The Darkling Thrush Poem – Explanation and Analysis Line by Line

Here is shared stanza wise and line by line explanation and analysis of the poem “The darkling Thrush”. Vocabulary Notes follow each stanza with English and Hindi explanations.

Also See…

• Q&A of “The Darkling Thrush”
• Notes on “The Darkling Thrush”

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About the Poem “The Darkling Thrush:

“The Darkling Thrush” by Thomas Hardy is a poem that reflects on the bleakness of the 19th century’s end. Each stanza contrasts the desolate winter landscape with the hopeful song of a thrush. The bird’s song symbolizes hope and renewal amidst despair. Hardy’s use of imagery and tone captures the tension between desolation and optimism.

Poem: The Darkling Thrush

I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-grey,
And Winter’s dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
Had sought their household fires.

The land’s sharp features seemed to be
The Century’s corpse outleant,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
The wind his death-lament.
The ancient pulse of germ and birth
Was shrunken hard and dry,
And every spirit upon earth
Seemed fervourless as I.

At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.

So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.

Stanza Wise Line by Line Analysis

The “Darkling Thrush” poem by Thomas Hardy is explained here stanza wise as well as line by line in English and Hindi. The stanzas accompany vocabulary also.

Stanza 1

I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-grey,
And Winter’s dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
Had sought their household fires.

Explanation in English & Hindi:

In this stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Darkling Thrush,” the poet describes a bleak and desolate winter scene. He leans on a gate of a small, wooded area (coppice) and observes the frost, which appears ghostly grey. The remnants of winter create a desolate atmosphere as the day’s light fades. The tangled vines in the sky resemble the strings of broken musical instruments (lyres). The surrounding people, seeking warmth and comfort, have retreated to their homes.

इस पंक्ति में, थॉमस हार्डी की कविता “द डार्कलिंग थ्रश” से, कवि एक उदास और विरान सर्दियों के दृश्य का वर्णन करता है। वह एक छोटे जंगल (कॉपिस) के गेट पर झुकते हैं और बर्फ को देखते हैं, जो भूतिया ग्रे दिखती है। सर्दियों के अवशेष एक उदास वातावरण बनाते हैं क्योंकि दिन का प्रकाश कमज़ोर हो रहा है। आकाश में उलझी हुई लताएँ टूटी हुई संगीत वाद्ययंत्रों (लायर) के तारों जैसी दिखती हैं। आस-पास के लोग, गर्मी और आराम की तलाश में, अपने घरों में लौट गए हैं।

Vocabulary Notes:

1. Coppice: A small group of trees or thicket | छोटे पेड़ों का झुंड या झाड़ी
2. Spectre-grey: Ghostly grey, dull and lifeless | भूतिया धूसर, सुस्त और निर्जीव
3. Desolate: Empty, barren, and lifeless | खाली, उजाड़, और निर्जीव
4. Weakening eye: The fading light of the sun | ढलते सूरज की मद्धम रोशनी
5. Scored: Marked or scratched | खरोंच लगाना या निशान बनाना
6. Haunted: Lived or stayed | निवास किया या रहा
7. Nigh: Near or close by | पास या निकट
8. Haunted nigh: Lived nearby | पास में निवास किया
9. Household fires: Warmth and comfort of homes | घरों की गर्माहट और आराम

Line by Line Explanation:

1. I leant upon a coppice gate / When Frost was spectre-grey
   The poet is leaning on a gate that leads to a small wood (coppice). It’s a cold, frosty evening, and the frost looks ghostly grey.
   • “I leant upon a coppice gate”
     The poet is resting or leaning on a small wooden gate near a coppice (a small area of trees or bushes).
   • “When Frost was spectre-grey,”
     It was cold, and the frost in the air made everything look pale and ghostly (like a ghost).
   • कवि एक छोटी सी लकड़ी के जंगल (coppice) के दरवाजे पर झुके हुए खड़े हैं। बाहर ठंडी ठंढ ने सबकुछ भूतिया-सा ग्रे (धूसर) कर दिया है।
2. And Winter’s dregs made desolate / The weakening eye of day
   It is the last part of winter, which feels lifeless and barren. The sun (the “eye of day”) is setting weakly, making the surroundings look even sadder.
   • “And Winter’s dregs made desolate”
     The last bits of winter (the “dregs”) made everything look empty and sad.
   • “The weakening eye of day.”
     The sun was setting, and its light was fading, making the day look weak or dim.
   • सर्दियों का आखिरी हिस्सा (dregs) वातावरण को सूना और उदास बना रहा है। सूरज (दिन की आँख) कमजोर हो रहा है क्योंकि शाम हो रही है।
3. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky / Like strings of broken lyres
   The twisted, leafless stems of climbing plants are silhouetted against the sky. They look like broken strings of a lyre (a harp-like musical instrument).
   • “The tangled bine-stems scored the sky”
     The twisted stems of vines (bine-stems) reached up into the sky, making strange, tangled shapes.
   • “Like strings of broken lyres,”
     The tangled vines looked like broken strings of a musical instrument called a lyre (like a small harp).
   • पेड़ों पर चढ़ी बेलों की मुड़ी-तुड़ी टहनियाँ आकाश में कटी-फटी लाइर (संगीत वाद्य) के तारों की तरह दिख रही हैं।
4. And all mankind that haunted nigh / Had sought their household fires
   People who live nearby have gone indoors to stay warm by their fires, leaving the outside world empty and lonely.
   • “And all mankind that haunted nigh”
     All the people nearby seemed to have gone inside their homes.
   • “Had sought their household fires.”
     People were staying warm by their fires in their homes, away from the cold.
   • आस-पास के लोग ठंड से बचने के लिए अपने घरों के अंदर, आग के पास चले गए हैं। बाहर दुनिया वीरान और सुनसान हो गई है।

Stanza Summary:

• This stanza sets the scene of a cold, bleak winter evening, with a sense of emptiness and quiet. The poet describes nature as lifeless, with no warmth or joy. The “spectre-grey” frost gives an eerie feeling, and the setting sun symbolizes the end of hope or energy. People are retreating to their homes, which implies a sense of isolation and loneliness in nature. The “broken lyres” suggest the loss of harmony or beauty in nature. The poet feels lonely and disconnected, reflecting how people retreat from the harshness of the outside world.
• यह पद प्रकृति की उदासी और अकेलेपन को दर्शाता है। सर्दियों के अंत की यह तस्वीर कवि के भीतर की उदासी और ठंडक को भी दिखाती है। “टूटी लाइर” (lyre) दुनिया की बिखरी सुंदरता और संतुलन के खोने का प्रतीक है।

Stanza 2

The land’s sharp features seemed to be
The Century’s corpse outleant,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
The wind his death-lament.
The ancient pulse of germ and birth
Was shrunken hard and dry,
And every spirit upon earth
Seemed fervourless as I.

Explanation in English & Hindi:

This stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Darkling Thrush” continues the description of a grim and lifeless winter landscape. The land’s sharp features are compared to the outstretched corpse of the century, with the sky acting as its tomb. The wind is described as a lament for the dead century. The natural cycle of life and growth has withered and dried up, and every living being on earth seems as lifeless and devoid of energy as the poet feels.

इस पंक्ति में, थॉमस हार्डी की कविता “द डार्कलिंग थ्रश” का वर्णन जारी है जिसमें एक उदास और निर्जीव सर्दियों के दृश्य का वर्णन किया गया है। भूमि की तेज आकृतियों की तुलना शताब्दी के लाश से की जाती है, जिसके क्रिप्ट के रूप में आकाश का वर्णन किया गया है। हवा को मृत शताब्दी के लिए विलाप के रूप में वर्णित किया गया है। जीवन और वृद्धि के प्राकृतिक चक्र को सूखकर कड़ा और शुष्क बताया गया है, और पृथ्वी पर हर जीवित प्राणी कवि की तरह निर्जीव और ऊर्जा रहित प्रतीत होता है।

Vocabulary Notes:

1. Sharp features: Distinct and pointed characteristics | स्पष्ट और तीखे लक्षण
2. Century’s corpse: The dead body of the century, symbolizing the end of an era | सदी का शव, एक युग के अंत का प्रतीक
3. Outleant: Stretched out or lying outwards | बाहर की ओर फैला हुआ
4. Crypt: A tomb or burial place | कब्र या दफनाने की जगह
5. Canopy: A covering, often referring to the sky in this context | आवरण, इस संदर्भ में आकाश का उल्लेख
6. Lament: A sorrowful song or expression of grief | शोकगीत या दुःख का अभिव्यक्ति
7. Ancient pulse: The life force or rhythm of ancient times | प्राचीन काल का जीवन प्रवाह या लय
8. Germ and birth: The origin and beginning of life | जीवन की उत्पत्ति और शुरुआत
9. Spirit: Soul or energy of a being | आत्मा या ऊर्जा
10. Fervourless: Without energy or passion | बिना ऊर्जा या उत्साह के

Line by Line Explanation:

1. The land’s sharp features seemed to be / The Century’s corpse outleant
   The land, with its harsh and barren features, looks like the dead body of the century that has just ended.
   • “The land’s sharp features seemed to be”
     The land (the earth) looks harsh and rough or barren.
   • “The Century’s corpse outleant,”
     The poet compares the land to the dead body of the 19th century, as the century was about to end. 
   • बंजर और ठंडी जमीन 19वीं सदी के मृत शरीर की तरह लगती है, जैसे यह उसकी लाश हो।
2. His crypt the cloudy canopy, / The wind his death-lament
   The century’s tomb is the cloudy sky above, and the wind is like a sad song mourning the death of the century.
   • “His crypt the cloudy canopy,”
     The clouds in the sky are like a tomb or a crypt, where the century’s body is laid.
   • “The wind his death-lament.”
     The wind seems to be crying, like a mournful song at a funeral.
   • बादलों से भरा आकाश उसकी कब्र है और हवा उसकी मृत्यु का विलाप गा रही है।
3. The ancient pulse of germ and birth / Was shrunken hard and dry
   The natural rhythm of life, growth, and birth seems to have stopped. Everything feels lifeless and dry.
   • “The ancient pulse of germ and birth”
     The natural rhythm of life, growth, and birth seems to have stopped.
   • “Was shrunken hard and dry,”
     The earth feels lifeless, cold, and dry, as if nothing can grow anymore.
   • जीवन और जन्म का पुराना चक्र (pulse) अब सूख और खत्म हो चुका है।
4. And every spirit upon earth / Seemed fervourless as I
   All living beings seem as hopeless and lifeless as the poet himself.
   • “And every spirit upon earth”
     Every living being, every soul on the earth.
   • “Seemed fervourless as I.”
     They seemed as empty and lifeless as the poet feels.
   • धरती पर सभी जीव (spirit) उतने ही नीरस और उत्साहहीन लगते हैं जितना कवि खुद।

Stanza Summary:

• In this stanza, Hardy reflects on the end of an era (the 19th century). The land is compared to a “corpse,” showing the poet’s pessimism about the state of the world. Nature usually symbolizes life and rebirth but harshness of the land and the wind crying out suggest that the world feels cold and dead. There is no sense of hope or new life, only dryness and weariness. The poet feels as though the natural world, and even people, have lost their spirit or energy, just like him.
• यह पद 19वीं सदी के अंत की उदासी और पतन को दर्शाता है। कवि को लगता है कि पूरी सदी मानो मृत हो गई है। जीवन का प्राकृतिक चक्र रुक गया है, और हर व्यक्ति जीवन के प्रति उत्साह खो चुका है। यह कवि की निराशा और युग के कष्टों को दिखाता है।

Stanza 3

At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.

Explanation in English & Hindi:

In this stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Darkling Thrush,” the poet describes a moment of unexpected joy in the bleak winter landscape. Amidst the desolate twigs overhead, a voice rises in a heartfelt evening song, filled with boundless joy. The source of this song is an aged thrush, which despite being frail, thin, and small, with feathers ruffled by the wind, chooses to pour its soul into its song amidst the encroaching darkness.

इस पंक्ति में, थॉमस हार्डी की कविता “द डार्कलिंग थ्रश” से, कवि निराशाजनक सर्दियों के दृश्य में अप्रत्याशित खुशी के क्षण का वर्णन करते हैं। उदासीन टहनियों के बीच से एक आवाज़ उठती है, एक दिल से गाए गए शाम के गीत में, जो असीमित खुशी से भरा हुआ है। इस गीत का स्रोत एक वृद्ध थ्रश है, जो कि कमजोर, पतला, और छोटा है, जिसके पंख हवा से झड़ते हैं, और वह बढ़ती अंधेरी के बीच अपने गीत में अपनी आत्मा को उड़ाने का चुनाव करता है।

Vocabulary Notes:

1. Bleak: Bare, lifeless, and cold | सूना, निर्जीव, और ठंडा
2. Bleak twigs: Bare and lifeless branches | सूनी और निर्जीव शाखाएँ
3. Full-hearted: Complete and sincere in emotion | पूरे दिल से और सच्ची भावना के साथ
4. Frail: Weak and fragile | कमजोर और नाजुक
5. Gaunt: Thin and bony, often due to hardship | दुबला और कमजोर, अक्सर कठिनाई के कारण
6. Blast-beruffled: Disheveled or ruffled by the wind | हवा से अस्त-व्यस्त
7. Plume: A feather or a group of feathers | पंख या पंखों का समूह
8. Fling: To throw or express something with energy | उछालना या उत्साह से व्यक्त करना
9. Gloom: Darkness or sadness | अंधकार या उदासी

Line by Line Explanation:

1. At once a voice arose among / The bleak twigs overhead
   Suddenly, the poet hears a voice coming from the bare branches of a tree above him.
   • “At once a voice arose among”
     Suddenly, the poet hears a voice coming from somewhere among the trees.
   • “The bleak twigs overhead”
     The twigs of trees are bare and look sad, as there are no leaves.
   • अचानक, कवि को सूखी और ठंडी डालियों के बीच से एक आवाज सुनाई देती है।
2. In a full-hearted evensong / Of joy illimited
   It is the song of a bird, a thrush, singing with full energy and endless joy.
   • “In a full-hearted evensong”
     The voice is singing a joyful song in the evening (called “evensong”).
   • “Of joy illimited;”
     The song is full of happiness and endless joy
   • यह एक पक्षी (थ्रश) की संपूर्ण हृदय से गाई गई गीत की आवाज है, जो अनंत खुशी से भरी है।
3. An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small / In blast-beruffled plume
   The bird is old, weak, and small. Its feathers are ruffled by the cold wind.
   • “An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,”
     The poet sees an old, weak, and small bird (a thrush) singing.
   • “In blast-beruffled plume,”
     The bird is being blown by the cold wind, its feathers ruffled.
   • एक बूढ़ा, कमजोर, दुबला और छोटा पक्षी, जिसकी पंख ठंडी हवा से अस्त-व्यस्त हो गए हैं।
4. Had chosen thus to fling his soul / Upon the growing gloom
   Despite the dark and gloomy atmosphere, the bird is singing joyfully, pouring its soul into its song.
   • “Had chosen thus to fling his soul”
     The bird seems to put all its energy and spirit into the song.
   • “Upon the growing gloom.”
     The bird’s song is reaching into the darkening, sad world around it.
   • उस पक्षी ने अंधेरे और उदासी के बीच अपनी आत्मा (आवाज) को संगीत के रूप में उड़ेलने का फैसला किया है।

Stanza Summary:

• In this stanza, the poet hears a bird singing joyfully despite the bleakness of the world around it. The thrush’s song represents a sudden, unexpected source of hope and beauty in the midst of despair. The bird, though old and weak, finds the strength to sing, suggesting resilience and the possibility of joy even in dark times. The bird’s song, full of energy and joy, stands in contrast to the sadness and lifelessness of everything else. This represents the idea that even in dark, hard times, there is a spark of hope or joy that can rise above it.
• यह पद आशा और खुशी का प्रतीक है। बूढ़ा और कमजोर होने के बावजूद थ्रश का गीत जीवन और दृढ़ता का संदेश देता है। यह दिखाता है कि कठिन परिस्थितियों में भी खुशी और आशा संभव है।

Stanza 4

So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.

Explanation in English & Hindi:

In this stanza from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Darkling Thrush,” the poet marvels at the thrush’s ecstatic singing. Despite the bleak and desolate environment, there seems to be little reason for such joyful caroling. The poet reflects that perhaps the thrush knows of some blessed hope, a hope that eludes the poet himself, bringing a note of optimism into the otherwise grim scene.

इस पंक्ति में, थॉमस हार्डी की कविता “द डार्कलिंग थ्रश” से, कवि थ्रश के उत्साही गायन पर आश्चर्य करता है। उदासीन और विरान वातावरण के बावजूद, ऐसी खुशहाल गायन के लिए बहुत कम कारण प्रतीत होते हैं। कवि सोचता है कि शायद थ्रश किसी धन्य आशा के बारे में जानता है, एक ऐसी आशा जो कवि खुद नहीं जानता है, जिससे उदासीन दृश्य में आशावाद का एक नोट आ जाता है।

Vocabulary Notes:

1. Carolings: Joyful songs, often associated with happiness or celebration | खुशी के गीत, आमतौर पर उत्सव से जुड़े
2. Ecstatic: Extremely happy and joyful | अत्यधिक खुश और आनंदित
3. Terrestrial things: Earthly or worldly things | सांसारिक या पृथ्वी से संबंधित चीजें
4. Afar or nigh around: Far away or close by | दूर या पास
5. Trembled through: Passed through or moved slightly with emotion | भावनाओं के साथ हल्के से हिलना या गुज़रना
6. Unaware: Not knowing or unmindful | अंजान या बेखबर

Line by Line Explanation:

1. So little cause for carolings / Of such ecstatic sound
   There seems to be no clear reason for the bird to sing such a joyful and ecstatic song.
   • “So little cause for carolings”
     There seems to be almost no reason for anyone to sing or be happy.
   • “Of such ecstatic sound”
     The bird’s song is full of excitement and happiness, but it feels strange in such a sad world.
   • आसपास ऐसा कुछ भी नहीं है जो पक्षी को इतना खुशी से गाने का कारण दे
2. Was written on terrestrial things / Afar or nigh around
   There is nothing in the surrounding world, near or far, that justifies such happiness.
   • “Was written on terrestrial things”
     There is nothing in the world around (terrestrial things) that seems to deserve such a joyful song.
   • “Afar or nigh around,”
     This applies to everything, whether far away or nearby.
   • धरती पर, पास या दूर, ऐसा कुछ भी नहीं है जो इस तरह के आनंद को दर्शाए।
3. That I could think there trembled through / His happy good-night air
   The poet imagines that the bird’s song carries some hidden meaning or message of hope.
   • “That I could think there trembled through”
     The poet feels that something was trembling or vibrating in the air.
   • “His happy good-night air”
     The bird’s song seems to be a happy farewell or good-night to the day.
   • कवि महसूस करता है कि पक्षी के इस रात के गीत में कोई गहरी और छुपी हुई उम्मीद की झलक है।
4. Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew / And I was unaware
   The bird seems to know of a special hope or reason to be joyful, which the poet cannot understand.
   • “Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew”
     The poet thinks that the bird knows something he doesn’t—a hidden hope or belief.
   • “And I was unaware.”
     The poet himself is unaware of this hope or joy that the bird seems to know.
   • यह पक्षी शायद किसी विशेष आशा या आशीर्वाद के बारे में जानता है, जिसे कवि समझ नहीं पा रहा।

Stanza Summary:

• This stanza highlights the contrast between the bird’s joyful song and the depressing world or hos own despair. The poet feels that the bird’s song is out of place in such a sad and hopeless world. However, the poet also senses that the bird might be singing because of some hidden (higher, spiritual) hope or belief that it has, something the poet himself doesn’t understand yet (unknown to humans). The bird’s song symbolizes the possibility of hope, even when everything around seems hopeless. It hints at the possibility of faith or optimism that transcends what we can see and understand i.e. beyond our visible and comprehensible reality.
• यह श्लोक अंधकार में आशा की किरण को उजागर करता है। थ्रश का गान इस बात का संकेत है कि जीवन में कुछ ऐसे तत्व हैं जो मानव की समझ से परे हैं। कवि को अनुभव होता है कि पक्षी किसी अलौकिक या आध्यात्मिक आनंद से जुड़ा हुआ है, जो उसके लिए अभी भी एक रहस्य है।

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Conclusion

• The poem describes a cold, desolate winter evening where the poet observes a thrush singing joyfully despite the surrounding gloom.
• The poem explores themes of despair, the passage of time, and the contrast between human pessimism and the resilience of nature. The bird’s song symbolizes hope and faith, even when circumstances seem bleak.
• कविता की शुरुआत उदासी और अकेलेपन से होती है, लेकिन अंत में एक पक्षी के माध्यम से आशा की एक झलक दिखती है। यह कविता हमें सिखाती है कि जीवन में कठिन समय में भी खुशी और विश्वास को खोजना संभव है।

Overall Analysis:

“The Darkling Thrush” uses nature to explore the themes of despair and hope. Hardy describes the bleakness of winter and the end of an era, but the sudden, unexpected song of the thrush represents a moment of joy and hope in the midst of darkness. The poem suggests that even when things seem at their worst, there may still be a hidden source of hope or light that we cannot always see or understand. The bird, small and frail, becomes a symbol of enduring spirit and optimism.

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