Class 7 English - ODISHA
Poetry: Paper Boats
Paper Boats is a touching poem written by the legendary Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, prescribed for Class 7 students under the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha. The poem describes a young child floating paper boats down a stream, loading them with shiuli flowers from his garden, and hoping that someone in a strange land will find them. Through this innocent act, the poet beautifully captures childhood imagination, the longing to connect with the unknown, and the pure joy of simple things. For the BSE Odisha board exams, questions from this chapter test comprehension, stanza-wise meaning, poetic devices, and the central theme.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Childhood Imagination
The poem reflects a child's world where ordinary paper boats become vessels of hope, traveling far away to magical, unknown lands.
Shiuli Flowers
Shiuli (night-flowering jasmine) flowers are packed into the paper boats by the child as a special gift or message for the readers in distant places.
Symbolism of Paper Boats
The paper boats represent the dreams, innocent wishes, and aspirations of a child floating freely into the future.
The Stream
The running stream or river acts as a pathway connecting the child's small world to the vast, outside world.
Yearning for Connection
The child writes his name and home address on the boats so that whoever finds them will know who sent this loving message.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the BSE Odisha Class 7 English examinations, this chapter typically carries around 4 to 6 marks. Common question types include short answer questions about the poet and poem, reference to context (stanza explanations), objective fill-in-the-blanks, and questions testing the central theme of childhood innocence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the author of the poem Paper Boats?
The poem Paper Boats is written by Rabindranath Tagore.
What does the child put inside the paper boats?
The child loads the paper boats with blooming shiuli flowers picked from his garden.
Why does the child write his name on the paper boats?
The child writes his name and village address on the boats so that the person who finds them in strange lands will know who he is.
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