138 THE OAK AND THE BROOM 



But in the branches of the oak 

 Two ravens now began to croak 



Their nuptial song, a gladsome air ! 

 And to her own green bower the breeze 

 That instant brought two stripling bees, 



To rest or murmur there. 100 



One night, my Children ! from the north 



There came a furious blast. 

 At break of day I ventured forth, 



And near the cliff I passed. 

 The storm had fallen upon the Oak ! 

 Had struck him with a mighty stroke, 



And whirled-and-whirled him far away ; 

 And, in one hospitable cleft, 

 The little careless Broom was left. 



To live for many a day. no 



W. WORDSWORTH. 



NOTES 



[This poem was composed in 1800. The scene of the fable is 

 the neighbourhood of Grasmere, ' a good way up Nab Scar,' 

 where the ponderous block of stone may still be seen, with 

 broom growing under and near it.] 



EXERCISES 



1. Describe Shepherd Andrew's fireside. 



2. Write two paragraphs, setting forth what Andrew saw on 

 the occasion of each of his two visits to the scene of the fable. 



3. Give briefly the substance of the Oak's warning, and the 

 Broom's reply. 



4. Compare and contrast the personal character of the Oak 

 with that of the Broom as inferred from their talk. 



5. What characteristics of Wordsworth's style (or of his 

 genius) do you notice in the poem ? Quote to illustrate. 



