Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree

Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree

A. E. Housman

Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree 

• ‘Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree’ by A. E. Housman describes a traumatizing story of two brothers and how one of them accidentally met his end in a wheat field at the hand of the other.

  
  

• ‘Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree’ by A. E. Housman is a six stanza poem that is separated into sets of four-line, known as quatrains.

A. E. Housman

Housman makes use of several other techniques in ‘Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree’. 

• These include anaphora, 

• alliteration, 

• enjambment,

• and juxtaposition

Juxtaposition....

when two contrasting things are placed near one another in order to emphasize that contrast

it can be seen in the second stanza when the seemingly pastoral landscape is contrasted with the dead man. 

anaphora

This is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines, usually in succession

Alliteration

It occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the same letter. 

Multiple Choice

What is meant by "juxtaposition?"

• two contrasting things are placed near one another

• two similar things are placed near one another

Multiple Select

Example of Anaphora

• “Severn shore"

• the use of “Farewell” twice in the first stanza

• the use of “And long” in the sixth stanza.

Multiple Choice

“half-mown hill” is an example of

• anaphora

• alliteration

first Stanza

“Farewell to barn and stack and tree,

Farewell to Severn shore.

Terence, look your last at me,

For I come home no more."

Multiple Choice

poet speaks to

• Teresa

• Terence

second Stanza

“The sun burns on the half-mown hill,

By now the blood is dried;

And Maurice amongst the hay lies still

And my knife is in his side."

Multiple Choice

He “lies still” means,

• motionless

• dead

“The sun burns on the half-mown hill,

By now the blood is dried;

And Maurice amongst the hay lies still

And my knife is in his side."

The first two lines of this stanza are shocking. They contrast the warmth, heat, and color of the sun, to that of the “half-mown hill” and the dried blood.  

third Stanza

“My mother thinks us long away;

‘Tis time the field were mown.

She had two sons at rising day,

To-night she’ll be alone."

Multiple Choice

It turns out that

• Maurice was his brother

• Maurice was his mother

Multiple Choice

"the speaker recalls how the two were meant to mow the lawn but instead, the day ended in murder and loss."

this technique is called

• anaphora

• juxtaposition

fourth Stanza

“And here’s a bloody hand to shake,

And oh, man, here’s good-bye;

We’ll sweat no more on scythe and rake,

My bloody hands and I.

Multiple Select

saying saying “And oh, man, here’s good-bye”. It is sinking in that he really has to leave, it’s the end. " means,

• it appears the speaker is getting emotional

• it appears te speaker is a little distressed about his situation.

• it appears the speaker is still angry

Multiple Choice

at the end ofthe fourth stanza, the speaker's life is about to change dramatically.

• true

• false

fifth Stanza

“I wish you strength to bring you pride,

   And a love to keep you clean,

And I wish you luck, come Lammastide,

   At racing on the green."

sixth Stanza

“Long for me the rick will wait,

And long will wait the fold,

And long will stand the empty plate,

And dinner will be cold.”

Multiple Choice

1. What is the situation that is hinted at here?

• it is a welcome party

• It is a crime scene.

• it is a proper goodbye

Multiple Choice

The speaker is taking leave of Terence. Who do you think Terence is?

• may be his friend

• a passer by

Multiple Select

Apart from human, the speaker takes leave of nonhuman/inanimate objects. What are those?

• Barn

• stack

• tree

• mountains

• the rick

Multiple Choice

Why does he leave?

• For his higher studies. and for his occupation

• He has committed a murder and the deceased happened to be the brother.

What we learnt...

"actions caused by sudden anger result in disastrous consequences"