THE LABURNUM TOP - by Ted Hughes - DETAILED ANALYSIS

 THE LABURNUM TOP

"The Laburnum Top" by Ted Hughes is a descriptive and vivid poem that portrays a goldfinch's visit to a laburnum tree. The poem captures the stillness of the tree until the goldfinch arrives, bringing life and energy to the scene. Hughes uses evocative language and imagery to describe the bird's actions and the reactions of the tree. The poem explores themes of nature, the cycle of life, and the transient nature of moments.

ABOUT THE POET -

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was an influential English poet known for his vivid and mythic style. His poetry delved into the raw forces of nature, exploring the depths of human existence with intensity and honesty. From "The Hawk in the Rain" to "Crow," Hughes crafted powerful verses that captured profound emotions and the interconnectedness of life. His works were marked by rich imagery, musicality, and a sense of mystery. Despite personal tragedies, including the suicide of his wife Sylvia Plath, Hughes continued to create compelling poetry that grappled with grief, guilt, and the complexities of relationships. As the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1984 until his death, Hughes left an indelible mark on the literary world, inspiring generations of poets with his profound and evocative words.

MOOD AND THE RHYMING SCHEME OF THR POEM -

The mood of "The Laburnum Top" by Ted Hughes is primarily one of stillness and anticipation, gradually shifting to a sense of vibrancy and energy. At the beginning of the poem, there is a serene and quiet atmosphere, as described by the "silent" and "quite still" laburnum top in the yellow September sunlight. The mood conveys a sense of calmness and tranquillity.

However, as the goldfinch arrives, there is a sudden shift in the mood. The poem becomes more animated and lively, as the bird's presence awakens the laburnum tree and sets in motion a flurry of activity. The mood changes to one of excitement and vibrancy as the tree "trembles and thrills" with the chitterings, wings, and trillings of the goldfinch.

In terms of the rhyme scheme, "The Laburnum Top" follows a predominantly irregular rhyming pattern. It does not adhere strictly to a specific rhyme scheme but rather incorporates occasional end rhymes and internal rhymes throughout the poem. For instance, the lines "quite still" and "yellowing" have a near rhyme, and the lines "chirrup" and "twitching" create an internal rhyme. The irregularity of the rhyme scheme adds to the natural and organic flow of the poem, mirroring the movements and sounds of the goldfinch and the tree.

SHORT SUMMARY-

"The Laburnum Top" by Ted Hughes is a brief and evocative poem that depicts the arrival of a goldfinch in a laburnum tree. The poem begins with a description of the quiet and still laburnum top in the September sunlight. However, when the goldfinch appears, the tree becomes alive with movement and sound. The goldfinch stokes the "engine" of its family, creating a tremor of wings, chitterings, and trillings. The tree responds by trembling and thrilled in response to the bird's presence. Eventually, the goldfinch departs, and the laburnum tree subsides into silence and emptiness once more. Through vivid imagery and poetic devices, the poem explores the transient nature of life and the interconnectedness between the natural world and living beings.

DETAILED ANALYSIS -

The Laburnum top is silent, quite still

In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,

A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

Word Meaning

Laburnum – a short tree with hanging branches, yellow flowers, and poisonous seeds

Explanation of the Poem: In the above lines, the poet says that he saw a Laburnum tree whose leaves were yellow. The tree’s top is still and silent in the day time of September month. It is autumn season and all the seeds of the tree had fallen.

The poet has used the word ‘yellow’ for leaves and sunlight. Yellow symbolizes silence, death, and beauty. He describes the whole scene of the tree with this colour.

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

Of chitterlings, and a tremor of wings, and trillings —

The whole tree trembles and thrills.

Word Meaning

Goldfinch – a small singing bird with yellow feathers on its wings

Twitching – sudden jerk movement

Chirrup – a bird making repeated high-pitched sounds

Startlement – feeling or showing sudden shock

Abrupt – rapid

Chitterings – to make a chattering sound

Tremor of wings – involuntary vibration of the wings

Trillings – to produce a chirruping sound

Trembles – to shake

Thrills – a sudden feeling of excitement

Explanation of the Poem: A Goldfinch bird comes to the end of the death-like scene of the tree and makes a sudden chirrup sound. The bird while being rapid, alert and precautionary like a lizard, sits on the branches of the tree. As she moved towards the thickness of the branch, her younger ones started chirruping and doing vibrations with wings, making a sound like a machine. Because of the movement of the bird and her young ones, the tree starts to shake and thrill.

The poet has given two opposite scenarios of the tree. The tree first is death-like and still and then gives life and shelter to the bird and her young ones.

It is the engine of her family.

She stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch-end

Showing her barred face identity mask

Word Meaning

Flirts out – lead on to

Stokes – to add fuel to the engine

Barred – stripy

Explanation of the Poem: The Laburnum tree and the goldfinch bird is the engine of her family. She provides food to her young ones and moves to the other branch ends. Her dark-coloured striped face is visible as her body is yellow-coloured and hides behind the yellow leaves of the tree.

Then with eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings

She launches away, towards the infinite

And the laburnum subsides to empty.

Word Meaning

Eerie – weird and strange

Whistle-chirrup – gentle whisper like the chirping of the bird

Subsides – diminishes

Explanation of the Poem: After reaching the end of the branch, the bird makes a sweet chirping sound just like whispering and flies away towards the infinite sky. It again makes the Laburnum tree silent and death-like.

CONCLUSION - 

"The Laburnum Top" by Ted Hughes concludes with a poignant reflection on the transient nature of life and the fleeting moments of vitality. The goldfinch's sudden appearance disrupts the stillness of the laburnum tree, setting off a cascade of activity and energy. However, just as abruptly as it arrived, the goldfinch departs, leaving the tree to subside into emptiness and silence.

The poem's conclusion emphasizes the ephemerality of vibrant moments and the cycle of life. It suggests that moments of connection and vitality are temporary and fleeting like the flight of the goldfinch. The laburnum tree symbolizes the yearning for those moments of vibrancy and the emptiness that follows their passing.

Through its vivid imagery and personification, the poem invites us to appreciate the beauty and significance of these brief encounters. It reminds us of the delicate balance between stillness and movement, silence and sound, and the interplay between the natural world and our own transient existence.

"The Laburnum Top" serves as a contemplation on the complexities of life, the fragility of existence, and the longing for connection. It leaves the reader with a sense of both wonder and melancholy, urging us to cherish the moments of vibrancy and beauty in our lives while recognizing their fleeting nature.

In essence, the conclusion of the poem offers a profound meditation on the impermanence of life and the transient nature of the moments that bring it to life, leaving us with a bittersweet appreciation for the fleeting beauty that surrounds us.

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