Why ? Chapter Notes | English for Class 4 PDF Download

Introduction

This poem is about a curious little boy who always asks "why" about everything around him. He is full of questions about the world and wants to know how things work. The poem shows how children are naturally curious and love to ask questions, some of which are easy to answer, while others are difficult.

Summary

In the poem, the little boy keeps asking "why" about different things in nature. He wants to know why some things float and others sink, why the sun shines, and why the wind blows. He is curious about clouds, sunsets, and even why flowers die. The poem explains that while some of these questions have simple answers, others are very hard to explain, and no one really knows the answers to everything.

Explanation

Stanza 1

I know a curious little boy,

Who is always asking “Why?”

Why this, why that, why then, why now?

Why not, why by-the-by?

In this part of the poem, the poet is talking about a boy who is always asking questions. He is "curious," meaning he really wants to learn and know more. The boy asks "why" about everything, like why something happens at a certain time and why not at another time. The boy’s mind is always full of questions, showing how much he likes to learn about the world around him.

Stanza 2

He wants to know why wood should swim,

Why lead and marble sink,

Why sun should shine and wind should blow

And why we eat and drink.

Here, the poet talks about the kinds of questions the boy asks. He wants to know why wood floats on water, but heavy things like lead (a type of metal) and marble (a hard stone) sink. He also wonders why the sun shines in the sky, why the wind blows, and why people need to eat and drink. The boy is curious about things in nature and about our daily life.

Stanza 3

He wants to know what makes the clouds

And why they cross the sky,

Why sinks the sun behind the hills

And why the flowers die.

In this part, the boy’s questions are about the clouds and why they move across the sky. He also asks why the sun goes down behind the hills in the evening, and why flowers, which are so pretty, eventually die. These questions show that the boy is thinking deeply about the world and the things he sees every day.

Stanza 4

Some of these why’s are not too hard

To answer if you’ll try;

Others no one ever yet

Has found the reason why

please explain all these stanza

In this last part of the poem, the poet explains that some of the boy’s questions are easy to answer if we think about them. However, there are other questions that are very hard to answer. Some things are still a mystery, and no one really knows the reason why they happen. This shows that even though we try to answer many questions, some things in life are still unknown.

Word Meaning

• Curious – Wanting to know and learn more.
• Sink – To go down or fall to the bottom of water.
• Float – To stay on top of water, not sinking.
• Marble – A hard, shiny stone.
• Reason – The explanation or cause of something.