Skyscrapers=Very tall buildings.

Whipping=Moving quickly or being blown around by the wind.

Drone=A continuous, low humming sound, like bees make.

Repass =To pass by again.

Clarion=A loud, clear sound, like a trumpet.

Marsh=Wet, grassy land, often near water.

Jewel-weed=A type of plant with bright orange or yellow flowers.

Rooted=Fixed firmly in place, like a plant in the ground.

Tugging=Pulling something with effort.

Vocabulary from “Green Escape”

1. What has the poet turned his face away from?
   The poet has turned his face away from streets, crowds, and skyscrapers. He is rejecting the noisy, man-made urban environment.
2. Where has the poet turned his face towards?
   He has turned towards a windy place with clouds. He seeks refuge in an open, natural landscape.
3. Why does the poet want to escape the city?
   He finds the urban environment oppressive and yearns for peace. The city, with its skyscrapers that “scratch out the sky,” feels suffocating to him.
4. What do the skyscrapers do to the sky?
   The skyscrapers are described as “scratching out the sky.” This suggests they violently obscure and mar the natural beauty of the heavens.
5. How are the newspapers described?
   The newspapers are described as “wet” and “always whipping by.” This creates an image of discarded, chaotic, and unpleasant urban litter.
6. What has the poet done with his heart?
   He has “taken away” his heart from the city. He will now give it to be “split apart” by the raw power of nature.
7. What does the poet want the wind and rain to do?
   He wants the wind and rain to “split apart” his heart. This signifies a desire for a profound, transformative, and even painful cleansing by nature’s elements.
8. How does the poet want to stand in the field?
   He wants to stand “like a stone” all day in the grass. This shows his desire for complete stillness, patience, and immovable connection to the natural world.
9. What are the bees doing?
   The bees are droning and “pass and repass.” They are busily and continuously moving about, collecting pollen.
10. What do the bees brush across their legs?
    They brush “gold” across their legs. This “gold” is the precious pollen they are gathering from the flowers.
11. What is the bird doing in the hush?
    The bird is sitting quietly, likely guarding her nest. The poet hears her in the quiet atmosphere, suggesting a scene of peaceful nurturing.
12. What does the poet hear from the wild swan?
    He hears the swan lift its “crooked clarion.” This is the swan’s loud, harsh, and untamed cry across the marsh.
13. How is the swan’s clarion described?
    It is described as “crooked” and “harsh.” This means it is not a melodious sound but a raw, wild, and powerful natural call.
14. Where does the jewel-weed hang?
    The jewel-weed hangs in the natural, marshy place the poet describes. It is one of the many specific details of the lush landscape he escapes to.
15. How is the stream described?
    The stream is described as “spotted.” This likely means its surface is dappled with light and shadow, or with floating plants.
16. What does the green beetle do?
    The green beetle “bangs bronze on bronze.” This describes the insect creating a metallic sound, perhaps by hitting its shell against plants or other surfaces.
17. Where is the poet rooted?
    The poet is rooted in the “deep ground.” This symbolizes his deep, foundational, and immovable connection to the earth.
18. What is tugging at the poet’s hair?
    The sky is tugging at his hair. This personifies the sky and shows the powerful, physical pull he feels from the vast, open heavens.
19. Where will the poet be found?
    He will be found in that specific natural spot he describes. He emphatically states “There!” to confirm his complete presence in that sanctuary.
20. What is the main theme of the poem?
    The main theme is the desire to escape a stressful urban life. It celebrates finding one’s true self and peace through immersion in the natural world.
21. What does the poet give his heart to?
    He gives his heart to be split apart by “wind and rain.” He offers his deepest emotions to the cleansing and powerful forces of nature.
22. What does the poet watch the bees do?
    He watches them brush pollen onto their legs. He observes their purposeful and delicate work with great attention.
23. When does the poet hear the bird?
    He hears the bird “at hush,” meaning in the quiet, peaceful moments. This emphasizes the tranquility of the natural setting.
24. How does the swan lift its clarion?
    It lifts its clarion “high and harsh.” The cry is both loud, projecting across the marsh, and rough in its sound.
25. Where does the wild swan fly?
    The wild swan flies across the marsh. Its presence adds to the wild, untamed beauty of the poet’s chosen refuge.
26. What sound does the beetle make?
    The beetle makes a “bronze on bronze” banging sound. This metallic noise is part of the symphony of natural sounds the poet absorbs.
27. What is the poet’s final declaration?
    His final declaration is “There will I be found—There!” He is stating with absolute certainty that his true place is in nature, not in the city.
28. What does the poet reject?
    He rejects the streets, crowds, skyscrapers, and wet newspapers. These elements represent the entirety of the unpleasant urban experience.
29. What does the poet seek?
    He seeks a windy, natural landscape filled with clouds, grass, and wildlife. He is looking for a place of elemental purity and peace.
30. What is the poet’s overall feeling in nature?
    His overall feeling is one of profound belonging and peace. He finds his true self by being rooted in the earth and connected to the sky.