The poet, Ben Jonson, in the poem ‘The Noble Nature’, talks about what makes a man noble. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to do this. Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man a noble being. Read More 1st Year English Summaries.
The Nobel Nature Summary
Ben Jonson is regarded as one of the major dramatists and poets of the Seventeenth Century. His poem The Noble Nature, one of his most popular lyrics. This poem is about the importance of noble nature in one’s life. The core meaning of the poem centres around this single idea. He compares man to a sturdy oak and to a delicate lily in order to explain this point.
Growing physically like a bulky tree or living long like a sturdy oak does not make a man noble being. The huge, strong and aged oak will soon become a lifeless, ‘dry’ and withered piece of log. So too will be the fate of a man who is only blessed with physical and material assets and long life. He will not remain for long in the minds of people around him.
However, the lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful and perfect. It gives us light and happiness. It’s life is meaningful. Although it has the span of a day and withers by the night, it is appreciated for its beauty and delight in that short period.
Similarly if man does good during the short period he lives people will continue to talk good about him even after he is gone. This is what actually makes a man noble. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble. If means that a person’s life is meaningful only if he does some acts of benefaction. Otherwise his life is meaningless.
Conclusion:
The lily plant has a short life. It blooms in May and is very beautiful. Although the flower has the life span of a day and falls and dies by nightfall, it spreads beauty and delight in that short period. The poet feels that a meaningful life like the lily flower, though short, is what makes a man noble and even though a man’s life is short it can be a perfect life.