Page 3 - Microsoft Word - 8.2 class-6 Ch-8 to the cuckoo ln

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 The British romantic poet was born on 7 April 1770 in England. His mother died
leaving him alone at the age of eight and his this experience is seen in his later
works.
 His love for poetry was firmly established after he attended Hawks head Grammar
School.
 His father too left the world leaving him and his four siblings orphaned. His tour of
Europe had a great influence on his poetry and his political sensibilities.
 He fell in love with a French lady and had a daughter Caroline with her but he
couldn’t marry her because of the tensions between England and France at that
time.
 His notable works include lyrical Ballads, The prelude, An Evening Walk and
Descriptive Sketches and the love letters of William and Mary Wordsworth.
 A quatrain consisting of eight stanzas, To the Cuckoo is a lyrical pastoral poem with
elaborate stanza formations.
 Hence, it can be called an ode to the Cuckoo bird. The poet has directly addressed
this poem to the cuckoo and expresses his love, devotion and yearning to visually
glimpse the cuckoo throughout the poem.
 Here the writer addresses a cuckoo. The poet hears the cuckoo and is in awe and
wonder on the off chance that it is something more than a winged animal. His
marvel ascends from the memory of his youth when the cuckoo opens up the
universe of creative energy to him.
 The cuckoo bird is an arranged image of innocence, gaiety, purity and boyhood.

Mood, setting of the poem:

 The mood of the poet, in the first few stanzas is of Joy. He rejoices on hearing
the cuckoo’s song again. The poem takes a nostalgic turn when the poet
reminisces about the days of his boyhood, the memories of which are stirred
by the cuckoo’s voice.

 Wordsworth also takes in a wondrous note as he tries to decide whether the
cuckoo’s presence can be visually seen, or only heard.
The poem is set in the English countryside in spring, as are most other poems
of Wordsworth. The mention of flowers, sunshine and welcoming birds, are all
evidence to this.

 The poem is set in a green valley, surrounded by hills. When the Piet lies
down on the grass, he can hear the cuckoo’s voice echoing through the hills
and this transports him to the golden days of his boyhood.

Main Character:
 A Cuckoo

READ & RELATE:

Now read the poem thoroughly and underline the important words.
(READING SKILLS) [PG-56 ]