The old Brown Horse by W. F. Holmes
The old brown horse looks over the fence
In a weary sort of way,
He seems to be saying to all who pass:
“Well, folks, I’ve had my day—
I’m simply watching the world go by,
And nobody seems to mind,
As they’re dashing past in their motor cars,
A horse who is lame and half-blind.”
The old brown horse has a shaggy coat,
But once he was young and trim,
And used to trot through the woods and lanes
With the wind in his mane so fine.
But his master rides in a motor car,
And it makes him feel quite sad,
When he thinks of the days that used to be,
And of all the times they had.
Sometimes a friendly soul will stop
Near the fence, where the tired old head
Rests wearily on the topmost bar,
And a friendly word is said.
Then the old brown horse gives a little sigh
As he feels the kindly touch
Of a hand on his mane or his shaggy coat,
And he doesn’t mind so much.
So if you pass by the field one day,
Just stop for a word or two
With the old brown horse who was once as you
And as full of life as you.
He’ll love the touch of your soft young hand,
And I know he’ll seem to say,
“Oh, thank you, friend, for the kindly thought
For a horse who has had his day.”
Paraphrase stanza by stanza
🔹 Stanza 1
The old brown horse looks over the fence
In a weary sort of way,
He seems to be saying to all who pass:
“Well, folks, I’ve had my day—
I’m simply watching the world go by,
And nobody seems to mind,
As they’re dashing past in their motor cars,
A horse who is lame and half-blind.”
Paraphrase:
The old horse stands near the fence looking tired. It feels as if he is telling people that
his best days are over. Now he only watches life pass by, while people rush past in
cars without noticing him. He is old, weak, and partly blind, and no one cares about him.
🔹 Stanza 2
The old brown horse has a shaggy coat,
But once he was young and trim,
And used to trot through the woods and lanes
With the wind in his mane so fine.
But his master rides in a motor car,
And it makes him feel quite sad,
When he thinks of the days that used to be,
And of all the times they had.
Paraphrase:
The horse now looks rough and untidy, but in the past he was strong and handsome.
He used to run happily through fields and paths. Now his owner uses a car instead
of riding him, which makes the horse feel sad as he remembers his good old days.
🔹 Stanza 3
Sometimes a friendly soul will stop
Near the fence, where the tired old head
Rests wearily on the topmost bar,
And a friendly word is said.
Then the old brown horse gives a little sigh
As he feels the kindly touch
Of a hand on his mane or his shaggy coat,
And he doesn’t mind so much.
Paraphrase:
Sometimes a kind person stops near the fence and speaks gently to the horse. The
horse rests his head and enjoys the kind words and touch. This small act of
kindness makes him feel better and less sad.
🔹 Stanza 4
So if you pass by the field one day,
Just stop for a word or two
With the old brown horse who was once as you
And as full of life as you.
He’ll love the touch of your soft young hand,
And I know he’ll seem to say,
“Oh, thank you, friend, for the kindly thought
For a horse who has had his day.”
Paraphrase:
The poet advises that if you ever pass by the field, you should stop and show
kindness to the horse. He was once full of life like you. Your gentle touch will
make him happy, and he will silently thank you for your kindness.
Summary
The poem describes an old horse who was once strong and full of life but is
now weak and ignored. He sadly watches the world pass by as people rush in
cars. However, when someone shows him kindness, he feels comfort and
less lonely.
Central Idea
The poem teaches that we should be kind and sympathetic towards the old and
helpless because they too once lived active and useful lives. They also need
affection in their old age.
Themes
- Kindness and compassion: Small acts of care can bring happiness.
- Old age and weakness: Time makes everyone weak.
- Passage of time: Youth does not last forever.
- Neglect: Society often ignores the old and helpless.
Exercises
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
Answer the following questions.
a. What do we learn about the horse from his appearance and behaviour?
Answer: From his appearance, we learn the horse is old, shaggy, and tired. His
behaviour shows he is weary and lonely, as he stands by the fence watching the
world go by, hoping for a bit of
human kindness.
b. What does the poet ask the reader to do?
Answer: The poet asks the reader to stop for a moment to give the horse a friendly
word or a kind touch as they pass by.
c. When does the horse feel that life now is not so bad?
Answer: The horse feels that life is not so bad when a kind passerby stops to stroke
his mane or shaggy coat and speaks a friendly word to him.
These questions are more challenging. Discuss them first.
d. Why is the horse no longer used for riding? Give at least two reasons.
Answer: The horse is no longer used for riding because he has grown old and tired,
and he is no longer as fast or strong as he used to be.
e. Who might have been responsible for neglecting the horse? Why was it neglected?
Answer: His master or owner is likely responsible. He is neglected because he is no
longer "useful" for work or transport, replaced by faster motor cars.
f. What would you have done to make the horse’s last years comfortable?
Answer: I would have ensured he had a warm stable, plenty of good food, and spent
time with him daily so he didn't feel lonely or forgotten.
g. What is this poem about? Write a short summary of the poem.
Answer: The poem is about an old, retired horse who feels lonely and neglected after
years of service. It highlights how small gestures of kindness from strangers can bring
great joy to those who are no longer "useful" to society.
Mark these statements as true (T) or false (F).
a. The old horse is pleased with life. (F)
b. The old horse likes having visitors. (T)
c. People who drive past are interested in the horse. (F)
d. The horse does not like being touched. (F)
Answer the following question with reference to context.
"Oh, thank you, friend, for the kindly thought
For a horse who has had his day."
The underlined phrase means:
c. has now grown old
Do you think there is a rhyming pattern in the poem? What is it?
Answer: Yes, the poem follows an ABCBDEFE rhyming pattern in each stanza
(where the second and fourth lines rhyme).
Which words and expressions tell us that the poet cares about the horse?
Answer: Expressions like "kindly thought," "touch of your hand," and the description
of the horse as a "soul" who is "old and tired" show the poet's empathy and care.
Choose one stanza of the poem and summarise it in your own words.
Answer (Summary of Stanza 1):
The old brown horse looks over the fence
In a weary sort of way;
He seems to be saying to all who pass:
'Well folks, I have had my day-
I'm simply watching the world go by,
And nobody seems to mind,
As they're dashing past in their motor cars,
A horse who is lame and half-blind'.
Summary:
The old horse stands by the fence looking weary. He watches people speed by in
cars, feeling forgotten and left behind by a world that is now too busy to notice him.
B WORKING WITH WORDS
Here are some words from the poem; they may be used when speaking about
horses and riding:coat, riding, lame, trot, mane
Here are some other words. Which words may be added to the list above?
Circle them. If you don't know the meaning, look them up in a dictionary.
race, stirrup, library, fetlock, saddle, rein, cashew, jump, turnip, gallop,
heading, canter, spade, Shetland, pony, shoe, turret, hoof.
C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE
SUBJECT AND PREDICATE
Subject: The part of a sentence that tells who or what it is about.
Predicate: The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is.
Examples (Subject + Predicate)
Sara | is reading a book.
(Sara,= subject) ( is reading a book = predicate)
The sun | shines brightly.
They | are watching TV.
The boys | are playing cricket.
1. Add suitable predicates to the following to make sentences.
• a. We must finish our work.
• b. That man who is the president of Pakistan.
• c. An engine makes noise.
• d. The woman with the glasses is buying fruit.
• e. The dog without a tail was barking at strangers.
The subject of a sentence consists of naming words and the predicate is
concerned with doing or being. The main word in the subject is a noun and
the main word in the predicate is a verb.
Example: The happy girl (noun) sang (verb) loudly.
2. Underline only the main noun (or nouns) and the main verb in the following.
• a. The boy walked along briskly.
• b. His dog followed closely behind.
• c. The long electric train crashed into the back of a goods train.
• d. Salma and Alina are playing in the garden.
• e. We heard them crying.
• f. The elephant has large ears.
• g. Parvez and Shahid live in Multan.
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