The School Boy

Summary

*“The School Boy” is a poem from Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”.
It presents a young boy’s views on formal education, painting it as a form of restriction and lack of freedom for children.
Primary themes include nature, childhood, individual freedom, and institutional control.

Symbolism

School Boy: Represents the innocent joy of childhood.
The bird in the cage: Symbolises the confinement and entrapment of institutional control.
Natural imagery: Depicts youthful playfulness and learning through first-hand experiences.

Themes

Nature vs Institution: The poem juxtaposes the joys of nature’s freedom with the stifling environment of formal schooling.
Childhood: Blake emphasises the importance of a child’s own discoveries, portraying childhood as a time of wonder and exploration.
Individual Freedom: The poem champions the idea of individual freedom, that learning should be driven by curiosity not by imposed schedules and syllabi.

Imagery

Visual Imagery: Illustrations of blooming flowers, singing birds, and learning in nature set the scene of freedom and natural learning.
Kinesthetic Imagery: The portrayal of the ‘drooping tender plant’ engaging the reader’s sense of movement, presentation of the children’s weariness in school.

Rhyme and Metre

“The School Boy” uses the AABB rhyme scheme giving it a rhythmic symmetry.
It is composed of six quatrains written in iambic pentameter, which is considered as the natural rhythm of English verse.

Context

Understanding “The School Boy” can be enhanced by considering Blake’s broader oeuvre and his belief in freedom from institutional restrictions.
Blake was critical of traditional education methods and institutions, which he saw as inhibiting children’s natural growth, nurturing and development.
Contrary to the norms in the 18th century, Blake believed in a child-centred learning method where a child’s natural curiosity and freedom were allowed to thrive.

These points create the framework for a deep analysis and understanding of “The School Boy” by William Blake, giving a perspective on the innocence, freedom, and the natural curiosity of children as central themes in this piece.