The Blind Boy

Introduction

The poem the blind boy written by colley ciber is a touching poem portraying the sufferings of a young boy who is blind from birth.the poem also depicts the blessings of the senses which we often take for granted.the poor blind child is not aware of the loss of his sight as he has never experienced it in his life. he has divided the time of day and night according to his activities an d sleep.the boy is brave and so he is not dissapointed. his optimistic approach is praiseworthy due to which he enjoys his other senses.

Source: click here

Text of the poem

To access the text of the poem, click here.

Idea of the poem

Alternative interpretations

Poetry critique of the poem, click here.

Transacting the text

Meaning making

Pictures/ video clips are an interesting way of assisting students to comprehend a poem. A picture helps in creating a visual memory and can also help in understanding new words.

To listen to an audio recital of the poem, click here.

Figures of speech

A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech is sometimes called a rhetorical figure or a locution. To know more click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speech

Assessment

Ask the learners to write a short paragraph using the hints given below.

Hints:

• What is the poem about?
• Which is the most striking image and why?