DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, BANGALORE -EAST

ENGLISH NOTES
THE SCHOOL BOY

Synopsis

‘The School Boy’ is a poem included in the collection, ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’ by
William Blake. It is told from the perspective of a young boy going to school on a summer day. The
boy likes summer mornings and is fond of seeing the trees and the birds. He loves being in nature.

It is a matter of utter disappointment for the boy to go to school on a sweet summer morning. He
actually wishes to enjoy and experience the joy of early summer morning when the weather is pleasant.
He likes the sound of the distant huntsman when he blows his horn.

He is tired and even puzzled under the strict supervision of his teacher. The phrase ‘outworn’ refers to
the eyes of the teacher that actually tires the boy. Instead of enjoying the pleasures of summer, the
child has to forcibly attend the school where he spends his day in boredom and distress. The child is
unhappy and expresses his weariness as he sits for long hours with his head hanging down. The school
is a cheerless place for him.

A bird which is born cheerful and jovial can never sing sweet songs if caged. The boy has the feeling
of being a prisoner at school. A rigid course of discipline will only take away the beauty of his
childhood.

The boy reasons with his father and mother and tries to make them understand that if a tender plant is
not taken care of then it will not bear any fruit. Similarly, if a child is destroyed by misery in childhood,
then he will not be able to last through the real trials of life.

1. Answer the following questions:

i. What is the theme of the poem, ‘The School Boy’?
Ans: The deep sorrow experienced by the boy when he is in no mood to be in the school is expressed in
the poem. He rather prefers to enjoy himself in the company of nature. Nature is another theme in this
poem because it represents the freedom and the uninhibited joy that should be given to the child. The
suppressed atmosphere in the classroom saddens him. Nature in all its glory attracts him.

ii. Why is the boy compared to a bird and a plant?

Ans: The boy compares himself to a bird in a cage so that he can bring to light the agony experienced
by him in the school. He feels really tired and gloomy amidst the strict atmosphere of the school. He
even asks his parents whether a plant could produce fruits if the buds and blossoms are removed from
it. Here also the boy’s sadness is compared to a plant stripped of all its joy.

1
 Reference to context

“Ah! then at times I drooping sit,

And spend many an anxious hour.
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn thro’ with the dreary shower.”

1. Choose the correct option from the following:

a)He neither enjoys reading his books nor does he like to sit to learn.
b)He enjoys reading books but does not like to learn.
c)He enjoys reading books and likes to learn.
d)He doesn’t enjoy reading books but likes to learn.

2. State whether the following statement is True or False:

The school boy despises going to school.

3. Pick out one word from the above stanza that means the same as ‘bend’.

4. Pick out one word from the above stanza that means the opposite of ‘dismay’.

Answer:
1. a
2. True
3. Drooping
4. Delight

**************************