Class 7 English - WEST-BENGAL
Poetry: Paper Boats
The chapter 'Paper Boats' by Rabindranath Tagore, included in the Class 7 West Bengal Board (WBBSE) English syllabus, presents a charming and innocent depiction of a child's imagination. Day by day, the child floats paper boats down the running stream, loading them with shiuli flowers from his garden, hoping that someone in strange lands will find them and know who he is. He sleeps at night, dreaming that his paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars. This poetic masterpiece matters greatly for board exams as it tests comprehension of deep themes like innocence, yearning, and human connection.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Childlike Imagination
The poem beautifully captures how a young child uses simple everyday objects like paper and flowers to connect with an imaginary world beyond his reach.
Symbolism of Paper Boats
The paper boats symbolize the child's unspoken desires, innocent hopes, and dreams sent out into the vast world to find kindred spirits.
Connection with Nature
Tagore weaves natural elements like running streams, clouds, sky, and shiuli flowers seamlessly into the child's play, showing harmony with nature.
Theme of Hope and Longing
The act of writing his name and the village name on the boats reflects a deep human longing to be remembered and loved by unknown people in distant lands.
Poetic Device: Personification
The poet attributes human-like feelings of hope and dreams to the paper boats as they sail through the night under the midnight stars.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) Class 7 English exams, this chapter typically carries around 5 to 10 marks. Common question types include reference to context, multiple-choice questions about the poet and specific lines, short answer questions on the child's actions, and subjective questions explaining the central theme of imagination and longing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the poet of 'Paper Boats'?
The poem 'Paper Boats' was originally written in Bengali ('Kagojer Nouko') by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and translated into English.
What does the child write on his paper boats?
The child writes his name and the name of his village in big black letters on each paper boat so that the finder will know who he is.
Why does the child load his boats with shiuli flowers?
The child loads his boats with shiuli flowers plucked from his garden so that these blooms of the morning can safely reach the night and be carried to distant lands.
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