The Brook

The Brook is a poem about a simple stream that flows through the countryside. The poem has such exquisite imagery, and such perfect metaphor that one can easily visualise the stream flowing past. The poet has captured not only the beauty of the stream but the sounds and the connected landscape too.

The poet portrays himself as the brook. The poem gives the thoughts and impressions of the brook as it twists and turns and flows and falls through the changing landscape.

The brook begins at a shallow place frequented by the coot and the hern. It makes a lot of noise as it flows down the valley

The brook covers a large distance crossing hills, ridges (place between two hills), villages, towns and flows under a few bridges (50).

The stream flows over stones and therefore make a loud noise which he says are in trebles and sharps (pitch of the song). When the water flows into a deep bay, the water forms a small spiral and as a result bubbles are formed.

It flows in a winding path passing through fields, fallow lands and causes the growth of weeds and flowers.

The stream carries along with its water, flowers that have fallen into it, fishes, foam, flakes, and takes them all into the river.

The swiftness of the stream depends on the slope of the land. This image of the changing speed of the river is well depicted by the many words used to show movement. Steal, slide, move, slip, glide, gloom, glance, murmur, linger, loiter, curve and flow are the many expressions used to convey the various 'moods' of the stream.

The idea that stands out is the permanence of the river.

Men may come and men may go.

But I go on for ever says the brook. Compared to the small life of man, the brook in ageless and timeless.