The Poem “No!” by Thomas Hood
No sun—no moon!
No morn—no noon—
No dawn—no dusk—no proper time of day.
No sky—no earthly view—
No distance looking blue—
No road—no street—no “t’other side the way”—
No end to any row—
No indications where the crescents go—
No top to any steeple—
No recognitions of familiar people—
No courtesies for showing ’em—
No knowing ’em!—
No travelling at all—no locomotion,
No inkling of the way—no notion—
“No go”—by land or ocean—
No mail—no post—
No news from any foreign coast—
No Park—no Ring—no afternoon gentility—
No company—no nobility—
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member—
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds!—
November!
Central Idea
The poem presents November as a month of emptiness and lifelessness. Thomas
Hood uses repeated “No” to show how fog and cold weather hide everything—light,
movement, social life, and nature—making the world seem dull and still.
Summary:
The summary of the poem is that November represents complete emptiness and
absence. The poet repeatedly uses the word “No” to emphasis how the thick London
fog and cold weather remove all signs of life and activity. There is no sunlight, no
movement, no social interaction, and no natural beauty. Everything appears dull,
lifeless, and motionless, making November feel like a time when the world has
come to a halt.
Stanza 1
No sun—no moon!
No morn—no noon—
No dawn—no dusk—no proper time of day.
No sky—no earthly view—
No distance looking blue—
Paraphrase:
The sun and the moon are completely hidden. It is impossible to tell whether it is
morning or noon because the light does not change. There is no clear beginning
or end of the day, as both dawn and dusk are invisible. Neither the sky nor the
land can be seen, and the distant blue horizon has disappeared into the thick fog.
Stanza 2
No road—no street—no “t’other side the way”—
No end to any row—
No indications where the crescents go—
No top to any steeple—
Paraphrase:
The fog is so dense that roads and streets are not visible, not even the other side
of the way. Rows of houses seem endless because their boundaries cannot be seen.
It is impossible to know where the curved streets lead, and even the tops of church
towers are hidden in the mist.
Stanza 3
No recognitions of familiar people—
No courtesies for showing ’em—
No knowing ’em!—
No travelling at all—no locomotion,
No inkling of the way—no notion—
“No go”—by land or ocean—
No mail—no post—
No news from any foreign coast—
Paraphrase:
People cannot recognise one another due to the thick fog. As a result, social manners
like greeting others have disappeared. Travel has completely stopped, whether by land
or sea. No one has any idea about direction or movement. Communication has also
broken down, as there is no postal service and no news coming from distant places.
Stanza 4
No Park—no Ring—no afternoon gentility—
No company—no nobility—
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member—
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds!—
November!
Paraphrase:
Public places like parks are empty, and the high class people are no longer seen
enjoying social outings. There is no social life or elegance. Everything feels cold,
uncomfortable, and joyless. There is neither sunlight nor shadow, and all elements
of nature, such as insects, plants, and birds have disappeared. This complete
lifelessness reflects the gloomy and dull month of November.
1. Understanding the Poem:
Answers the following questions:
a. In what way is the title of the poem a good one?
The title is suitable because it reflects the repeated use of “No” to show absence,
emptiness, and negativity throughout the poem.
b. The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse is
called rhyme scheme. Is there a rhyme scheme to the poem? If yes, please identify.
Yes, the poem has an irregular rhyme scheme. Examples include: moon–noon,
day–way, Row–go, post–coast.
c. Which words in the poem tell us about the following?
i. times of day
morn, noon, dawn, dusk
ii. roads
road, street, way, row, crescents
iii. motion or interaction
travelling, locomotion, courtesies, knowing
iv. weather conditions or geographical features
sun, moon, sky, distance, fog
v. living creatures and plants
butterflies, bees, birds, flowers, leaves, fruits
More Challenging Questions
d. How would you describe the general picture painted by the poet? Is it a
cheerful one?
The poet presents a gloomy, dull, and lifeless picture. It is not cheerful.
e. Do you think the poet has a good sense of humour? Why?
Yes, he uses slight humour through exaggeration, but mainly to emphasis the
seriousness of the fog.
f. What impact is created by the repetition of “No” throughout the poem?
It creates a strong sense of emptiness, monotony, and total absence.
2. Answer the following with reference to context
a. What is meant by “t’other side the way”?
It means the other side of the street.
b. Why do you think the phrase “No go” is put in inverted commas, while others (e.g.
“No mail”) are not? (Is there any another expression in inverted commas?)
“No go” is in inverted commas to emphasis it as a common expression meaning no
movement is possible. Another example is “t’other side the way”.
c. What does the “Ring” refer to?
It refers to a fashionable public place (like Hyde Park) where people used to gather.
d. Comment on the phrase “no afternoon gentility”.
It means there are no polite social gatherings or refined activities in the afternoon.
If you want, I can or .
B. Working with Words
1. Find words in the poem which may be described as:
a. the star at the centre of the solar system
sun
b. the Earth’s only natural satellite
moon
c. appropriate or correct
proper
d. the first appearance of light in the sky
dawn
e. signs or signals
indications
f. well known, commonly seen or heard, easily recognized
familiar
g. the perception that somebody has been seen before and is known
recognition
h. a vague idea or suspicion about a fact, person, or event
notion / inkling
i. contented and relaxed
ease
j. limb
member
k. an insect of the order Lepidoptera
butterflies
l. heat/affection/friendliness
warmth
Literary devices in this poem
1. Repetition
The word “No” is repeated throughout the poem. Firstly, it emphasizes absence and
emptiness. Secondly, it creates a strong rhythm and highlights the gloomy mood.
Example:
“No sun—no moon… No morn—no noon…”
2. Anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines
or clauses.
Example:
“No sun—no moon!”
“No morn—no noon—”
“No dawn—no dusk—”
“No road—no street—”
“No mail—no post—”
3. Imagery
The poem creates visual pictures in the reader’s mind. It helps the reader imagine a
lifeless, dull environment. It helps the reader imagine a lifeless, dull environment.
Example:
“No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds!”
4. Alliteration
Repetition of the same initial consonant sound. In addition, it adds musical quality
and makes the poem more memorable.
Example:
“No shade, no shine”
“No mail—no post”
5. Parallelism
Similar grammatical structure repeated. Therefore, it creates balance and strengthens
the idea of total absence.
Example:
“No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease”
6. Hyperbole (Exaggeration)
The poet exaggerates the situation. It shows extreme conditions to emphasize how
difficult life becomes.
Example:
“No travelling at all—no locomotion”
7. Symbolism
“November” symbolizes more than just a month. Eventually, it represents gloom,
darkness, lifelessness, and even depression.
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