1.ALFRED LORD TENNYSONTennyson wrote a number of phrases thatAlfred Tennyson, 1st Baronhave become commonplaces of theTennyson, FRS (6 August 1809 6 OctoberEnglish language, including: "Nature, red1892) was Poet Laureate of the Unitedin tooth and claw", "This better to haveKingdom during much of Queenloved and lost / Than never to have lovedVictorias reign and remains one of theat all", "Theirs not to reason why etc..most popular poets in the EnglishlanguageTennyson was a craftsman who polishedTennyson was first a student of Louthand revised his manuscripts extensively.Grammar School for four years (1816Few poets have used such a variety of1820)[3] and then attended Scaitcliffestyles with such an exact understandingSchool, Englefield Green and King Edwardof metre; like many Victorian poets, heVI Grammar School, Louth. Heexperimented in adapting the quantitativeentered Trinity College, Cambridge inmetres of Greek and Latin poetry to1827,[4] where he joined a secret societyEnglish.called the Cambridge Apostles

2. The poet has realistically drawn aparallelism between the journey of thebrook with the life of a man... the poetsays as in the childhood the a child isvery agile, energetic and lively , like thatonly the brook in the beginning stage ofits life is very powerful, enhancing and itkeeps on flowing with a great rush andenthusiasm through out its life .it fallsfrom great heights and menders aroundthe wavy path, and when it approacheson plain it becomes very slow andcontinues to flow eternally .like thebrook a man toward the end of his lifehe becomes slow in his moves andultimately dies and also emerges with itsfinal destination but it never ends toflow........ 3. I come from haunts of cootand hern,I come from haunts of coot and hern.- TheI make a sudden sallybrook starts from a place the coots(kind of duck) & herns(commonly known as herons)And sparkle out among thespend most of their times.fern, I make a sudden sally,-The brook suddenlyTo bicker down a valley. rushes down. And sparkle out among the fern,-As the brook flows it sparkles because of sun rays, and it flows through a ground which mostly have grasses and flowerless plants(fern) To bicker down a valley.-The brook flows down a valley making noisy sounds. 4. By thirty hills I hurry down,-Here the brookswiftly flows down many hills. There are notBy thirty hills I hurry down, literally Thirty hills but the poet makes theOr slip between the ridges, line creative by using Thirty and not many.By twenty thorpes, a little Or slip between the ridges,-The brooktown, slips(quickly moves)between long narrowhilltops.And half a hundred bridges.By twenty thorps, a little town,-The brookflows down by many villages(Thorp-Old wordfor village) -again the poet tries to make theline creative by using Twenty-not literallyTwenty villages , and it flows down a littletown as well.And half a hundred bridges.-The brook flowsand passes by/through many bridges-notliterally Half a hundred bridges. 5. Till last by Philips farm I Till last by Philips farm I flow-Theflow brook flows by a farm probablyTo join the brimming owned by a man named Philip.river, To join the brimming river,-After theFor men may come and farm he flows to join a overflowingmen may go,river.But I go on for ever. For men may come and men may go, - But I go on forever. Men/people have a short life spam but the is immortal so it has a longer life spam and hence goes on forever. 6. I chatter over stonyways, I chatter over stony ways,In little sharps and trebles, -As theIn little sharps andbrook flows it chatters(makes atrebles,interesting and musical sound)over stony ways.I bubble into eddyingbays, I bubble into eddying bays, -Whenthe brook flows backward itI babble on the pebbles pushes the air and makesbubbles.I babble on the pebbles, -As thebrook moves it makes soundbecause of the pebbles. 7. With many a curvemy banks I fret With many a curve my banks I fret-Thebrook flows curvily because at one pointBy many a field and the path curves and it wears away.fallow, By many a field and fallow,-The brookflows by many fields and bare placesAnd many a fairy(fallows), probably the soil is infertilewhich is why the land is bare and noforeland setplants grow.With willow-weed. And many a fairy foreland setWith willow-weed & mallow -There areand mallow. many pieces of land sticking out in thebrook (called foreland)which have someplants such as Willow-weed & mallow.Where colorful & bright birds, insects &butterflies come which look like fairiesfrom far away. 8. Here the poet says:I chatter, chatter, as I I chatter, chatter, as I flow:flow The river as it flows creates high pitched noises whileTo join the brimming flowing and it is a continuousriver, rapid talk. To join the brimming river :For men may come and The brook is immortal as itmen may go,never ends but mixes and joins the brimming river But I go on for ever. For men may come and men may go, But I go on for ever : Here as a man dies and are transitory but the brook is permanent and it flows on 9. I wind about, and inI wind about, and in and and out: The brook moves in a zigzagout, manner With here aWith here a blossomblossom sailing, : Itsailing, carries blossom flowers and takeAnd here and there a lusty them awaytrout, And here and there a lusty trout, AndAnd here and there a here and there a grayling:grayling,Here the brook carries all kinds of flowers and fishes like trout and grayling and it serves as a source of sustenance to other living beings 10. And here and there aAnd here and there a foamy lake,foamy flake Upon me, as I travel:Upon me, as I travelHere the river as it moves fastBecomes a frothy river with flakeWith many a silvery water With many a silvery water breakbreak Above the golden gravel:Above the golden gravel,This frothy water in the brookLooks silvery as it travels overGolden colored stones orPebbles. 11. And draw them all along,and flowTo join the brimming riverFor men may come andmen may go, Here the brook carries severalBut I go on for ever. Things along itself like foams,Leaves, ferns and pebbles etc.In the end the brook joins theBrimming river.Poet explains that life of a manIs mortal and he points out, the brook has a perennialityAnd it goes on flowing forever 12. I steal by lawns andgrassy plots,I slide by hazel covers;I move the sweetforget-me-notsHere the poet says that now theThat grow for happy Brook is silent and it silentlyMoves along the lawns and thelovers. Grassy plots and it slips by theSmall hazel plants and also carriesForget me not flowers thatAre thrown by happy loversand the Brook moves quietly andGently through the plants. 13. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,Among my skimmingswallows;I make the netted Here the poet says thatThe swallows fly very closesunbeam dance To the surface of waterAgainst my sandyIn search of food and theshallows. Brook traps the sunbeamsIn its sandy shallows and makes them dance andthe brook moves on happilyAnd observes everything. 14. I murmur under moonand starsIn bramblywildernesses;I linger by my shingly Here the brook flows through Wilderness which is coveredbars;With thorny bushes and brookI loiter round myAlso lingers because there are Shingles on its bed and thesecresses; Create obstruction in flow. The brook loiters about Comfortably because it has got To move round the broad leaved Cresses plants. 15. And out again I curveand flowTo join the brimmingriver,For men may come andmen may go, Here the poet says thatBut I go on for ever. The brook curves and turnsTo join the bigger lakes andSeas and men comes and goesBut the brook is immortalAnd flows through out the life 16. PARALLEL WITH HUMAN LIFE: When the brookemerges from the mountains , its movement isvery noisy and quick and it is very energetic. Itis in a rush to achieve its goal of joining theoverflowing river. Similarly, man in his youth isvery lively, agile, energetic and active.The brook in its early stages is very fast andovercomes all the hurdles, hard objects, stonesand pebbles in its journey. This can becompared to man in his youth who isenthusiastic and can strive and accept all thechallenges that come in his way.During the journey, the brook takes along withit silt, gravel, blossoms and fish. Similarly manalso takes away different people he comesacross along with him, in some way, toaccompany him ahead in the journey of life.When the brook comes closer to the river, itsmovement becomes slow and smooth, whichcan be compared to man in his old age, whobecomes very calm, gentle, soft and lethargic.The difference between the two is that thebrook is eternal and keeps flowing on forever,while man reaches his final destination afterhis old age by meeting the horns of death.