If you're a student studying English in Class 8, you may have come across the poem "The School Boy" from the Honeydew textbook. Don't worry if you're struggling to understand it - we've got you covered with free NCERT solutions for Chapter.
Introduction to the poem "The School Boy".
The School Boy” is
a poem written by William Blake. The poem is divided into five
stanzas. In the first stanza, he wakes to the sound of birds and enjoys the
pleasant summer morning. However, the tone shifts in the later
stanzas as he expresses his dislike of going to school. He
says that the children spend their days in utter despair under
the “cruel eye” of their teacher. The speaker also compares his plight
to a caged bird, and a tender plant whose life has
been plucked away. He also poses several rhetorical questions to
his parents and society, expressing the meaningless life of
young students.
According to the speaker, a
school is a place where a child's individuality and independence are
snatched away. Schools are often associated with punishments and fear.
As a result, the child's wings of imagination and possibilities are restrained,
and he is made to forget his "youthful spring". The speaker
asks his parents how can summer be enjoyable when there is a lot of destruction happening
within him. He wonders how a plant can produce fruit when the
bud and blossoms are plucked away. Likewise, how can a child grow into a
talented and successful person if the very childhood is stolen
away from them? The poem is a call to action against the constraining,
cage-like educational system and the intolerable pressure and expectations forced upon the kids by their parents.
Summary of the poem.
“The School Boy” tells the story of a young boy who is distressed with his life at school. He feels stifled by all the rules and regulations, and yearns to be outside where he can experience the exciting wonders of nature. The poem ends on an optimistic note as the boy finds solace in daydreaming about exploration and freedom, despite being confined within his school walls. Blake conveys a powerful message that reminds us to appreciate innocence and our connection to nature, no matter how difficult our situation might seem.
The school boy class 8 poem questions and answers
Question 1.
Find three or four words/phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child’s happiness
and joy.
Answer: The
words or phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child’s happiness and joy are
“love to rise in a summer morn”, “birds sing on every tree”, “distant huntsman
winds his horn”, “the skylark sings with me” and “sweet company”.
Question 2.
In stanza 2, the mood changes. Which words/phrases reflect the changed mood?
Answer: The
words or phrases reflect the changed mood are “it drives all joy away”, “a
cruel eye outworn” and “in sighing and dismay”.
Question 3.
‘A cruel eye outworn’ (stanza 2) refers to
a. the classroom which is shabby/noisy.
b. the lessons which are difficult/uninteresting.
c. the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work
and no play.
Mark the
answer that you consider right.
Answer:
c. the dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work
and no play.
Question 4.
‘Nor sit
in learning’s bower
worn thro’
with the dreary shower’
Which of
the following is a close paraphrase of the lines above?
a. Nor can I sit in a roofless classroom when it is
raining.
b. Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go
on lecturing and explaining.
c. Nor can I sit in the school garden for fear of getting
wet in the rain.
Answer:
b. Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing and explaining.
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