The school boy

By- William Blake

 TITLE PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENT POET

1. Title Page Name: William Blake, an ‘English Romantic Poet’

2. My Word Bank Period: 1757- 1827
3. Question and answers Place: Soho, London, United Kingdom
4. Extract 0ther works: Songs of innocence and experience,
Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Tyger, The Lamb

CHARACTER PICTURE

The school boy

Father and Mother
Question and Answer
1. What does the school boy love to do on a summer morn?
Ans: The school boy loves to wake up on a sunny morning to the songs of the
birds, to the huntsman’s horn and to the melody of the skylark. The boy seems
to enjoy this sweet company. But going to school on a summer morning drives
all his joy away.
2. What drives the school boy’s joy away?
Ans: The boy’s joy is driven away the instant he thinks of school. His experience
in school is one of disappointment. The boy feels intimidated in the presence
of his teacher who is extremely strict. He spends the day in utter
disappointment, heaving a sigh. He often sits drooping spending his time
anxiously. The school does not seem to interest the boy anymore; it is rather
stressful for him.
3. Why does the school boy feel like a caged bird?
Ans- The school boy compares himself with a caged bird because he feels
trapped within the four walls of the classroom. He feels overwhelmed and
unsettled in the presence of his strict teacher whose cruel stares follow him all
the time. He doesn’t take delight in his books nor does he enjoy the dreary
showers of lecture. Moreover he professes to worry for his wellbeing by
stating that while he is inside, he might not be able to thrive and flourish. This
would force him to forget his exuberant youthful days.
Extract
“O! Father and Mother, if buds are nip’d,
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are strip’d
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and cares dismay,
How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?”
1. What is the boy’s plea towards his parents?
Ans- The boy complains or rather pleads to the highest authority, that is, his parents. He sees them as the
ones that could possibly change his situation, if only he can convince them to see things his way. He presents
them with the reasons as to why they should not force him to go to school.
2. Why does the boy compare himself to a plant?
Ans- The school boy speaks about his childhood joys as being ‘buds’ that are being ‘nipped’ and “blossoms”
that are blowing away. His happiness is delicate just like the ‘tender plants’. He doesn’t want to
be subjected to sorrow, worries and dismay at this young age. He doesn’t want to feel unhappy when he is
only a child.