The School Boy Comprehension I

Question 1. Who, do you think, ‘I’ refers to in the poem?

Answer: A school-going boy.

Question 2. ‘sweet company’ refers to

(a) skylark (b) huntsman’s horn (c) bird’s song (d) all of the above.
(b) Answer: (d) all of the above.

Question 3. What drives the boy’s joy away? OR What cannot give delight to the schoolboy?

Answer: The prospect of going to school.

Question 4. How do the little ones spend the day in the school?

Answer: The little ones spend their time in school in a dull manner as they are full of dismay and
restlessness.

Question 5. What does ‘cage’ metaphorically refer to in the poem?

Answer: School is compared to a bird’s cage.

Question 6. Pick the phrase from the following which does not refer to formal schooling: (a) buds are
nipped (b) fruits are gathered (c) plants are stripped (d) blossoms are blown away.

Answer: (b) fruits are gathered.

Question 7. Relate the Seasons mentioned under column A with the stages of life under column B.

AB

1. Spring a. youth

2. Summer b. old age

3. Winter

c. childhood

Answer: 1 – c; 2 – a; 3 – b.

The School Boy Comprehension II

Question 1. What does the schoolboy love to do on a summer morn? What drives his joy away? Answer:
On a summer morn, the schoolboy would like to rise early when the birds sing, the distant huntsman
blows his horn and the skylark sings with him. He considers all these to be the sweet company. But, he is
not allowed to do this as he has to go to school and the school drives all joy away.

Question 2. Describe the boy’s experience in the school. Answer: The boy’s experience in school is full of
fear and discouragement. The authoritarian way of teaching makes the boy sigh in dismay. His boredom
and fear are reflected in the drooping manner in which he sits and the restlessness that he exhibits. The
books give him no joy and the school makes him feel worn out.

Question 3. According to the poet, how does formal education curb a learner’s

potential? OR Explain the poet’s use of natural images to caution the parents about the effects of formal
schooling on their child. Answer: Formal education curbs the potential of the child as it takes away from
the child its freedom. The child is like a caged bird in school and just like the wings of the caged bird
droop, the spirit of the child sags in school which instils in the child a sense of fear. Children, like plants,
need to be nurtured and given care, if they are to ripen successfully and bear fruit later on. If children
are not allowed to have a natural childhood, which is spent in playing freely among the natural things
(hills, meadows, lambs, birds, etc.), then they will wither before they can blossom into mature adults.
Spring stands for new growth and that is why the poet uses the metaphor of the spring to argue that a
school does not allow spring to flourish.

The School Boy Comprehension III

Question 1. Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s
growth forever. Explain. OR Why does Blake reject the conventional educational system? OR What are
Blake’s views on formal education? Answer: To highlight the point that formal education not only takes
away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s growth forever, the poet equates the seasons of
the year with different stages in life. He points out that what happens in childhood has its impact on
adulthood and old age. He questions as to how there can be growth in summer if the buds, blossoms
and plants themselves are destroyed in spring. If summer is bereft of fruits, naturally one has no defence
against the blasts of winter.

In other words, the poet tells us that a happy childhood makes adulthood and old age pleasurable. But if
the childhood itself is devoid of joy, there is nothing to look forward to in adulthood and old age. Thus
the poet makes it crystal clear that childhood experiences are very important to lead a happy. life and
school have a major role to play in determining whether childhood experiences are conducive to growth
or not.

Question 2. Do you think the poet is arguing against education? Discuss. Answer: No, the poet is not
against education. He is only against unhealthy practices in education. He makes it clear that education
should be offered in a free and healthy atmosphere. Children should not be made to feel like caged
birds. They should not feel insecure and restless. They should not find the whole experience of learning
to be dreary and dull. There should be enough opportunities to tap their creative potential and turn
them into productive human beings.