Theme of ‘The Schoolboy’ by William Blake
I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the sky-lark sings with me.
O what sweet company!
But to go to school in a summer morn,
O it drives all joy away!
Under a cruel eye outworn.
The little ones spend the day
In sighing and dismay.
Theme: Innocence and tenderness of childhood is the main idea of the poem. Naturally children love and enjoy summer morning, birds’ chirping, huntsman’s horn and sky-lark’s song. But school going children cannot enjoy these natural beauties; rather they pass a long time in school in sighing and dismay.
Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour,
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn thro’ with the dreary shower.
How can the bird that is born for joy,
Sit in a cage and sing.
How can a child when fears annoy.
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring.
Theme: Innocence and tenderness of childhood is the main idea of the poem. Generally, a child wants to live in a youthful joy and friendly environment in his school but he cannot. Rather; he has to suffer from fear and anxiety. A child is like a bird which does not like to stay in a case, a child also does not like an unfriendly environment of any traditional school which creates joyless school life.
O father & mother if buds are nipped,
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are stripped
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care’s dismay.
How shall the summer arise in joy
Or the summer fruits appear?
Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy
Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear?
Theme: The main idea of the poem is innocence and tenderness of childhood. Here the poet urges the parents to be sympathetic and considerate to their children. If the children are deprived of their joyful childhood days and sent in a cruel environment, they will lose all hope and get a joyless life.
Courtesy to: Anupam Publication