Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Piping down the valleys wild, from Class 6 English_FL. Let us begin our journey into this beautiful poem by William Blake. I will now read the complete poem for you exactly as it appears in your textbook. Please listen carefully to every line.
Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me:— Pipe a song about a lamb: So I piped with merry cheer. Piper, pipe that song again: So I piped: he wept to hear. Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe, Sing thy songs of happy cheer! So I sang the same again, While he wept with joy to hear. Piper, sit thee down and write In a book, that all may read— So he vanished from my sight; And I plucked a hollow reed, And I made a rural pen, And I stained the water clear, And I wrote my happy songs Every child may joy to hear.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now let us understand this poem line by line. In the first two lines, the speaker tells us he is playing his pipe in the wild valleys, creating songs full of pleasant happiness. In the third and fourth lines, he looks up and sees a child sitting on a cloud, who laughs and speaks to him. The child asks him to play a song about a lamb. The piper agrees and plays with great joy. When the child asks him to play it once more, the piper does, and the child sheds tears of emotion. Next, the child tells the piper to put down his instrument and sing instead. The piper sings the same tune, and the child weeps again, this time with overwhelming happiness. Finally, the child tells the piper to sit down and write these songs in a book so everyone can read them. As soon as the child finishes speaking, he disappears from sight. The piper then takes a hollow plant stem, turns it into a pen, mixes clear water to make ink, and writes down his happy songs so that every child can enjoy them.
[CHECKPOINT]
Let us now look at the important vocabulary from your textbook. I will read each word and its exact definition. Valley means the low land lying between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it. Pipe means a musical instrument with holes played by blowing. Piping means playing on the pipe. Merry means joyous. Cheer means state of hope and gladness. Wept means shed tears. Thy means your. Thee means you. Vanish means disappear. Pluck means pull away. Glee means feeling very happy. Reed means hollow stem of a plant. To celebrate means to praise. Joy as a verb means rejoice.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now we will discuss the questions from your textbook. I will read each question and guide you to the correct answer based strictly on the poem. Question a asks: In the first two stanzas of the poem you see two people. Who are they? Are they happy or sad? How can you say? The answer is: The two people are the piper and the child. Both are happy. We know this because the piper plays songs of pleasant glee and merry cheer, and the child is laughing and weeping with joy. Question b asks: The child saw the piper first. True or not true? How do you know? Is the child a boy or a girl? The answer is: Not true. The poet says On a cloud I saw a child, which means the piper noticed the child first. The child is a boy, as shown by the words he laughing said to me. Question c asks: The child had heard the piper piping below. True or not true? The answer is: True. The child asks for a song about a lamb, showing he had already heard the music. Question d asks: Why did the piper pipe with merry cheer? The answer is: He piped with merry cheer because he was naturally joyful and happy to play for the listening child.
[CHECKPOINT]
Question e asks: The child liked the song the piper piped. True or not true? The answer is: True. The child asks to hear it again and weeps with joy, showing he deeply liked it. Question f asks: And I wrote my happy songs, says the poet. What did he wish to happen? The answer is: He wished to write the songs in a book so that all people, especially children, could read and enjoy them. Question g asks: We have enjoyed this poem, haven't we? Give reasons for your answer. The answer is: Yes, we have enjoyed it. The poem uses simple musical language, describes joyful activities, and creates a peaceful, dream-like atmosphere. Question h asks: There are two incidents that can happen only in someone dream. Skim the poem and find them. The answer is: The two dream-like incidents are seeing a child sitting on a cloud, and the child suddenly vanishing from sight.
[CHECKPOINT]
Question i asks: Why does only the child speak to the piper, not the piper to the child? The answer is: In the poem, the child acts as a guide who gives clear instructions, while the piper listens and follows them. The child directs the actions, and the piper responds by playing, singing, and writing. Question j asks: The child hears the piper piping and the piper, the child speaking. True or not true? The answer is: True. The child hears the music and responds with words, and the piper hears the child instructions and follows them. Question k asks: Does the poet praise the quality of innocence? Skim the poem and find two symbols of innocence. The answer is: Yes, the poem highlights innocence. Two symbols of innocence from the text are the child sitting on a cloud, and the lamb mentioned in the song.
[CHECKPOINT]
Now let us move to the writing activity from your textbook. You are asked to work with your partner and complete the fill in the blanks exercise. I will read the paragraph with the blanks, and then give you the complete answers. The paragraph says: This poem is an expression of simple joys of life. It is a celebration of innocence. It _ _ _ a dream-like quality. You will _ _ _ two incidents that can happen _ _ _ _ in someone dream. There is joyous activity here. A piper catches the fancy of a _ _ _ _ _. The child _ _ _ _ on asking him to do things one after the _ _ _ _ _. He does _ _ _ _, good-humouredly. The correct words to fill in are: has, find, only, child, keeps, other, so. The completed paragraph reads: This poem is an expression of simple joys of life. It is a celebration of innocence. It has a dream-like quality. You will find two incidents that can happen only in someone dream. There is joyous activity here. A piper catches the fancy of a child. The child keeps on asking him to do things one after the other. He does so, good-humouredly.
[CHECKPOINT]
We have now covered the complete poem, the glossary, all the comprehension questions, and the writing exercise. Remember, this poem by William Blake teaches us to appreciate simple happiness and the pure voice of childhood. Keep reading it aloud to feel its musical rhythm. Practice writing the answers to the comprehension questions for your exams. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]