Monday, September 6, 2010

The Noble Nature by Ben Jonson

It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make Man better be;
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere:
A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May,
Although it fall and die that night -
It was the plant and flower of Light
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures life may perfect be.


The poet, Ben Jonson, in the poem ‘The Noble Nature’, talks about what makes a man noble. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to do this.
Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man a noble being. The huge, strong and aged oak will soon become a lifeless, ‘dry’ and withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with long life and physical and material well being.
The lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful. Although the flower has the life span of a day and falls and dies by nightfall, it spreads beauty and delight in that short period. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble and even though a man’s life is short it can be a perfect life.

20 comments:

Narmadha.M said...

REAL WORDS SAID BY GREAT BEN JONSON

Dr.RCRout said...

I read this in my secondary school.

Anonymous said...

K

Unknown said...

Doth means?

Unknown said...

Doth means?

Sohan Lal choudhry rajasthan said...

Doth is like does in poetry.

Anonymous said...

What does 'It' symbolises?

Unknown said...

Doth replaces does . Doth is an archaic word.

Unknown said...

Shiv Dhaka bishnoi

Unknown said...

Pls explain "in small proportions we just beauties see"

Unknown said...

Discuss the theme of the poem

Unknown said...

Thanks to help and make it easy to understand.

Unknown said...

What is the rhyming scheme of this poem

Unknown said...

I read this poem in 9th class HSCE pattern.....! Love to read; which makes a man noble by grace of almighty God .

Unknown said...

does

Unknown said...

Abba

Unknown said...

what does bulk mean

Unknown said...

what does bulk mean

Unknown said...

From which collection this poem is taken?

Anonymous said...

It means do or does