The Poem - Good Timber, by Douglas Malloch - - Paraphrasing, Central Idea, Summary, and Qs-Ans-MCQS

Poem "Good Timber"

Written by

Douglas Malloch

11th class inspirational Poem Good Timber (KPK Board)

Original readings:

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain.

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife—

This is the common law of life.

Paraphrasing of the poem "Good Timber", by Douglas Malloch

Original stanza 1:

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain.

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing

Line-by-line paraphrasing of stanza 1:

The tree that never had to fight
👉 The poet begins by saying that a tree which never had to struggle or work hard

For sun and sky and air and light,
👉 for the sunlight, open air, and space to grow

But stood out in the open plain.
👉 But it stood freely in an open area without obstacles

And always got its share of rain,
👉 And always received enough rain without effort,

Never became a forest king
👉 such a tree never becomes strong or majestic like the tall trees in the forest

But lived and died a scrubby thing
👉 it remains small and weak all its life and dies without greatness.

Paraphrasing of stanza 1 in a paragraph:

In this stanza the poet says that a tree that never had to struggle for sunlight, air, or space, and always stood alone in an open field where it easily received enough rain, never grew tall, strong, or impressive. Instead of becoming a mighty and admired tree in the forest, it remained small, weak, and unimportant throughout its life. The poet uses this example to show that comfort and ease do not lead to growth or greatness.

Original stanza 2:

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Line-by-line paraphrasing of stanza 2:

The man who never had to toil
👉 The poet says about a person who never works hard or faces challenges

To gain and farm his patch of soil,
👉 for to earn a living or build his life through effort

Who never had to win his share
👉 and who never struggles to achieve what he deserves

Of sun and sky and light and air,
👉 like sunlight, space, freedom, and opportunity,

Never became a manly man
👉 such a person never grew strong, brave, or wise

But lived and died as he began.
👉 and remains weak and unchanged throughout his life.

Paraphrasing of stanza 2 in a paragraph:

In the same way, the poet says about a person who never works hard or faces challenges in life never develops strength, wisdom, or courage. A man who gets everything easily and never has to earn his place or fight for his goals remains weak and inexperienced. Without effort and struggle, he stays the same from birth to death, without growing into a strong and capable person.

Original stanza 3:

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

Line by line Paraphrasing of stanza 3:

Good timber does not grow with ease,
👉 The poet says that strong, high-quality wood does not grow easily

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
👉 trees that face powerful winds become tougher and stronger

The further sky, the greater length,
👉 trees that grow in wide, open skies stretch taller and higher

The more the storm, the more the strength.
👉 and the more storms they face, the stronger they become.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
👉 The poet says that the trees grow firm and resilient through all kinds of weather — hot, cold, wet, and dry

In trees and men good timbers grow.
👉 The poets says that just like trees, good and strong people are also made through hardships and struggle.

Paraphrasing of stanza 3 in a paragraph:

The poet explains that good timber — strong and valuable wood — cannot grow in easy conditions. Trees become stronger when they face strong winds and storms. The more they struggle against harsh weather, the tougher and taller they grow. Likewise, people become stronger, wiser, and better only by facing difficulties and challenges in life. Hardships help build character and resilience.

Original stanza 4:

Where thickest lies the forest growth,

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife—

This is the common law of life.

Paraphrasing of stanza 4 in line by line:

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
👉 The poet says that in the deepest parts of the forest where many trees grow together

We find the patriarchs of both.
👉 we find the oldest and strongest trees, the leaders of the forest, and likewise strong, wise people in life.

And they hold counsel with the stars
👉 These great trees (and great people) stand tall and seem to touch the stars, as if in conversation with them.

Whose broken branches show the scars
👉 Their broken branches and scars show the many struggles, challenges, and storms they have faced.

Of many winds and much of strife—
👉 They have endured many hardships and difficulties throughout life.

This is the common law of life.
👉 The poet concludes that this is the universal rule of life — only through struggle and hardship do strength and greatness grow.

Paraphrasing of stanza 4 in a paragraph:

In the final stanza, the poet says that in the densest parts of the forest, where the trees grow thickest and closest together, the tallest and strongest trees stand, we find the true leaders — both among trees and among people. These great trees' broken branches and scars show the many struggles, challenges, and storms they have faced. Similarly, great men bear the marks of struggle and experience. The poet concludes that this is the universal law of life: only through effort, struggle, and hardship do strength, wisdom, and greatness grow.

The Central idea of the poem "Good Timber" by Douglas Malloch:

The central idea of the poem "Good Timber" is that strength, greatness, and true character are built through struggle and hard work. Just as trees that grow in tough conditions become strong and tall, people who face hardships and overcome difficulties become wiser, braver, and more successful. Without challenges, neither trees nor humans can reach their full potential. The poet reminds us that difficulties are a natural and necessary part of life that help us grow and become stronger.

2. The Central idea of the poem "Good Timber" by Douglas Malloch, is that real strength and greatness come from facing challenges. Just like trees grow strong by struggling with storms and fighting for sunlight, people also become wiser, braver, and more successful through hard times. Without difficulties, we remain weak and never reach our full potential. Ultimately, the poem reminds us that hardships are a natural part of life, and they are essential for our personal development and success.

3. (long) - The central idea of the poem “Good Timber” by Douglas Malloch is that struggle and hardship are essential for growth, strength, and success. The poet compares trees to human beings, explaining that just as trees become strong by facing storms, winds, and harsh weather, people also become wise, brave, and capable by facing challenges in life. Those who live an easy life without effort or struggle remain weak and ordinary, like trees that grow in comfort but never reach great heights. The poem teaches us that difficulties shape our character and make us stronger. True greatness and success come only through perseverance, hard work, and endurance — this is the natural law of life.

The summary of the poem "Good Timber" by Douglas Malloch:

In "Good Timber," Douglas Malloch compares the growth of trees to the challenges that people face in life. The poem explains that trees which grow in open spaces, without facing any struggles, never become strong or impressive. On the other hand, trees that face harsh winds and difficult conditions grow taller, stronger, and more resilient. The poet suggests that, like trees, people become wiser and stronger by overcoming hardships. The poem teaches us that difficulties and challenges are necessary for growth, and they help us reach our full potential in life.

2. The poem uses the growth of trees as a metaphor for human development. It shows that trees growing in open, easy places stay small and weak, while those exposed to wind, storms, and rough weather become tall, strong, and majestic. Likewise, people who face challenges and hardships grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Ultimately, Malloch reminds us that overcoming difficulties is not only natural but essential for us to reach our full potential.

3. (Long) - The poem “Good Timber” by Douglas Malloch beautifully explains that both trees and people grow strong through struggle and hardship. The poet compares the life of trees to human life. He says that a tree that grows easily without facing strong winds, storms, or harsh weather remains weak and small, just as a person who never faces challenges stays ordinary. On the other hand, trees that face storms and tough conditions grow tall, firm, and strong — just like people who go through difficulties become brave, wise, and successful. The poet also describes that the oldest and mightiest trees in the forest bear scars from their struggles, showing that strength comes from experience and endurance. In the same way, great people also carry the marks of their challenges and victories. The poem teaches that true strength, growth, and greatness are born only from hard work and facing life’s hardships with courage.

Short-answer questions with answers:

1. Question: What is the main theme of the poem “Good Timber”?

Answer:
The main theme of the poem is that struggle and hardship help both trees and people grow strong. Just as trees become firm by facing storms, people become wise and successful by overcoming life’s challenges.

2. Question: What happens to a tree that grows in comfort without struggle?

Answer:
A tree that grows easily in an open field without facing storms or strong winds remains weak and small. It never becomes a great or strong tree.

3. Question: How does the poet compare human life to trees?

Answer:
The poet compares human life to trees by saying that both grow strong through struggles. People, like trees, need to face difficulties to build character, courage, and strength.

4. Question: What lesson does the poem “Good Timber” teach us?

Answer:
The poem teaches us that challenges and hardships are necessary for true growth and success. Strength and greatness come only from effort, patience, and perseverance.

5. Question: What do the scars on the old trees symbolize?

Answer:
The scars on the old trees symbolize the struggles and hardships they have faced. They represent experience, endurance, and the beauty of overcoming difficulties — just like the struggles in a human life.

6. Question: What is meant by the line “Good timber does not grow with ease”?

Answer:
It means that true strength and quality come from struggle. Just as strong wood is formed when trees face storms, people become strong when they face and overcome challenges.

7. Question: How does the poet describe the law of life in the poem?

Answer:
The poet says that the “common law of life” is that both trees and people grow strong through struggle. Without effort and endurance, neither can reach their full potential.

Long-answer questions with answers:

1. Question:

Explain how the poet Douglas Malloch compares human life to the growth of trees in the poem “Good Timber.”

Answer:
In the poem “Good Timber,” the poet Douglas Malloch beautifully compares human life to the growth of trees. He says that trees that grow in comfort without facing storms or hardships remain weak and small, while those that face strong winds, rain, heat, and cold become tall and strong. Similarly, in human life, those who face struggles and challenges develop strength, wisdom, and character. People who live an easy and comfortable life never achieve greatness. The poet wants to show that difficulties help us grow, just as storms help trees become strong. Through this comparison, he teaches that struggle is necessary for both physical and moral growth.

2. Question:

What message does the poet want to convey through the poem “Good Timber”?

Answer:
The main message of the poem “Good Timber” is that true strength and success come only through struggle, hard work, and perseverance. The poet believes that challenges are not obstacles but opportunities for growth. Just as trees grow stronger when they face storms and harsh weather, people also grow wiser, braver, and more capable when they face difficulties in life. Those who never experience struggle remain weak and ordinary. The poem teaches that facing hardships builds character and prepares us for greater achievements. This is the universal truth, which the poet calls “the common law of life.”

3. Question:

How does the poet describe the connection between struggle and strength in the poem?

Answer:
The poet Douglas Malloch describes a deep connection between struggle and strength in “Good Timber.” He explains that strength can only come from facing difficulties. Trees that grow in the open, without resistance, never become strong or tall. In contrast, trees that face storms and winds grow firm and powerful. The same law applies to human beings. A person who experiences challenges, failures, and hardships becomes stronger and more successful in life. The poet uses nature as a symbol to show that struggle gives life meaning and value. Through this idea, he inspires readers to accept hardships as a path toward growth and greatness.

Short speech format for the central idea of the poem "Good Timber" by Douglas Malloch:

Speech:

In "Good Timber," Douglas Malloch reminds us that true strength and growth come from facing challenges. Just as trees grow tall and strong by fighting through storms and reaching for sunlight, people too become stronger, wiser, and more capable by going through tough times. If we never faced any struggles, we would never grow or reach our full potential. The poem teaches us that hardships are a natural part of life, and they are essential for our personal development and success. So, we should embrace the difficulties we encounter, knowing that they help us become the best versions of ourselves.

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is the poet of the poem “Good Timber”?

A) Robert Frost
B) William Wordsworth
C) Douglas Malloch
D) Rudyard Kipling
Answer: ✅ C) Douglas Malloch

2. What is the main theme of the poem “Good Timber”?

A) The beauty of nature
B) The importance of struggle in life
C) The joy of living in peace
D) The love between man and nature
Answer: ✅ B) The importance of struggle in life

3. According to the poet, what happens to a tree that never faces storms?

A) It grows strong and tall
B) It dies early
C) It remains weak and small
D) It becomes a forest king
Answer: ✅ C) It remains weak and small

4. What does “Good Timber” symbolize in the poem?

A) Weakness and comfort
B) Strength and character developed through struggle
C) The beauty of the forest
D) The passing of time
Answer: ✅ B) Strength and character developed through struggle

5. What is meant by the line “Good timber does not grow with ease”?

A) Trees grow fast in bad weather
B) Strength comes only through difficulty
C) Life should always be easy
D) Trees cannot grow without sunlight
Answer: ✅ B) Strength comes only through difficulty

6. What do the “scars” on the trees represent?

A) Damage from animals
B) The marks of time and age
C) Struggles and hardships faced in life
D) Decoration of nature
Answer: ✅ C) Struggles and hardships faced in life

7. What is referred to as the “common law of life” in the poem?

A) Life should be peaceful and easy
B) Everyone must face struggle to grow strong
C) Trees should be protected from storms
D) Life is unpredictable
Answer: ✅ B) Everyone must face struggle to grow strong