The School Boy by William Blake + Video for ESL Students

[Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl]

The School Boy by William Blake with video for advanced ESL students to practice writing and speaking

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 skylark 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 learning’s bower,

Worn through with 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 and 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?

— By William Blake

Podcast of The School Boy

About William Blake

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. What he called his “prophetic works” were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form “what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language”. His visual artistry led 21st-century critic Jonathan Jones to proclaim him “far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced”.

Source: Wikipedia

[Soroosh Houshmand]

I really like the sound of birds when you get up in the morning, it feels so good , it feels like your in the heaven. This poem was really good I really like it so much.

[Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl]

You should know the difference between “you’re” and “your”.

[Armaghan Houshmand]

It was a nice and beautiful poem, but I have a question: Did children go to school in summer in the past?

[Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl]

That is a very good question. As far as I know, schools were not closed for entirely 3 months during the summer in western countries. What’s more, some make-up or extracurricular classes would be held on some summer days in the past.

[PARNIAN HUSH]

It was beautiful. I remember I didn’t like school as a child. Not that I like university now.

[Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl]

That’s interesting! Many eminent people or scholars didn’t like schools at all, for example, Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, etc.

[Farhang Hooshmand]

William Bake wanted to criticize the compulsion of formal education and encourged parents to give more freedom to their children by taking them to the nature and giving them the opportunity to learn from nature and become full of joy by going to woods and watching the nature beauty . He mentioned the parents must not force children to sit in a formal school which is sometimes like a cage for them.

[Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl]

Your comment was so insightful, doctor. Thank you so much.
Feedback
* William Blake
* encouraged
* going to the woods
* the beauty of nature or natural beauty

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