Word Bud
- Shadow – A dark shape on a surface that is caused by an object that is between the light and surface
- Coward – A person who is afraid in unpleasant situation
- Dew – A tiny drop of water on the surface of plants or leaves.
- Buttercup – A wild plant or leaves
- Arrant – of the worst kind
- Sleepy head – A sleepy person.
Answer the Following
- 1) Who is the speaker of the poem?
- The speaker in the poem seems to be a naughty child, as the main activities in which he/she is engaged are jumping in the bed and going out to play. Also since the speaker refers to the shadow as ‘he’, we can assume that the speaker is a male child.
- 2) What are the changes that occure in the speaker’s shadow?
- The speakers shadow sometimes seems to be exactly like him. Sometimes it becomes taller like an India – rubber ball. And other times it become so short that it can barely be seen. It most often sticks to the speaker an follows and jumps along with him.
- 3) What does the speaker think of his shadow in stanza 3?
- In stanza 3, the speaker thinks that his shadow is a coward and always sticks embarrisingly to his body. The speaker says that shadow fears everyone and sticks to him more than he ever sticks to his nursie or babysitter.
- 4) What did the speaker find one morning before the sun was up?
- One morning, the speaker wake up early, even before the sun was up. He went out and found that the buttercup flowers were covered in shining dew. But because the sunlight was not there he could not see his shadow and assumed that it was still asleep on his bed.
- 5) What is the funniest thing about the shadow?
- The speaker finds that the way his shadow grows to be the funniest thing about it. It does not grow slowly like proper children do, it sometimes grows tall and sometime gets very slow.