Difference between revisions of "The Noble Nature"
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===Core Meaning=== | ===Core Meaning=== | ||
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| + | The poet, Ben Jonson, in the poem ‘The Noble Nature’, talks about what makes a man noble. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to do this. Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man a noble being. The huge, strong and aged oak will soon become a lifeless, ‘dry’ and withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life and physical and material well being. | ||
| + | The lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful. Although the flower has the life span of a day and falls and dies by nightfall, it spreads beauty and delight in that short period. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble and even though a man’s life is short it can be a perfect life. | ||
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| + | Source: Click [http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/It_Is_Not_Growing_Like_A_Tree_by_Ben_Jonson_analysis.php here]. | ||
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===Alternative interpretations=== | ===Alternative interpretations=== | ||
Revision as of 10:26, 20 June 2014
Introduction
Concept Map
Text of the poem
To read the text of the poem, click here.
Idea of the poem
Core Meaning
The poet, Ben Jonson, in the poem ‘The Noble Nature’, talks about what makes a man noble. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to do this. Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man a noble being. The huge, strong and aged oak will soon become a lifeless, ‘dry’ and withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life and physical and material well being. The lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful. Although the flower has the life span of a day and falls and dies by nightfall, it spreads beauty and delight in that short period. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble and even though a man’s life is short it can be a perfect life.
Source: Click here.
Alternative interpretations
Context of the poem
About the Author
Transacting the text
Language appreciation
Meaning making
Pictures/ video clips are an interesting way of assisting students to comprehend a poem. A picture helps in creating a visual memory and can also help in understanding new words.
To listen to an audio recital of the poem, click here.
Vocabulary
Figures of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech is sometimes called a rhetorical figure or a locution. To know more click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speech
Additional resources
Assessment
Ask the learners to write a short paragraph using the hints given below.
Hints:
- What is the poem about?
- Which is the most striking image and why?