Question

Analysis of Meadow Surprises by Lois Brandt Phillips

Answer 1

Summary

Stanza 1:

The poet says that meadows have surprises hidden in them. If we look carefully, we may find them. He asks us to walk softly through the grass which seems like velvet and to listen while passing the brook.

Stanza 2:

While doing so we may come across a beautiful butterfly sitting on the buttercup flower. We can also see it drinking nectar through its proboscis. It seems as though the butterfly is drinking through straws.

Stanza 3:

A rabbit may get scared unknowingly because of our movement. We might not be able to see it at first until it hops.

Stanza 4:

The dandelion flower was golden in colour some days back. Its fuzzy or fluffy hair has now turned into tiny parachutes that fly when you blow them.

Stanza 5:

The poet asks us to explore and see the beautiful things in the meadow. Some of the sights are the burrows in the ground, nests under the tall grasses and ant hills or mounds.

Stanza 6:

The poet says that meadows have plenty of surprises and many other things. But you can only see them if you look around and listen well.

Figures of Speech

• Metaphor- Walk softly through the velvet grass
  Here the poet is comparing the grass to that of velvet.
• Metaphor- And unfolding its drinking straws; To sip the nectar up.
  The poet makes a direct comparison between drinking straws and the proboscis of the butterfly. It seems as though the butterfly is using straws to drink the nectar.
• Metaphor- Has turned to airy parachutes
  The dandelions are being compared to parachutes. Just as parachutes fly anywhere the wind blows, in the same way dandelions move about.
• Alliteration- You may scare a rabbit; who is sitting very still
  There is a constant repetition of the 's' sound in the words "scare", "sitting", and "still"
• Alliteration- And many things to tell.
  Repetition of the 't' sound.
  
• Alliteration- If you look and listen.
  There is a repetition of 'l' sound in "look" and "listen".
• Assonance- The ant's amazing mound.
  There is a repetition of the 'a' vowel sound at the starting of "ant's" and "amazing".
• Consonance- The ant's amazing mound.
  Repetition of 'm' sound in "amazing" and "mound".