Q. Who is the speaker in the poem? Who are the people the speaker meets? What are they doing?
Ans. The speaker in this poem is a school-going child. Every day he happens to meet the hawker selling bangles, the gardener digging away at the garden, and the watchman walking the street all night.
Q. What wishes does the child in the poem make? Why does the child want to be a hawker, a gardener, or a watchman? Pick out the lines in each stanza which tell us this.
Ans. The little child is innocent. He watches the people keenly around him. He is sick of checks on his movement. He wants to enjoy the same freedom as do the hawker, the gardener, and the watchman. They do what they like. The child says:
- I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in the road.
- I wish I were a gardener, digging away at the garden.
- I wish I were a watchman walking the street all night.
Q. From the way the child envies the hawker, the gardener and the watchman, we can guess that there are many things the child has to do, or must not do. Make a list of the do’s and don’ts that the child doesn’t like. Now add to the list your own complaints about the things you have to do, or must not do.
Answer (Do’s – Don’ts)
- The child must come home at a fixed time. – The child must not get his clothes dirty in the dust.
- The child must obey his elders. – The child must not be late for school.
- The child must do his homework regularly. – The child must not eat junk food.
- The child must be truthful and honest. – The child must not be rude or ill-mannered.