A Watering Rhyme Chapter Notes | English for Class 4 PDF Download

Introduction

This poem, Early in the Morning, gives advice about the best way to water flowers. The poet explains the right time and the correct way to water flowers so they stay healthy. He compares flowers to humans and teaches us to take care of them by watering them at the roots.

Summary

In this poem, the poet tells us that the best time to water flowers is either early in the morning or in the evening. Watering flowers at noon, when the sun is very hot, can harm them instead of helping. The poet also says that when we water flowers, we should give water at the roots, because that’s where they take it in, just like how we drink water with our mouths.

Explanation

Stanza 1:

"Early in the morning,
Or the evening hour,
Are the times to water
Every kind of flower."

In this part, the poet tells us that the best time to water flowers is either in the morning, when the day is just starting, or in the evening, when the sun is going down. These are the times when flowers can take in the water the best. The poet says that no matter what kind of flower it is, these are the best times to water them.

Stanza 2:

"Watering at noonday,
When the sun is high,
Doesn’t help the flowers,
Only makes them die."

Here, the poet warns us not to water flowers during the middle of the day, when the sun is very high and strong. Watering flowers at noon is not good for them. Instead of helping, the water will dry up too quickly in the hot sun, and it might even harm the flowers, making them weak or causing them to die.

Stanza 3:

"Also, when you water,
Water at the roots;
Flowers keep their mouths where
We should wear our boots."

In this stanza, the poet explains the right way to water flowers. We should water them at the roots because that’s where they absorb water, like how we drink with our mouths. The poet uses a fun way to explain that flowers "keep their mouths" in the ground, where we wear our boots. This means we should give water directly to the soil, not just on the flowers or leaves.

Stanza 4:

"Soak the earth around them,
Then through all the heat
The flowers will have water
For their thirsty ‘feet’!"

In this part, the poet says we should soak the earth, which means we should give enough water to the soil around the flowers. If the roots are well-watered, the flowers will have enough water to stay healthy, even when it’s hot. The poet compares the roots to "thirsty feet" because flowers get their water from the ground through their roots, just like we use our feet to stand and move.

Word Meaning

• Noonday – The middle of the day, around 12 p.m.
• Evaporate – To change from water into vapor or gas, disappearing into the air.
• Wilt – To droop or lose strength, often due to lack of water.
• Dehydration – When something loses too much water and dries out.
• Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares two things without using “like” or “as.”
• Nourished – Provided with food or nutrients to stay healthy.