Chapter 9: Vocation
Chapter Introduction
“Vocation” is a beautiful poem written by Rabindranath Tagore. In this poem, a young school-going child imagines becoming different workers he sees during the day—a hawker, a gardener, and a watchman. The child thinks their lives are free and full of fun. The poem shows how children often see only the exciting side of different jobs.
Detailed Notes (Explanation)
This poem is about a young boy who goes to school every day.
In the morning, when the school gong sounds at ten, he sees a hawker selling bangles in the street. The hawker walks freely and calls out, “Bangles, crystal bangles!” The boy thinks the hawker has no fixed time and no one to control him. So, he wishes to be a hawker.
In the afternoon, when the boy comes back from school, he sees a gardener digging the ground. The gardener works in the sun and gets his clothes dirty. But nobody scolds him. The boy feels that the gardener can do what he likes. So, he wishes to be a gardener.
At night, when the boy is sent to bed, he sees a watchman walking up and down the dark street. The watchman carries a lantern and guards the area. The boy thinks the watchman stays awake all night and is free to walk around. He wishes to be a watchman.
The boy does not realise that every job has hard work and responsibilities. He sees only the fun part of each job.
Message of the Poem:
Every job has its own importance.
Children often imagine that others have more freedom.
Work requires responsibility and effort.
No work is small or unimportant.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vocation | A person’s job or profession |
| Gong | A metal disc that makes a loud sound |
| Lane | A narrow road |
| Giant | A very large imaginary person |
| Spade | A tool used for digging |
| Lantern | A portable lamp |
Question & Answers
1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
The speaker in the poem is a young school-going boy who talks about what he sees during different times of the day.2. What time does the boy go to school?
The boy goes to school when the gong sounds at ten in the morning.3. Who does he meet in the morning?
In the morning, he meets a hawker who is walking along the lane and selling crystal bangles.4. Why does he want to be a hawker?
He wants to be a hawker because he thinks the hawker has no fixed routine, no one to control him, and can move around freely all day.5. Whom does he see in the afternoon?
In the afternoon, when he returns from school, he sees a gardener digging the ground inside a house.6. What does the gardener use for digging?
The gardener uses a spade to dig the soil in the garden.7. Why does the boy wish to be a gardener?
The boy wishes to be a gardener because he feels the gardener can work freely, get dirty, and no one scolds him for working in the sun or rain.8. Whom does he see at night?
At night, through his window, he sees a watchman walking up and down the dark lane.9. What does the watchman carry?
The watchman carries a lantern and swings it while walking through the street.10. What does the street-lamp look like in the poem?
In the poem, the street-lamp is compared to a giant with one red eye in its head.11. Why does the boy want to be a watchman?
He wants to be a watchman because he thinks the watchman is free to walk around all night and does not have to go to bed early.12. Does the boy understand the difficult side of these jobs?
No, the boy does not understand the difficult side of these jobs. He only sees the exciting and fun part of each vocation.13. What is meant by the word ‘vocation’?
The word ‘vocation’ means a person’s job or profession.14. What message do we get from the poem?
The poem teaches us that every job has responsibilities and challenges, and we should respect all kinds of work.15. Why does the boy admire people with different vocations?
The boy admires them because he thinks they have freedom and can do what they like without strict rules or fixed schedules.