the bird such joy when the world seems so hopeless. He feels that perhaps the thrush knows of some hidden or divine hope that he, as a human, cannot understand. The poem beautifully contrasts the poet’s despair with the bird’s optimism, showing that even in the darkest times, there may still be a reason to hope.
2. In "The Darkling Thrush," the speaker describes leaning on a gate during a bleak winter day, feeling a deep sense of despair as everything around them seems lifeless and gloomy. The landscape looks like the dead body of the century, with the wind mourning the end of an era. Just when everything seems hopeless, an old, frail thrush starts singing a joyful song amidst the darkness. This unexpected burst of joy from the bird makes the speaker wonder if there is some hidden hope or positive possibility that they are not aware of. The poem contrasts the bleak reality with the surprising hope conveyed by the thrush’s song.
Line 1: "So little cause for carolings"
To the poet, there seemed to be no reason for such happy singing.
Line 2: "Of such ecstatic sound"
The bird’s joyful song sounded full of energy and excitement.
Line 3: "Was written on terrestrial things"
Nothing on earth seemed to show a reason for joy.
Line 4: "Afar or nigh around,"
Neither near nor far was there anything to be happy about.
Line 5: "That I could think there trembled through"
The poet began to wonder if perhaps there was something behind the bird’s joy.
Line 6: "His happy good-night air"
Its cheerful evening song seemed to carry a hidden message.
Line 7: "Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew"
Maybe the bird knew of some divine or hidden hope that the poet did not understand.
Line 8: "And I was unaware."
The poet admits he himself did not understand or feel that hope — only the bird seemed to know it.
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