Summary “A Legend of the Northland”:

‘A Legend of the Northland’ by Phoebe Cary tells the story of a woman in the Northland who encounters Saint Peter. The woman is baking cakes when Saint Peter, hungry and tired from his travels, asks her for a single cake. However, the woman is reluctant to give away any of her cakes, finding them all too large.

Despite her attempts to make smaller and smaller cakes, she refuses to part with any of them, claiming they are still too large to give away. Saint Peter becomes angry and decides to teach her a lesson. He tells her she must earn her food by boring into the hard, dry wood like a woodpecker.

Ultimately, the woman is transformed into a woodpecker with a scarlet cap. She continues to live in the trees, boring for food, and the flame blackens her clothes as she goes up the chimney.

Literary Analysis “A Legend of the Northland”

Line-by-Line Explanation “A Legend of the Northland”:

1. “Away, away in the Northland,
2. “Where the hours of the day are few,” The poem begins by describing a distant place called the Northland. In this place, the days are very short.

3. “And the nights are so long in winter”
4. “That they cannot sleep them through;” Conversely, the nights in winter are exceptionally long. The length of the winter nights makes it difficult for people to sleep through them.

5. “Where they harness the swift reindeer”
6. “To the sledges, when it snows;” In this Northland, people use fast reindeer. The reindeer are harnessed to sledges for transportation when it snows.

7. “And the children look like bear’s cubs”
8. “In their funny, furry clothes:” The children in this Northland resemble bear cubs. The children wear amusing, warm, furry clothing.

9. “They tell them a curious story —”
10. “I don’t believe ’tis true;” The speaker acknowledges that the people in the Northland have a peculiar tale. The speaker expresses scepticism about the story’s truthfulness.

11. “And yet you may learn a lesson”
12. “If I tell the tale to you.” Despite doubts about its truth, there’s a lesson to be learned from the story. The speaker hints at narrating the story to convey the lesson.

13. “Once, when the good Saint Peter”
14. “Lived in the world below,” The poem begins with Saint Peter, a central figure in the Christian tradition. Saint Peter lives on Earth.

15. “And walked about it, preaching,”
16. “Just as he did, you know,” Saint Peter is actively preaching to people. The line emphasises that Saint Peter’s actions are known and recognised.

17. “He came to the door of a cottage,”
18. “In travelling round the earth,” Saint Peter arrives at a cottage. He travels across the Earth.

19. “Where a little woman was making cakes,”
20. “And baking them on the hearth;” At the cottage, a woman is busy baking cakes. The woman is baking the cakes on the fireplace.

21. “And being faint with fasting,”
22. “For the day was almost done,” Saint Peter was hungry due to fasting. It’s near the end of the day.

23. “He asked her, from her store of cakes,”
24. “To give him a single one.” Saint Peter requests a cake from the woman.He asks explicitly for just one cake.

25. “So she made a very little cake,”
26. “But as it baking lay,” The woman prepares a tiny cake. As the cake is baking.

27. “She looked at it, and thought it seemed”
28. “Too large to give away.” The woman examines the cake and thinks it appears too large. She hesitates to give the seemingly large cake to Saint Peter.

29. “Therefore she kneaded another,”
30. “And still a smaller one;” The woman decides to make another cake. This time, she makes an even smaller cake.

31. “But it looked, when she turned it over,”
32. “As large as the first had done.” However, it appears the same size as the first when she turns it over. Despite her efforts, the smaller cake seems just as big as the first.

33. “Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,”
34. “And rolled and rolled it flat;” The woman attempts to make an even smaller cake using a tiny amount of dough. She rolls the dough very thin.

35. “And baked it thin as a wafer —”
36. “But she couldn’t part with that.” The result is a thin cake resembling a wafer. However, she still can’t give away even this tiny cake.

37. “For she said, ‘My cakes that seem too small”
38. “When I eat of them myself,” The woman rationalises, saying that the cakes, which seem small to her, are still too large to give away. She compares the size of the cakes when she eats them personally.

39. “Are yet too large to give away.“
40. “So she put them on the shelf.” Even though they seem small when she consumes them, she finds them too large to share. Frustrated, she stores the cakes on a shelf instead of sharing them.

41. “Then good Saint Peter grew angry,”
42. “For he was hungry and faint;” Saint Peter becomes angry at the woman’s selfishness. Saint Peter, being hungry and tired, is frustrated by her actions.

43. “And surely such a woman“,
44. “Was enough to provoke a saint.” The speaker reflects on the woman’s behaviour. The woman’s actions were irritating enough to provoke a saint like Peter.

45. “And he said, ‘You are far too selfish”
46. “To dwell in a human form,” Saint Peter accuses the woman of being excessively selfish. He suggests that such selfishness is unfit for a human being.

47. “To have both food and shelter,”
48. “And fire to keep you warm.” Despite having food and a place to live. Additionally, she has the warmth of a fire.

49. “Now, you shall build as the birds do,”
50. “And shall get your scanty food” As a consequence, Saint Peter pronounces a punishment. The woman must gather her food.

51. “By boring, and boring, and boring,”
52. “All day in the hard, dry wood.” She will repeatedly obtain her food by boring it into wood. The punishment involves working all day to obtain sustenance from the tough, dry wood.

53. “Then up she went through the chimney,”
54. “Never speaking a word,” The consequences of her selfishness begin to unfold. The woman transforms without uttering a word.

55. “And out of the top flew a woodpecker,”
56. “For she was changed to a bird.” The woman is transformed into a woodpecker, a bird associated with boring wood. The woman’s punishment is complete; she is transformed into a bird.

57. “She had a scarlet cap on her head,”
58. “And that was left the same;” Despite the transformation, some elements remain unchanged, like a scarlet cap. The scarlet cap is the only thing that remains unchanged.

59. “But all the rest of her clothes were burned”
60. “Black as a coal in the flame.” The rest is transformed, possibly due to the punishment. The clothing turns black, resembling coal in a flame.

61. “And every country schoolboy”
62. “Has seen her in the wood,” The speaker makes a general statement about the awareness of the transformed woman. The transformed woman, now a woodpecker, is a common sight in the woods.

63. “Where she lives in the trees till this very day,”
64. “Boring and boring for food.” The woodpecker continues to live in the trees to the present. The punishment entails the woodpecker boring into wood for its sustenance.

Question/Answers:

Q1: Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?

A1: The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ by Phoebe Cary does not explicitly specify the country or countries referred to as “the Northland.” However, based on the imagery in the poem, including swift reindeer, long winter nights, and associations with Saint Peter, one might infer that the Northland is inspired by northern regions, possibly those with strong Christmas folklore.

Regions such as Scandinavia or parts of Russia, where winter nights are long and reindeer are culturally significant, could be potential inspirations for the poem’s setting.

Q2: What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?

A2:  In the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ by Phoebe Cary, Saint Peter asks the old lady for a single cake from her store. The lady initially complies and bakes him a cake. 

However, as she looks at the cake’s size, she thinks it’s too large to give away. She attempts to make smaller cakes, but each successive attempt seems too large for her to part with. The lady struggles to share even a tiny portion of her cakes with Saint Peter.

Q3:  How did he punish her?

A3: To punish the old lady for selfishness, Saint Peter transforms her into a woodpecker. Saint Peter becomes frustrated with the woman’s unwillingness to share her cakes and decides to teach her a lesson.

He condemns her to a life of laborious work by turning her into a woodpecker. The punishment entails boring the hard, dry wood all day to find her scanty food. This transformation is a moral consequence of the old lady’s lack of generosity.

Q4:  How does the woodpecker get her food?

A4: Once Saint Peter transforms the old lady, the woodpecker gets her food by boring into the trees. The poem describes her as “boring and boring for food” in the hard, dry wood.

The repetitive action of boring into the trees is how the woodpecker sustains herself and obtains her necessary nourishment. The transformation serves as a symbolic punishment for the old lady’s selfishness, condemning her to a life of labour as a woodpecker.

Q5: Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter was? What would she have done then?

A5: If the old lady had recognised Saint Peter’s true identity, she might have been more inclined to show generosity and offer him a portion of her cakes. In various legends and folklore, people who extend kindness to celestial or divine beings are often rewarded, while those who show selfishness or inhospitality may face the consequences.

The speculative nature of this question allows for interpretation based on cultural and literary traditions. Still, the poem itself doesn’t provide explicit details about the old lady’s potential change in behaviour if she had known Saint Peter’s identity.

(Note: In many cultures, denying assistance or being ungenerous to a divine or saintly figure often leads to negative consequences or moral lessons and is frowned upon.)

Q6: Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

A6: The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ by Phoebe Cary is not presented as a true story; instead, it is described as a legend. 

The most important part of the poem is likely the transformation of the old lady into a woodpecker as a consequence of her selfishness. This transformation is a moral lesson about the importance of generosity and selflessness. 

The poem teaches that actions have consequences, and it encourages readers to consider the implications of their behaviour, especially when it comes to helping others in need. The moral message about the consequences of greed and the value of generosity is a central theme in the poem.

Q7: What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?

A7: A legend is a traditional or historical narrative that often involves elements of folklore, mythology, or heroic tales. Legends are typically passed down through generations and may explain the origins of certain traditions, customs, or natural phenomena. 

The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ is called a legend because it tells a fictional and imaginative story that imparts a moral lesson. The narrative involves the transformation of an old lady into a woodpecker due to her selfishness. 

In this context, the term “legend” emphasises that the story is a traditional or mythological tale with a moral message rather than a historical one. The term “legend” suggests that the narrative conveys a lesson and may have been inspired by cultural or folkloric traditions.

Q1: What is the setting of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’?

A1: The poem’s setting is in the Northland, where the days are short and the nights are long in winter. It describes a cold, remote region where reindeer are harnessed to sledges and the inhabitants wear funny, furry clothes.

Q2: Who is the protagonist in the poem, and what is the role of Saint Peter in the story?

A2: The protagonist in the poem is the little woman baking cakes. Saint Peter plays the role of a visitor who comes to her door while he is preaching and asks for food.

Q3: What request does Saint Peter make to the woman, and how does she respond?

A3: Saint Peter requests a single cake from the woman because he is faint from fasting. The woman agrees to make him a cake but struggles with the size, thinking they are too large to give away.

Q4: How does the woman attempt to make a small enough cake for Saint Peter, and what happens?

A4: The woman kneads and bakes smaller and smaller cakes, but each time she turns them over, they appear more prominent. She even uses a tiny scrap of dough, but cannot bring herself to part with it. Eventually, she puts the cakes on the shelf without giving any to Saint Peter.

Q5: What is Saint Peter’s reaction to the woman’s reluctance to share her cakes?

A5: Saint Peter becomes angry with the woman, considering her too selfish to dwell in a human form. He punishes her by transforming her into a woodpecker and instructs her to earn her scanty food by boring into the hard, dry wood.

Q6: Describe the transformation of the woman into a woodpecker.

A7: The woman goes up through the chimney and is transformed into a woodpecker. She retains a scarlet cap on her head, but the rest of her clothes are burned black as coal in the flame.

Q7: How does the poem convey a moral lesson?

A7: The poem conveys a moral lesson about selfishness and generosity. The woman’s unwillingness to share her abundance leads to her transformation into a bird that must work hard for its food. It is a cautionary tale about the consequences of selfishness and the importance of generosity.

Q8: What is the significance of the scarlet cap in transforming the woman into a woodpecker?

A8: The scarlet cap is the only item that remains unchanged during the woman’s transformation into a woodpecker. It symbolises her former self, a reminder of her human nature despite the drastic change in her physical form.

Q9: How does the poem use elements of fantasy and transformation to convey its message?

A9: The poem incorporates elements of fantasy, such as the visit of Saint Peter and the magical transformation of the woman into a woodpecker. These fantastical elements illustrate the consequences of the woman’s selfishness and add a mystical quality to the conveyed moral lesson.

Q10: What is the significance of the woodpecker’s behaviour at the poem’s end?

A10: The woodpecker’s boring behaviour for food in the hard, dry wood symbolises the woman’s new life and the consequences of her actions. It reinforces the idea that selfishness can lead to a challenging, laborious existence, in contrast to the ease of having both food and shelter as a human.

Extract-Based Questions “A Legend of the Northland”: 

Extract 1: Stanza 3

Q1: What does the speaker imply by calling the story a “curious story”?

A1: The speaker suggests that the story is unusual or peculiar, possibly hinting at its fantastical or mythical nature.

Q2: Why does the speaker doubt the truth of the story?

A2: The speaker doubts the story’s truth, emphasising scepticism or uncertainty about the events described, creating intrigue for the listener.

Q3: Despite the speaker’s disbelief, what is the purpose of telling the tale to the audience?

A3: The speaker acknowledges that a lesson may be learned from the story, implying that even if the events are not entirely true, they carry a moral or instructive message.

Q4: What does the phrase “If I tell the tale to you” suggest about the speaker’s role in conveying the story?

A4: The phrase implies that the speaker sees themselves as a storyteller, responsible for sharing the narrative and possibly guiding the audience toward the lesson in the tale.

Extract 2: Stanza 7

Q1: What action does the woman take in response to Saint Peter’s request for a cake?

A1: The woman makes a tiny cake for Saint Peter to fulfil his request.

Q2: What internal conflict does the woman experience while baking the cake?

A2: The woman struggles with the perception that the small cake she made still seems too large to give away, revealing her internal conflict about parting with her possessions.

Q3: How does the woman’s hesitation contribute to the unfolding events in the poem?

A3: The woman’s hesitation to give away even a tiny cake becomes a crucial turning point, leading to Saint Peter’s growing dissatisfaction and eventual punishment.

Q4: What does the woman’s dilemma convey about the theme of generosity in the poem?

A4: The woman’s reluctance to share, even in a small way, highlights the theme of generosity and the consequences of selfishness in the narrative.

Q1: How does Saint Peter decide to punish the woman for her selfishness?

A1: Saint Peter decides to transform the woman into a woodpecker and instructs her to earn her meagre food by boring into the hard, dry wood.

Q2: What symbolic meaning can be attributed to the woman’s new task as a woodpecker?

A2: The woman’s task of boring into the hard, dry wood symbolises the arduous, laborious consequences of her selfish actions, serving as a metaphor for the challenges that accompany a self-centred existence.

Q3: What contrast does the punishment create between the woman’s previous and current lives?

A3: The punishment contrasts the woman’s former comfort with the hardship of her new existence as a woodpecker, emphasising the price she pays for her selfish behaviour.

Q4: How does this stanza contribute to the overall moral lesson of the poem?

A4: This stanza reinforces the moral lesson by illustrating the direct consequences of selfishness, showing that one’s actions can lead to a difficult and less desirable life.

Q1: What is the current state of the transformed woman according to this stanza?

A1: The woman, now a woodpecker, lives in the trees and continues to bore into the wood for her food.

Q2: How does the mention of “every country schoolboy” add to the impact of the stanza?

A2: The mention adds a universal quality, suggesting that the transformed woman’s existence as a woodpecker is known to many, emphasising the enduring nature of her punishment.

Q3: What does “till this very day” imply about the woman’s ongoing fate?

A3: The phrase implies that the woman’s transformation and the consequences of her actions persist as a reminder of the enduring impact of one’s choices.

Q4: In what way does this stanza conclude the narrative and emphasise the story’s moral?

A4: By describing the woman’s continued life as a woodpecker, the stanza serves as a conclusion, highlighting the lasting repercussions of selfishness and reinforcing the moral lesson of the poem.

Q1: In this stanza, what accusation does Saint Peter make against the woman?

A1: Saint Peter accuses the woman of being too selfish to deserve the comforts of a human form, including food, shelter, and warmth.

Q2: How does Saint Peter emphasise the contrast between the woman’s selfishness and her current privileges?

A2: Saint Peter highlights that the woman has food, shelter, and the luxury of fire to keep her warm. It emphasises the disparity between her current blessings and her selfish behaviour.

Q3: What does Saint Peter imply about the privileges of being human in this stanza?

A3: Saint Peter suggests that being human comes with certain privileges, such as food, shelter, and warmth, and that the woman has taken these for granted through her selfish actions.

Q4: How does this stanza contribute to the theme of the poem?

A4: This stanza deepens the exploration of the theme of selfishness by highlighting the contrast between the woman’s actions and the privileges associated with being human, leading to Saint Peter’s decision to impose a transformative punishment.

Extract 6: Stanza 14

Q1: What is the significance of the woman going “up through the chimney”?

A1: The woman’s ascent through the chimney symbolises her departure from her human life and the beginning of her transformation into a woodpecker.

Q2: How does this stanza’s transformation from a woman to a woodpecker unfold?

A2: The woman undergoes a silent transformation as she ascends through the chimney, emerging from the top as a woodpecker. This swift and magical transformation adds a fantastical element to the poem.

Q3: What does the transformation into a woodpecker represent in the context of the narrative?

A3: The transformation signifies the woman’s punishment for her selfishness. She loses her human form and is relegated to a life as a woodpecker, reinforcing the consequences of her actions.

Q4: How does the imagery in this stanza contribute to the overall tone of the poem?

A4: The imagery of the woman silently turning into a woodpecker through the chimney adds a mysterious and sombre tone, heightening the impact of the transformation and the gravity of the moral lesson.

Extract 7: Stanza 2

Q1: In this stanza, what activities are described in the Northland during snowy weather?

A1: The stanza describes the use of swift reindeer harnessed to sledges when it snows in the Northland, providing a glimpse into the local lifestyle.

Q2: How do the children in the Northland appear in winter, according to the stanza?

A2: The children in the Northland are described as looking like bear cubs, emphasising their bundled appearance in warm and furry clothes during the winter.

Q3: What role does the imagery of the swift reindeer and children in furry clothes play in the poem?

A3: The imagery adds a vivid and picturesque element to the poem, setting the scene in the Northland and contrasting with the later transformation and moral lesson.

Q4: In what way does this stanza contribute to the atmosphere of the poem?

A4: This stanza establishes the Northland setting, providing a backdrop for the narrative and contributing to the atmosphere by depicting a wintry, enchanting landscape.