Poem - The School Boy NCERT Solutions | English Class 8 PDF Download

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

Working with the Poem (Page 85) 

Q1. Find three or four words/phrases in stanza 1 that reflect the child’s happiness and joy.
 Ans. The words/phrases that reflect the child’s happiness are the song of birds and the skylark, and the sound of hunter’s horn.

Q2. In stanza 2, the mood changes. Which words/phrases reflect the changed mood?
 Ans. The words/phrases reflecting the child's mood are:
 (a) drives all joy away (b) cruel eye outworn (of the Teacher) (c) sighing and dismay

Q3. ‘A cruel eye outworn (stanza 2)’ refers to
 (i) the classroom which is shabby/noisy
 (ii) the lessons which are difficult/uninteresting
 (iii) The dull/uninspiring life at school with lots of work and no play.
 Mark the answer that you consider right.
 Ans. (iii)

Q4. ‘Nor sit in learning’s bower worn thro’ with the dreary shower’ Which of the following is a close paraphrase of the lines above?
 (i) Nor can I sit in a roofless classroom when it is raining.
 (ii) Nor can I learn anything at school though teachers go on lecturing and explaining.
 (iii) Nor can I sit in the school garden for fear of getting wet in the rain.
 Ans. (ii)

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED

Q1. What is the mood of the school boy?
 Ans. The school boy is unhappy.

Q2. What makes the school boy unhappy?
 Ans. He has to go to school even in a summer morning when there is so much to enjoy in open fields and forests. Secondly, his teacher is cruel and the lessons are uninteresting.

Q3. Why does the boy compare himself to a caged bird?
 Ans. Like a caged bird, the boy is also not free to do any thing at his own will. He wants to lead a life of freedom but he can’t because there are many restrictions on him.

Q4. What is the poet’s advice to parents of school‑going kids?
 Ans. The poet calls upon the parents to let their kids grow and play joyfully in early years. They should not restrict their natural activities.

Q5. Why does the school boy compare himself to a plant?
 Ans. A small child is like a tender plant. If he is suppressed too much, he fails to grow to full size. A tender plant if crushed at the bud-stage, won’t bear any flower or fruit in spring season.