Class 3 :: English Literature :: Little White Lily by George MacDonald (Roots)
Little White Lily
by George MacDonald
(Roots)
The Poem :
"Little White Lily
Sat by a stone,
Drooping and waiting
Till the sun shone.
Little White Lily
Sunshine has fed;
Little White Lily
Is lifting her head.
Little White Lily
Drooping with pain,
Waiting and waiting
For the wet rain.
Little White Lily
Holdeth her cup;
Rain is fast falling
And filling it up.
Little White Lily
Said: "Good again,
When I am thirsty
To have the nice rain.
Now I am stronger,
Now I am cool;
Heat cannot burn me,
My veins are so full."
Little White Lily
Smells very sweet;
On her head sunshine,
Rain at her feet."
Summary of the Poem :
The little white lily is hanging downwards from a stone till the sun rises. After getting the sunlight, the little white lily lifts its head. It is still weak in pain. It needs rain water. Then comes the rain. The lily holds its petals and fill them with rain water.
It quenched its thirst and it needs no water for now. It has become stronger. It is cool. It would not burn by the heat. Its veins are full with water. It is grown up flower with sweet smell. It gets sunlight on its upper part and water on its lower part.
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. What is the Lily doing while waiting for sunshine and rain?
a. drooping in the pond. [ ]
b. drooping by a stone. [✓]
c. singing sad songs. [ ]
2. Why is the Lily waiting for rain?
a. Lily is very, very thirsty. [✓]
b. Lily really needs a bath. [ ]
c. She likes playing in the rain. [ ]
3. What do you think the poet means by 'Lily's cup'? Give reasons for your answer.
= I think the poet means the cup shape made by the petals of Lily by 'Lily's cup'.
Rain water falls on the flower. The cup shape made by the petals gets filled with water.
4. What does the Lily mean when she says that her 'veins are full'?
= Lily means that it is now full grown and fit with adequate sunlight and water when she says that her 'veins are full'.
5. How does the Lily feel at the beginning of the poem? How does this change at the end of the poem?
= At the beginning of the poem, the Lily felt weakness and discourage. It was in lack of sunlight and water. It was hanging downwards by a stone due to weakness or tiredness.
Then it gets sunlight and lifts its head. Then it gets rain water and gets strength in its veins. At the end of the poem, it becomes fully grown up. It is a grown up flower with sweet smell. It gets sunlight on its upper part and water on its lower part. Nature has reared it up with care and love.