The Fountain

by

James Russell Lowell

Poem

Into the sunshine, 

Full of the light, 

Leaping and flashing, 

From morn till night!

Into the moonlight, 

Whiter than snow, 

Waving so flower-like 

When the winds blow!

Into the starlight, 

Rushing in spray, 

Happy at midnight, 

Happy by day! At

Ever in motion, 

Blithesome and cheery, 

Still climbing heavenward, 

Never aweary;

Glad of all weathers, 

Still seeming best, 

Upward or downward, 

Motion, thy rest;

Full of a nature 

Nothing can tame, 

Changed every moment, 

Ever the same;

Ceaseless aspiring, 

Ceaseless content, 

Darkness or sunshine 

Thy element;

Glorious fountain! 

Let my heart be 

Fresh, changeful, constant, 

Upward like thee!

Glossary:

Word	Meaning	Urdu Meaning
Leap	Spring into the air	ہوا میں اُچھلنا
Morn	Morning	صبح
Spray	Liquid falling in droplets	پانی کا چھڑکنا
Blithesome	Happy	خوش
Heavenward	Towards the sky	آسمان کی طرف
Aweary	Tired	تھکا ہوا
Ceaseless	Never ending	نا ختم ہونے والا
Aspire	Seek	چاہت، آرزو
Content	Satisfied	مطمین

Summary:

The poet begins his poem by explaining how the fountain is filled with light in the presence of sunlight, and the light reflects and leaps and flashes from morning to night. He explains the fountain in the moonlight. The fountain is whiter than the snow, and waves just like the flower waves as the wind flows.

Below the starlight, the fountains tilt and drop like a shower. It’s happy at midnight and happy throughout the day, too. It’s still in motion, it’s still joyful, it’s always rising to the sky, and it’s never tired.

The fountain is happy during all the weathers and always seems to be the best fountain in upward or downward motion when it rests. It’s full of nature and nothing can tame it, because it keeps changing every moment, and it’s always the same.

Even in brightness or darkness, it never stops looking aspiring and happy, since it is the principal substance.

The poet wants to become like a fountain, and he wants his heart to be young, changeful, constant, and upward just like a fountain

Literary Devices 

Imagery: The poet brings an image of an endless fountain of beauty in the minds of the readers.

Hyperbole: the poet exaggerates the thing of beauty as endless and immortal.

Reading is Fun

Q. 1. How is the fountain described in the first stanza?

Answer: The first stanza describes the fountain as a beautiful display of water that lets the sunshine through it, and lets light rays play in it. The lighted water leaps and flashes and that makes the entire phenomenon so full of light from morning till night.

Q. 2. How does the fountain look in the moonlight?

Answer: In the moonlight, the fountain appears snowy white and sways rhythmically like flowers when the wind rushes. Under the starlight, it rises and falls like spray.

Q. 3. How does the poet describe the happy mood of the fountain?

Answer: The poet describes the happy mood of the fountain in three different aspects. In the sunshine, it is bright and upward leaping and glittering. In the moonlight, it appears snowy white and sways rhythmically like flowers when the wind rushes. Under the starlight, it rises and falls like spray. It looks happy day and night.

Q. 4. What is the poet’s wish in the end?

Answer: The speaker wishes that he should be like the fountain always fresh, full of energy, forever climbing and changing yet remaining constant.

Language Work

A. Pick out the adjectives used for the fountain in the poem?

Answer: Flower-like, whiter, blithesome, cheery, ceaseless, aspiring, glorious, etc.

B. Pick out the verbs that show the movement of the fountain?

Answer: Leap, flash, wave, rush, motion, etc.

C. Pick out the sets of rhyming words from the poem:

Answer:

Word	Rhyming Word
Light	Night
Snow	Blow
Spray	Day
Best	Rest
Tame	Same
Content	Element

Let’s Talk

How does the moonlight make the night beautiful? Share your ideas with the class.

Answer: The moon shines our nights with beauty and makes our world bright at night. It is a symbol of joy and beauty. A lover anticipates the night’s natural beauty. It has a major effect on the human mind. It revitalises our minds and transforms them into poetic ones. The poets are inspired to write a poem by the beauty of a moonlit night. In the autumn, the sky is cloudless and the moon appears as a large silver disc. The moon’s silvery rays flood the world, reflecting in the oceans, rivers, ponds, and hills. When the moon shines her light on the water’s waves, it sparkles like a gem. People are overjoyed, and children are playing in the open air. Grandparents relate frail stories to their grandchildren. Women sing the songs of the stars and moon to their babies to put them to sleep. It is truly a blessing of nature and God.

Let’s Write

Make a list of things used to make a fountain.

Answer: The list of things used to make a fountain is as follows:

1. Pump. Available at home or garden centres.

2. Half-Inch Copper Pipe. to carry the water from the pump to the top of the fountain.

3. Waterproof Basin.

4. Stones.

5. Small Rocks.

6. Half-inch-by-Half-inch Compression Female Adapter.

7. Half-inch Ball Valve.

8. Screen.

9. Composite Decking

10. Drainage Gravel

11. 1-inch PVC Conduit