How good to lie a little while
And look up through the tree!
The Sky is like a kind big smile
Bent sweetly over me.
The Sunshine flickers through the lace
Of leaves above my head,
And kisses me upon the face
Like Mother, before bed.
The Wind comes stealing o’er the grass
To whisper pretty things;
And though I cannot see him pass,
I feel his careful wings.
So many gentle Friends are near
Whom one can scarcely see,
A child should never feel a fear,
Wherever he may be.
Summary and Analysis
This four-quatrain beautiful melodic poem is written by American author and poet Abbie Farwell Brown. The first three stanzas are written in first person, whereas the last stanza is in third person.
The speaker lies down on the grass and looks up towards the sky, feeling relaxed and happy, and this emotion is reflected through her exclamation ‘how good it feels’ to look up towards the sky through the tree. The sky mirrors her happiness and seems to smile back at her, providing reassurance. The sunlight flickers through the leaves of the tree beside her. The warmth of the sun is akin to her mother’s goodnight kisses, caressing her with comfort and protection. The stealthy wind blowing gently over the grass whispers songs and stories of faraway lands. Though she cannot see the wind, she can sense its presence as it touches her on its way.
A child in her wondrous imagination found true friendship with Mother Nature and all her elements. She refers to them as her “gentle friends”. The kind sky, the mother-like sunlight, and the wind with its “careful wings” are invisible to us yet our most reliable companions. The poet stresses over the safety and serenity found in the embrace of nature and that a child has nothing to fear as she is protected and guided by the elemental forces.
A. Answer the following questions
1. “How good to lie a little while
And look up through the tree!
The Sky is like a kind big smile
Bent sweetly over me.”
a) Where is the speaker?
b) How does she feel about “lying a little”?
c) How does the sky seem to her?
Answer
a) Here the speaker is the poet herself.
b) She feels very relaxed and happy to lie down on the green grass and exclaims, “how good it feels!”
c) The sky seems to reflect back her joy with a gentle, kind smile.
2. Why does the poet feel that the sunshine is like her mother?
Answer
Here the poet uses personification to give life to the natural elements. The warmth of the sunlight reminds her of her mother’s kisses. She sensed the nurture and care found in her mother’s embrace in gentle rays of the sunlight.
3. How does the wind make its presence felt?
Answer
The wind softly blows over the grass, making a rustling sound. The poet can sense the wind passing by her as it touches her gently on its way.
4. So many gentle Friends are near
Whom one can scarcely see,
A child should never feel a fear
Wherever he may be.
a) Who are the ‘gentle friends’?
b) Why are the ‘gentle friends’ scarcely seen?
c) Why should a child ‘never feel a fear’?
Answer
a) Here the gentle friends are the gifts of nature: the benevolent sky, the nurturing sunlight and the cheerful wind.
b) These elemental forces are not easily perceivable, but they can be sensed.
c) According to the poet, these elemental powers harbour no ill intention towards the children. They are generous and constant companions of the children, a manifestation of the creator himself.
5. What does the poem convey?
Answer
The poem relates issues regarding the friendship between nature and its creation. The innocent child has the power of imagination to give life to the elements and recognise the true love, care, protection and nurture that the elements truly bestow if one is open to receiving it.
