The Greenwood Tree: William Shakespeare

Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me,

And turn his merry note

Unto the sweet bird's throat,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Who doth ambition shun,

And loves to lie i' the sun,

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,

Come hither, come hither, come hither:

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Summary: In this poem, 'The Greenwood Tree', the poet William Shakespeare describes the charms of forest life and asks people to come and join him in forest. The poet invites any enthusiastic friends to come and take time to relax under the greenwood tree and turn any melodious note of the heart into the sweetest song that the sweetest bird can ever sing. The friend is free to sing like a bird. So anyone can come immediately towards the greenwood tree. Here one shall find no enemies but only the rough and cold weather of winter. 

All the world's a stage: William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.

Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Summary: In this poem, the poet compares the world with a stage and the men and women with actors and actresses. In the whole life a person plays different roles. At the beginning he is an infant. Then he becomes a school boy who is always reluctant to go to school. After this stage he becomes a lover who composes for sing on his beloved's beauty. In the next stage he turns into a proud soldier who is quick an action. After it he becomes a man of wisdom. In the sixth stage he wears spectacles and becomes weak for old ages. Finally he grows so old that he loves his teeth, eyesight and all kinds of strength.

The Village Blacksmith: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

UNDER a spreading chestnut tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge

With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And watch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church.

And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,

He hears his daughter's voice,

Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,

Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,

How in the grave she lies;

And with his hard, rough hand he wipes

A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling, -rejoicing, -sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close;

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,

For the lesson thou hast taught!

Thus at the flaming forge of life

Our fortunes must be wrought;

Thus on its sounding avail shaped

Each burning deed and thought! 

Summary: The village Smithy stands under a chestnut tree. The blacksmith is an honest and strong man having muscular arms and crisp, black hair. He works hard from morning to evening using his heavy sledge. While returning from school, the children like to catch the burning sparks. The blacksmith goes to Church on Sunday. His daughter sings songs that sounds like her mother's voice. We have to learn from him that we can reshape our fate by working hard.

The Owl: Lord Tennyson

When cats run home and light is come,

And dew is cold upon the ground,

And the far-off stream is dumb,

And the whirring sail goes round,

And the whirring sail goes round :

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

When merry milkmaids click the latch,

And rarely smells the new-mown hay,

And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch

Twice or thrice his roundelay,

Twice or thrice his roundelay :

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

Summary: In this poem, ‘The Owl,’ the poet Lord Tennyson describes about the owl. The nocturnal owl has an omniscient force who watches and knows everything in his surroundings. When cats run home, dew is cold upon the ground, and the sound of windmills goes round, then the white owl sits on a part of tower and watches everything by using his five senses or powers. When merry milkmaids close gates and the cock sings a song twice or thrice under the house roof, then the white owl sits on a part of tower and observes all the things by using his five wits or senses.