THE SCHOOL

BOY
Comprehension

I.Text Book Questions

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

I refers to the school boy and thereby to the poet William Blake.

2 . ‘’sweet company”refers to

a)skylark

3.What drives the boy’s joy away ?

The thought of going to school drives the boy’s joy away .

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

The little ones spend the day in sighing and dismay ,that is in grief and fear.

5.What does ‘cage’ stand for in the poem ?

 The word ‘cage’ stands for the school or the classroom for the students .

6.Pick the phrase from the following which does not refer to formal schooling

b)fruits are gathered

7.Relate the seasons mentioned under column A with the stages of life under column

1.SPRING CHILDHOOD

2.SUMMER YOUTH

3.WINTER OLD AGE

Comprehension II

1.What does the school boy love to do on a summer morn ?

What drives his joy away ?

• When the boy wakes up on a new day ,he is full of joy

and happiness,he states that he loves to get up on a

summer morning.

• The chirping of the birds adds to his feeling of

elation.

• Listens to the Hunters horn,who is already far away

in the forest.

• He loves to sing in chorus with skylark.Due to his

overjoyed state of mind ,his feels that his heart is

singing with the skylark.

• The boy finds solace and contentment amidst Nature

.
 • The thought of going to school drives his joy away.

2.Describe the boy’s experience in the school .

• Even the thought of going to school drives all joy away

for the school boy .
• He wants to spend the summer day amidst the nature
,but is forced to go to school .
• In the school he spends the day under the watchful eyes
of a cruel teacher .
• The little ones spend their day in misery and sadness.
• The children are full of feeling of despondency and
hopelessness.
• He does not take delight in his books, and despises to sit
through the boring Lecture.
• He feels like a caged bird in the school,that cannot fly
freely in the sky.
• He feels defeated and lost in life and therefore forgets
his youthful spring.
 3. According to the poet how does formal schooling curb a
learner’s potential ?

• It drives away all joy ,forces him to stay away from

Nature ,that he loves.
• The teacher is described as cruel eye outworn ie a
person who is insensitive towards children.
• The school environment instills fear and anxiety
instead of confidence and joy.
• Due to the negative atmosphere of the school he does
not take delight in the lessons.
• The teaching seems like a dreary shower to him .
• Feels like a caged bird ,that cannot fly
• All this curbs his learner’s potential.

Comprehension lll

1.Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood

but also hinders the child’s growth forever. Explain.

• Summary of the poem

 2.Do you think the poet is arguing against education ?
Discuss .

• The poet is not arguing against education ,he is only

against the teaching methodology of those times.
• He wants schools to be places where children are
inspired and motivated to learn.
• Write the gist of the poem keeping the above points in
mind .