Character Sketch of Goldfinch Bird

Character Sketch of Goldfinch Bird from Class 11 English Hornbill book Poem 2 The Laburnum Top

Character Sketch of the Goldfinch Bird

The Goldfinch bird has a striped face which is dark in colour. Her body is yellow and thus, it blends in with the yellow leaves of the Laburnum tree. The poet compares the movement of the goldfinch to that of a lizard. The basis of the comparison is the sleek, alert and sudden movements of a lizard as the goldfinch makes similar kind of movements when it arrives on the Laburnum tree to avoid being noticed by any predator. The arrival of goldfinches made the death-like scene of the laburnum tree lively. The relationship in between the Laburnum tree and the Goldfinch bird is like the relation of the body and the soul. Laburnum tree symbolizes body and the Goldfinch symbolizes soul. The bird has been compared to a lizard because it is sleek, alert and abrupt. It feeds the young ones and once again flies away into the infinite sky.

The Laburnum Top Overview – The poem ‘The Laburnum Top’ is written by Ted Hughes. It is about a repaying relationship between the Laburnum tree and the Goldfinch bird. The tree is yellow, silent and death-like and is made alive by the bird and her young ones. The yellow bird has her shelter on the tree where she feeds her young ones. But as soon as the bird leaves to fly in the sky, the tree becomes silent and death-like again.

Some Questions on Character Sketch of the Goldfinch Bird

Q1. What is the importance of goldfinch bird for the laburnum tree?
Q2. What does the goldfinch symbolize in the poem?
Q3. What has the goldfinch been compared to in the poem?

Character Sketch of Goldfinch Bird | The Laburnum Top