1st PUC ENGLISH NOTES - THE SCHOOL BOY

 

THE SCHOOL BOY

William Blake

Comprehension

I.

1) Who, do you think, “I” refers to in the poem?
Ans:  “I” refers to a school-going boy in the poem.

 

2) “Sweet Company” refers to
(a) skylark
(b) huntsman’s horn
(c) bird’s song
(d) all of the above.
Ans: (d) all of the above.

 

3) What drives the boy’s joy away?
Ans: The possibility of going to class drives the boy’s joy away.

 

4) How do the little ones spend the day in the school?
Ans: The little ones spend the day in the school in a dull way as they are loaded with disappointment and anxiety.

 

5) What does “cage” metaphorically refer to in the poem?
Ans: School is referred to a cage metaphorically in the poem.

 

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.
Ans: (b) fruits are gathered.

  

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

Ans: 1) Spring     : Childhood

          2) Summer : Youth

          3) Winter     : Old Age

 

II.

1) What does the schoolboy love to do on a summer morn? What drives his joy away?

Ans: The schoolboy loves to wake up early with the birds’ songs and huntsman blows his horn and skylark sings with him. He was enjoying the company of them. However, he isn't permitted to do this as he needs to go to class and the school drives all delight away.

 

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

Ans: The boy's involvement with school is brimming with dread and demoralization. The tyrant method of showing makes the kid moan with consternation. His fatigue and dread are reflected in the hanging way in which he sits and the anxiety that he shows. The books give him no satisfaction and the school causes him to feel exhausted.

 

3) According to the poet, how does formal education curb a learner’s potential?

Ans: According to the poet formal education controls the capability of the youngster as it detracts from the kid its opportunity. The kid resembles a confined fowl in school and simply like the wings of the confined feathered creature hang, the soul of the youngster droops in school which imparts in the kid a feeling of dread. Youngsters, similar to plants, should be supported and given consideration, on the off chance that they are to age effectively and prove to be fruitful later on. In the event that youngsters are not permitted to have a characteristic adolescence, which is spent in playing unreservedly among the normal things: slopes, glades, sheep, winged animals, and so forth, at that point they will wilt before they can bloom into develop grown-ups. Spring represents new development and that is the reason the artist utilizes the allegory of the spring to contend that a school doesn't permit spring to prosper.

III.

1) Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s growth forever. Explain.

Ans: Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but also hinders the child’s growth forever. To feature the point that proper instruction removes the delight of youth as well as impedes the kid's development always, the writer compares the periods of the year with various stages throughout everyday life. He calls attention to that what occurs in youth has its effect on adulthood and mature age. He inquiries with regards to how there can be development in summer if the buds, blooms and plants themselves are pulverized in spring. As such, the artist reveals to us that a glad youth makes adulthood and mature age pleasurable. Yet, on the off chance that the youth itself is without satisfaction, there isn't anything to anticipate in adulthood and mature age. Hence the writer makes it completely clear that youth encounters are essential to lead an upbeat. life and school have a significant task to carry out in deciding if youth encounters are helpful for development or not.

 

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

Ans: No, the poet isn't against training. He is just against undesirable practices in instruction. He clarifies that instruction ought to be offered in a free and sound air. Youngsters ought not to be caused to feel like confined winged animals. They ought not to feel shaky and fretful. They ought not to discover the entire experience of figuring out how to be bleak and dull. There ought to be sufficient chances to tap their inventive potential and transform them into gainful people.