Knowledge by Eleanor Farjeon Central Idea and Summary

Knowledge 

- Eleanor Farjeon  

About Poet:
Eleanor Farjeon (13 February 1881- 5 June 1965) was born in London, England. She was a small timid child, who had poor eyesight and suffered from ill-health throughout her childhood. She was a
gifted writer. She wrote countless plays, poems and stories for children, many of which achieved international recognition. She died in Hampstead, London.  



About Poem: 
In the poem knowledge, the poet compares the human mind with a meadow and with a farmer. A farmer likes to sow seeds and plant things and look after it with care. A good farmer doesn‟t like to see bare land.  
The poet wants to convey the message that we should not keep our minds empty. Like a good farmer, we should plant the seeds of knowledge in our minds, which will grow and develop like the seeds and plants in a farmer‟s meadow. The seeds of knowledge can be about nature or science, history, math, music and literature. If we keep our minds busy through reading we are sure to gain wisdom and knowledge, like a farmer harvesting his crops in the summer.

Words:
meadow: n. = grassland
unplanted: adj. = not planted
sow: v. = place seeds in the field/farm land
tend: v. = look after carefully
know-nothing=ignorant person/uneducated person
spring: n. = a season of growth