The poem expresses the poet's love of birds and advocacy for their freedom. He feels joy watching birds fly uncaged through the sky, from small songbirds to eagles soaring high. By not trapping or caging any birds himself, the poet believes all birds belong to him as he leaves them to their natural freedom, filling his heart with song.

1. Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was Gibson was born at
Hexham in England in 1878. The poem ‘A
Boy’s Songs‘ appeared in his first verse called
‘Mountain Cover’ , brought out in 1902.
Gibson died in 1962.
In the poem 'A Boy's Song',
the poet articulates his views on
the birds by establishing an
emotional bond with them. He
favours the freedom of the birds.
He says that the birds, by losing
their freedom, lose the beauty and
joy of their lives.
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
CLASS-12
RAINBOW
POEM-2 A BOY’S SONG

2. A Boy’s Song
The poem is about nature’s precious gift of freedom
to all its inhabitants. Like men birds are also
important manifestations of life that add to the beauty
of nature, expanses of the limitless sky. The poem
expresses the poet’s feelings of intense joy which
spring from his realization that all birds uncaged and
free to fly from place to place, from the green trees to
the bright skies belong to him because he does not
set traps and cages them. The poet successfully
establishes an emotional bond with the birds and thus
shows a tendency towards empathy.

3. A Boy’s Song
Because I set no snare
But leave them flying free,
All the birds of the air
Belong to me.
From the blue-tit on the sloe
To the eagle on the height,
Uncaged they come and go
For my delight
And so the sunward way
I soar on the eagle’s wings,
And in my heart all day
The blue-tit sings.
-Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

4. Because I set no snare
But leave them flying free,
All the birds of the air
Belong to me.
The poet says that he does not trap any bird in other words we can say that he
does not like when the birds are caged. According to him birds too are
manifestations of life like human beings. He empathizes with birds. He advocates
for the freedom of the birds.
WORD MEANINGS:
Set- put , lay
Snare- a trap to catch birds

5. From the blue-tit on the sloe
To the eagle on the height,
Uncaged they come and go
For my delight
The poet is concerned about all the birds whether
it is a small singing bird, sitting on sloe or an eagle
that flies so high in the sky . He wants each and
every bird to enjoy its freedom. When he watches
all the birds flying freely from here to there , he
experiences joy.
WORD MEANINGS:
Blue-tit- a small songbird
Sloe- a small, sour fruit that has a dark purple
skin
Uncaged-free
Delight- joy

6. And so the sunward way
I soar on the eagle’s wings,
And in my heart all day
The blue-tit sings.
WORD MEANINGS:
Sunward- moving towards the sun
Soar- fly high in the air
The poet imagines himself soaring higher and higher on
eagle’s wings . He feels as if he is journeying towards the sun
on its wings. His heart is filled with joy when he listens to
blue-tit’s song .
*

7. HOMEWORK: WRITE & LEARN-
20-30 words:
Question 1. Why do all the birds belong to the poet?
Answer – All the birds belong to the poet because he sets no snare. He leaves
them fly freely in the sky.
Question 2. Why are the birds able to come and go for the poet’s joy?
Answer – Birds are able to come and go for the poet’s joy because they can fly
freely in the sky and they are uncaged.
Question 3. Which birds do the poet mention in the poem in particular?
Answer – Blue tit & eagle.
Question 4. What does the expression ‘sun-ward way’ in the poem mean?
Answer – “Sunward way” means in the poem is a journey towards the sun. In
imagination, poet soars higher and higher on eagle wings.

8. 60-80 words:
Question 5. How does the poet articulate his views on the birds in the poem “A Boy’s song”?
Answer – In the poem “A Boy’s Song” the poet creates emotional bonding with birds. He shows a tendency toward
empathy. Birds add beauty to nature when they fly freely in the sky & give joy to humans. In imagination, the poet
soars higher and higher on eagle’s wings.
Question 6. Why do all the birds, according to the poet, belong to him? What does the word ‘all’ suggest
including here?
Answer – According to the poet, all the birds belong to him because he sets no snare for birds. Birds can fly freely
in the sky because they are uncaged. Poet is in the favour of birds’ freedom.
The word ‘all’ here suggests including all the inhabitants of nature; all birds of air from eagle to blue tit.
Question 7. Summarize the poet’s views as expressed in the poem “A Boy’s song” in your own words.
Answer – The poet is a bird lover. The Poet in the favour of birds’ freedom. Poet set no cage for any birds. The
poet enjoys watching birds flying freely in the air. He imagines he is journeying towards the sun on the eagle’s
wings. He feels blue tit is singing in his heart.

9. HOPETHISPRESENTATIONWAS HELPFUL FORYOU
-SUKHWANT KAUR
THANKS FOR WATCHING