NCERT Solutions for English Hornbill Class 11 Chapter 3 – The Laburnum Top (Poem)
Nature poetry can sometimes seem distant from the everyday concerns of a Class 11 student, but The Laburnum Top is one of those poems that surprises you with how much it says in just a few lines. Written by Ted Hughes, one of the greatest English poets of the 20th century, this poem captures a fleeting moment in nature — the arrival of a goldfinch bird at a laburnum tree — and transforms it into a meditation on life, energy, and mystery. Must check NCERT Solutions for class 11 English and NCERT solutions for class 11 for all subjects.
For your English exam, this poem is important because it contains some of the most celebrated examples of imagery, metaphor, and alliteration in the Class 11 syllabus. Students who read this poem only once and try to answer questions from memory often find themselves struggling — not because the poem is complex, but because its beauty lies in the precision of its language, and you need to understand each word to answer well. The NCERT Solutions at Myclass24 have been prepared to give you that precise, word-by-word understanding so that no question can catch you off guard. Read through this page carefully, note the key literary devices, and you will find this poem far more rewarding to study than you expected.
Download PDF – NCERT Solutions for English Hornbill Class 11 Chapter 3 The Laburnum Top (Poem)
Download the free PDF of NCERT Solutions for The Laburnum Top from Myclass24. Includes stanza-wise explanation, question answers, and a complete list of poetic devices — ready for exam use.
The Laburnum Top – Chapter Overview, Key Facts & Analysis
The Laburnum Top is a beautiful, compact poem by Ted Hughes (1930–1998), a celebrated British poet who served as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1984 until his death. The poem is set in September, a transitional month that marks the shift from summer to autumn. The central event is the arrival of a goldfinch at a laburnum tree to feed its chicks, and the sudden burst of energy this brings to the otherwise still and silent tree.
About the Setting
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Season | September (early autumn) |
| Tree | Laburnum (a flowering tree with yellow blossoms in spring) |
| Bird | Goldfinch |
| Mood before bird arrives | Stillness, silence, leaves yellowing, seeds gone |
| Mood after bird arrives | Sudden noise, movement, life, energy |
Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1 – Stillness of the Laburnum The poem opens with the laburnum tree in September. Its leaves are yellowing and its seeds have fallen. The tree is silent and still — almost like it is waiting for something. The word "sleek" is used, suggesting a kind of quiet beauty, but also emptiness.
Stanza 2 – Arrival of the Goldfinch Suddenly, a goldfinch arrives. Her arrival is compared to a lizard's movement — quick, secretive, almost startling. She "stokes" (starts up, fuels) the engine of the tree. The tree comes alive with noise — the chicks call out, wings flutter, the whole tree trembles with activity.
Stanza 3 – The Tree as a Machine The poet uses an extended mechanical metaphor — the tree is like a machine, and the goldfinch is its engine. Words like "tremor," "chitterings," and "trillings" create an audio landscape of vibrating life. The tree is suddenly full of sound and movement.
Stanza 4 – Departure As suddenly as she arrived, the goldfinch flies away. The tree becomes silent again. The bird's departure is described as going "into the infinite" — suggesting mystery, the vast sky, the unknown. The tree is left in its "subsided quiet" — a deeper, heavier silence after the burst of energy.
Key Literary Devices
| Device | Example from the Poem | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery | "The laburnum top is silent, quite still / In the afternoon yellow September sunlight" | Creates a vivid visual of autumn stillness |
| Metaphor | The tree as a machine; goldfinch as its engine | Highlights the bird's role as the source of life |
| Simile | "Like a lizard" (describing the goldfinch's movement) | Shows quick, stealthy movement |
| Alliteration | "Chitterings, trillings" | Mimics the sound of the birds |
| Onomatopoeia | "Chitterings," "trillings," "whistle-chirrup" | Recreates the actual sounds of the chicks |
| Personification | The tree "starts" and "trembles" | Gives the tree a human/animate quality |
| Symbolism | Goldfinch as the source of life and energy | Represents the life force that animates the world |
About the Goldfinch
The goldfinch is a small, brightly coloured bird known for its distinctive yellow and black wing patches. It is a fitting symbol for energy and brightness — its arrival transforms the silent, yellowing tree into a vibrant, noisy, living space. Once the goldfinch leaves, the tree returns to its earlier state of quiet, emphasising how dependent the tree's "life" is on the bird.
Key Themes
1. The Interdependence of Nature The laburnum tree and the goldfinch are deeply connected. Without the bird, the tree is silent and static. The bird brings it alive. This interdependence is one of the central ideas of the poem.
2. Life and Silence The poem contrasts the silence of the tree before and after the bird's visit with the explosive noise and movement during it. This contrast highlights how fragile and momentary life's energy can be.
3. Mystery The bird arrives from and departs into "the infinite" — a phrase that invokes the mystery of the natural world and the unknown forces that govern life.
4. Transience The burst of life is temporary. The goldfinch comes, fills the tree with energy, and leaves. The poem gently suggests that all such moments of vitality are fleeting.
NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers
Q1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?
Answer: At the beginning of the poem, the laburnum tree is described as silent, still, and yellowing — a picture of autumn quietness. At the end of the poem, after the goldfinch has left, the tree returns to the same silence, described as "subsided quiet." The poem thus begins and ends with silence, creating a circular structure. This suggests that the burst of life brought by the goldfinch was temporary — a brief interruption in an otherwise still world.
Q2. To what is the goldfinch's movement compared? What is the basis of this comparison?
Answer: The goldfinch's movement is compared to a lizard. Both movements are quick, sudden, and almost stealthy — they happen before you fully register them. The comparison captures the speed and agility of the bird as it arrives at the tree.
Q3. What poetic devices are used to describe the sound of the chicks?
Answer: The poet uses onomatopoeia (words that sound like what they describe) — "chitterings," "trillings," and "whistle-chirrup" all mimic the actual sounds of young birds. Alliteration is also used to create a musical, buzzing effect that reflects the noise and energy of the chicks.
Quick Revision Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Poet | Ted Hughes |
| Nationality | British |
| Chapter Number | Chapter 3 (Poem) |
| Book | Hornbill – Class 11 NCERT English |
| Central Image | Goldfinch arriving at a laburnum tree |
| Season | September |
| Key Theme | Nature's interdependence, life and silence, transience |
| Tone | Observational, vivid, wondering |
The Laburnum Top is a short poem but it rewards close reading. Every word is chosen with precision. Study it carefully with Myclass24, focus on the literary devices and themes, and you will be able to write exceptionally strong answers in your English exam.