WAEC Literature in English 2018 Theory — Question 19

Model answer

Diction is the choice of words. The poet's choice of words has effects on the subject matter of the poem. Blake's 'The School Boy' is a Romantic poem that centres on the quest for fulfillment in nature. As a Romantic poet, the poet places preference on simplicity and clarity of expression and as a Romantic poem, words are carefully chosen to reveal the natural environment that the poet tries to portray in the poem. The poet is of the view that education acquired in the natural environment is better and more pleasurable than the one acquired in the classroom and words are carefully chosen to fit each of the two situations portrayed by the poet in the poem. The first stanza gives us an idyllic and beautiful picture of the natural environment which the poet's persona enjoys. Words are carefully chosen to express the jubilant mood of the poet's persona (the boy) for being in that natural environment where there is peace, freedom and easy interaction with the natural phenomenon: 'I love to rise in the summer morn/ When birds sing on every tree/ The distant huntsman winds his horn,/ And the skylark sings with me:/ O what sweet company!' The choice of words in the first stanza shows the joy the boy derives in being in a natural environment because it gives him a sense of freedom, joy and peace. The boy exclaims: 'O what a sweet company!' The tone is that of happiness and joy. The boy expresses joy in being in the company of such natural phenomena such as 'birds', 'skylark' and of course the beauty and allure of 'summer morn.' The choice of words expresses the contrast between the natural world and the world of rules, artifacts and formalities expressed in the second stanza. There is a change of environment in the second stanza and there is a proportionate change of mood from the boy: 'But to go to school in a summer morn, -/ O it drives all joy away!' The boy treats the formal education acquired in classroom with hatred because it comes with lack of freedom and especially the fear emanated by the presence of the teacher, 'the cruel eye' who dishes out command and metes out punishment to the defaulters. The poet uses the words 'sighing' and 'dismay' that accompany formal education to contrast the 'joy' and 'sweet company' that accompany the activities of nature. Being in a natural environment, you learn through the activities of nature but being in an academic environment should learn by commands and punishment. The boy asks further: 'how can the bird that is born for joy sit in a cage and sing?' The expression 'bird that is born for joy' lends more credence to freedom in the natural world. The poet expresses his distaste for the formal education and captures it in a derogatory term 'cage.' This shows that formal education stifles joy and impedes freedom. The poet also uses the words 'learning's bower,' 'dreary shower' and 'anxious hour' to express the boy's distaste for school. These words also portray formal education as boring, stifling and humdrum. Words are carefully chosen to express the poet's love for nature in the subsequent stanzas as he uses these natural expressions to convey his message. Examples of such are 'tender wings', 'youthful springs', 'buds', 'tender plants', 'springing day', 'summer fruits', 'mellowing year', etc. These words attest to the fact that the poem is a Romantic poem. The words used in the poem 'The School Boy' are clear, simple and easy to understand. They naturally convey the poet's message. These words also portray the simplicity of expression that accompanies Romantic poetry.