EnglishCBSE Class 11 · The Laburnum Top

The Laburnum Top (Ted Hughes): Imagery, Structure and Poetic Devices, Class 11

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Laburnum Top is built in a circle: silence and stillness, then the goldfinch's arrival and the burst of life from the nestlings, then silence again. Ted Hughes uses a simile (sleek as a lizard), a metaphor (the engine of her family), sound words such as chirrup and chitterings, and yellow colour imagery to make a small event feel full of energy.

Notice that the poem ends where it began, in silence, so the burst of life in the middle stands out; the device boxes show how Hughes creates that energy.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices

Structure. The poem has three movements. First the tree is silent and still on a September afternoon. Next the goldfinch arrives and disappears inside the leaves, and the tree trembles with the chicks' noise. Last, she flies away and the laburnum "subsides to empty". Because the end returns to the beginning, the structure is circular.

Simile. "Sleek as a lizard" compares the bird's smooth, quick movement to a lizard's. It shows how swiftly and silently she slips into the thick foliage. The words "alert" and "abrupt" add to the picture of sudden movement.

Metaphor. The tree's trembling is called "the engine of her family". The noise and movement of the chicks resemble a machine starting up, and the mother feeds it as one feeds an engine with fuel. The word shows that the family is powered by her care.

Imagery. Sound words (chirrup, chitterings, trillings), movement words (twitching, launches, trembles), and the dominant colour yellow (September sunlight, yellowing leaves) give the poem a picture to see, hear and feel. The "barred face identity mask" gives a visual detail of the bird.

Mood. The poem celebrates hidden life in nature and the energy of motherhood. The contrast between the opening and the burst of life makes the silence at the end more noticeable. Neighbouring material (line-by-line summary) is on the chapter page.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt
Poet: Describing the goldfinch entering the tree.
A simile that shows her speed and alertness.
It is the engine of her family.
Poet: Describing the burst of sound from the nest.
A metaphor for the energy that her care starts.
And the laburnum subsides to empty.
Poet: The last line.
Returns to stillness and completes the circle.

The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices: key facts

Structure of the poem: Stillness
Burst of life
Stillness; The circular structure.
Device answer: Name the device
Quote the words
Explain the effect; Use for every device question.
Imagery types: Sound
Movement
Colour; Give an example of each.

How to answer The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices questions

Use this for any question on devices or imagery in the poem.

1Name the device (simile, metaphor, alliteration or imagery).
2Quote the exact words from the poem.
3Explain what is being compared and why.
4State the effect on the reader or the mood.
5Link to the poem's structure where relevant.

The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A quiet house that wakes

Suppose a school bus pulls up at a silent colony, and at once windows open, doors bang and children's voices fill the lane, until the bus leaves and the lane is silent again.

Which feature of The Laburnum Top does this match?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The scene starts silent.
Something arrives and life rises suddenly.
It leaves and the silence returns.

Answer: It matches the circular structure of stillness, burst of life and stillness, as the goldfinch's arrival wakes the quiet tree.

Memory hook: Quiet, burst, quiet.

Tricks to remember The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

S-L-S
Stillness, Life, Stillness.
Use it when: The circular structure.
SMC
Sound, Movement, Colour.
Use it when: The three kinds of imagery.

The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Identify the device · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

"Sleek as a lizard" is an example of
(a) metaphor (b) simile (c) personification (d) hyperbole

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The word "as" shows a comparison, so it is a simile (1 mark).

Answer: (b)

Example 2: The beginning · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

What is the mood of the opening lines of the poem? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Silent and still (1).
September sunlight, seeds fallen, leaves yellowing (1).
Tree seems lifeless (1).

Answer: The opening mood is one of silence and stillness. The laburnum top stands quiet in yellow September sunlight, with its seeds fallen and some leaves yellowing, so the tree seems lifeless before the bird arrives.

Example 3: Engine metaphor · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why does the poet call the tree "the engine of her family"? (40-50 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The chicks' noise and movement start up like a machine (1).
The mother feeds it like fuel (1).
Shows the family's energy comes from her care (1).

Answer: The sudden chirping and fluttering of the chicks is like an engine starting up, and the mother feeds them as one fuels a machine. The metaphor shows that her care drives the family's energy and brings the tree alive.

Example 4: Circular structure · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain how the poem begins and ends in stillness, and what the pattern achieves. (120-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Opening stillness with detail (1).
The middle burst of life (2).
The ending "subsides to empty" (1).
Effect: contrast makes life stand out (1).
Concluding link to the theme (1).

Answer: The poem opens with the laburnum top silent and still in September sunlight, with seeds fallen and leaves yellowing. The tree seems almost lifeless, and the quiet, still mood makes the reader expect nothing to happen. Then the goldfinch arrives, sleek as a lizard, and slips inside, and the hidden chicks start a chorus that makes the whole tree tremble, the engine of her family. The sudden contrast between silence and noise is striking. When she flies off, the laburnum subsides to empty. This circular pattern, stillness, life and stillness again, makes the burst of life stand out by contrast. The final silence is not the same as the first, because we now know that life is hidden within the tree. The poem therefore celebrates the unseen energy of nature and a mother's care.

Example 5: Read the extract · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read: "The Laburnum top is silent, quite still" and the lines that follow, set on a September afternoon in yellow sunlight.
(i) Which season is described? (ii) Which colour dominates? (iii) What is the mood? (iv) What contrast follows?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) Early autumn (September) (1).
(ii) Yellow (1).
(iii) Silence and calm (1).
(iv) The sudden noise and movement after the goldfinch arrives (1).

Answer: (i) September, the start of autumn. (ii) Yellow. (iii) Silent and calm. (iv) The burst of noise and movement when the goldfinch enters.

Where students lose marks in The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Naming the device without a quote
Examiners expect evidence.
Wrong working
It uses a simile.
Right working
The simile "sleek as a lizard" shows her speed.
Do this: Quote the words every time.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks of 3.
Mistake: Missing the circular structure
It is the key feature.
Wrong working
The poem is about a bird.
Right working
It moves from stillness to life and back to stillness.
Do this: Mention the three movements.
Usually costs: 2 marks of 6.
Mistake: Calling engine a simile
No "like" or "as" is used.
Wrong working
"Engine of her family" is a simile.
Right working
It is a metaphor.
Do this: Check for "as" or "like".
Usually costs: 1 mark of 3.

Exam tips

Always name the device, quote it and explain the effect.
Describe the structure as stillness, life and stillness.
Give examples of sound, movement and colour imagery.
Distinguish simile (uses "as" or "like") from metaphor.
Keep a 3-mark answer to about 40-50 words and a 6-mark answer to 120-150 words.

Practice questions on The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The bird that visits the laburnum is a
(a) sparrow (b) goldfinch (c) crow (d) lizard
Hint
It feeds her chicks.
Answer
(b)
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Pick out two sound words and one movement word from the poem and say what they add. (40-50 words)
Hint
Chirrup and chitterings are sound words.
Answer
Chirrup and chitterings are sound words; twitching is a movement word. Together they let the reader hear the chicks and see the bird dart about, so the quiet tree seems full of sudden life.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What does "barred face identity mask" tell us about the bird? (40-50 words)
Hint
Think of the bars of colour on her face.
Answer
It describes the bars of colour across the goldfinch's face, which look like a mask that identifies her. It gives the reader a clear picture of the bird and adds a playful touch as she darts to the tip of a branch.
Q4 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Discuss how Ted Hughes makes a tiny event dramatic using imagery and structure. (120-150 words)
Hint
Use simile, metaphor, sound words and the circle.
Answer
Hughes makes a small visit a dramatic moment. The silent, yellow-lit tree at the start makes the bird's arrival sudden and startling. The simile "sleek as a lizard" shows her quick, alert movement, while sound words such as chirrup and chitterings fill the tree with noise. The metaphor "the engine of her family" gives the chicks' energy the force of a machine. Yellow colour imagery runs through the poem. Details such as her barred face identity mask and her twitching chirrup on arrival add a sense of startlement, so the reader sees and hears the moment closely. When she leaves, the laburnum subsides to empty, so the poem ends where it began. This circular structure and vivid imagery make a very brief event feel full of life and meaning.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Is the ending sad, peaceful or neutral? Give a reasoned answer. (3 marks)
Hint
Think of what "subsides to empty" does after the noise.
Answer
It is largely peaceful, with a slight sense of loss. The noise stops and the tree returns to silence, as it was, but the word "empty" shows how much life leaves with the bird. The ending is a calm return, not a sad end.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who wrote The Laburnum Top?Show answer
Ted Hughes.
2.Which bird visits the tree?Show answer
A goldfinch.
3.Which device is "sleek as a lizard"?Show answer
A simile.
4.What is "the engine of her family"?Show answer
A metaphor for the nest's burst of energy.
5.Which colour dominates the poem?Show answer
Yellow.

The Laburnum Top: Imagery, Structure and Devices: frequently asked questions

What is the central idea of The Laburnum Top?

The hidden life of nature and a mother's care break a silent scene, which then returns to stillness.

Why is the structure called circular?

It begins and ends with the silent, still tree.

What is a laburnum?

A small ornamental tree with hanging yellow flowers in spring; in the poem it is the tree where the goldfinch nests.