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The Poplar Field
-William Cowper
Summary of The Poplar Field:
The poem, The Poplar Field was composed by pre-romantic poet, translator, William Cowper. In this poem the poet laments for the destruction of natural environment in the country side of England. The poet also expresses his sadness and describes a horrible picture of the bad impact of deforestation.
When the poet visits his favorite poplar field after twelve years, he notices same remarkable examples of environmental damage caused by deforestation. The poplar trees that used to grow on the bank of the river, the great ouse have been cut down. As a result, the shadows of the trees and whispering sound of the wind have vanished away. The wind plays no longer and the images of the trees don’t fall on the river any longer. The trees that used to stand sometime have been laid down on the grass to become his seats. After its shelter has been destroyed, the black bird has migrated to the shelters of hazels. As a result, the poplar filed doesn’t echo with the melodious song of the black bird any longer.
The years of the poet are passing away quickly making him older each moment. Very soon he will meet the fate of the poplar trees. He will long be dead before new plants substitute the cut down trees. The poplar field was the only place where he would concentrate on the destroying pleasures of man. But now he has realized that the life of human pleasure is shorter than the human beings.
In this poem the poet describes the poplar filed as the source of human life and pleasure. Presenting the adverse effects of deforestation in human life, the poet argues that destroying the forest means destroying our own life and pleasure. Destroying the forest we are digging graves for ourselves.
Important Question Answers of The Poplar Field:
Question. Consider this poem as a defence of nature conservation.
Answer. Presenting the adverse effect of deforestation on human life and pleasure, the poet William Cowper defends for the conservation of nature in the poem The Poplar Field. When the trees are cut down the sources of the rivers like the great Ouse dry up leading to desertification of the earth. When the trees are cut down the wild animals and birds, like the black bird become homeless, they either embrace death or migrate to new places. It breaks the chain of the ecosystem which has adverse effect on human life. When trees are cut down the sources of human life pleasure gets destroyed. Human being find nothing without those trees. The creatures who directly depend upon the forest for lively hood will start to starve for death; once the trees are cut down. Thus, the source of human life is also destroyed with the destruction of trees.
In the poem, the poplar field the poet indirectly suggests that destroying the forest means destroying the source of human life and pleasures. He means to say that our act of destroying the forest endangers the life of ourselves, our future generations and all the birds and animals which are sharing this planet with us. Therefore, the poet makes a sincere request for the preservation of nature before it’s too late.
Some Important Questions of ‘The Poplar Field’ From Examination Point of View.
Short Questions:
- How does the poet plead for a defence of nature conservation through the poem?
- How does the poem “The Poplar Field defends the conservation of nature? Elaborate.
- Summarize the poem The Poplar Field in one paragraph.
- Interpret the poem ‘The Poplar Field” in your own words
Long Questions:
- What changes did the poet see in the poplar field when he came back after 12 years? .
- Write how the poet links up the idea of the cut down poplars with the end of human life and pleasure.
- The poem ‘The Poplar Fed has come as a defence of nature’s conservation. Explain.
- Describe how W. Cowper has expressed his defence of nature conservation in the poem The Poplar Field.
- Summarize the poem The Poplar Field.
- Describe the poem ‘The Poplar Field”. Write what the poet wants to show through it. What lesson do you learn from the poem?
- Write a summary of the poem The Poplar Field.
- How is the chopping down of trees compared to a man’s life in the poem ‘The Poplar Field’?
- Write a summary of the poem The Poplar Field.
- Discuss how the poet links up the idea of the cut down poplars with the end of human life and pleasures.
Also Read:
THE RECURRING DREAM
THE LOST DOLL
THE HOUSE CALL
FEAR
MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD
SPEAKING OF CHILDREN
LOOK AT THE TEACUP
A WORN PATH
THE THREE DAY BLOW
UNCHOPPING A TREE
THE NIGHTMARE LIFE WITHOUT FUEL
Only one answer!
Long answer questions (1)