The School Boy - A poem by William Blake

William Blake - The School Boy

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.

Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour,
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learnings 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.

O! father & mother. if buds are nip'd,
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are strip'd
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.

Added: on October 29th, 2004 at 2:03 PM | Viewed: 10334 times | Comments (3)

The School Boy - Comments and Information
Poet: William Blake Poem: The School Boy Volume: Songs of Experience Year: Published/Written in 1789 Poem of the Day on: Nov 19 2007 Comment 3 of 3, added on May 31st, 2006 at 10:12 AM. i have the 'Oxford student text' book of Blake's innocence and experience and in the book, "the schoolboy" is in the innocence volume not the experience? Can anybody back that up??? Thnx kayla Jay Comment 2 of 3, added on November 14th, 2004 at 8:46 PM. The poem is rather simple. The boy is basically saying that by constantly being in school, and not enjoying happiness while in the prime of his life [youth obviously], he will not mature to his full potential as an adult, he will be incomplete. Note also that he mentions: "Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy (...) when the blasts of winter appear?". In other words, how will he be able to overcome the hardships in life (winter) if he has never felt happiness? A typically romantic poem: Blake has clearly taken a position against the institutions of his time [in this case it is the school \|\| "Little Vagabond" is against the Church, and many more]. Michael from Canada Comment 1 of 3, added on October 29th, 2004 at 2:03 PM. Stanza I:It begins as the little boy enjoys waking to the sounds of the morn Stanza II: but to have to go to school is disheartening Stanza III: He tires of the days work Stanza IV: Little boy compares himself to a caged bird who forgets his song because of its confinement; loss of joy. (losing self-image?) Stanza V: He pleads to his parents, with a comparision between young plants that are stripped and lost and himself Stanza VI: finishes the question with how is he supposed to feel happy when school is so depressing. It sounds as if he's beginning to lose the person that he used to be as so often happens in the confinment of school lessons. Christine Northrup from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, The School Boy, has received 3 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by William Blake with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info
The School Boy Volume: Songs of Experience Year: Published/Written in 1789 Last read: 2008-10-08 05:07:31 Poem of the Day on: Nov 19 2007 Viewed 10334 times. Added on October 29th, 2004 at 2:03 PM.

Blake Info
Biography More Poems (132 poems) Books