Vocation — AP Board Class 6 English
'I wish I were a HAWKER — spending my days in the ROAD.'
1. About the Poem
'Vocation' by Rabindranath Tagore — India's GREATEST poet and Nobel Laureate — captures a UNIVERSAL childhood feeling: envy of ADULT freedom. A child watches a hawker, a gardener, and a watchman. Each seems TOTALLY FREE. The hawker goes wherever he wants. The gardener does what he likes. The watchman stays up all night. Meanwhile, the child has to go to SCHOOL, do HOMEWORK, and go to BED early. The poem is SIMPLE on the surface but DEEPLY philosophical.
Why This Poem Matters for AP Board Students
- Tagore is India's NATIONAL poet — EVERY student must read him
- 'Every child has FELT this — wanting to be GROWN-UP and FREE'
- Connects to Indian STREET LIFE — hawkers, gardeners, watchmen are EVERYWHERE
- Beautiful BENGALI to English translation
- Frequently tested in AP Board exams for THEME and APPRECIATION
2. About the Poet
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
- Bengali poet, writer, philosopher, and artist
- Nobel Prize for Literature (1913) — for Gitanjali
- Wrote India's National Anthem — 'Jana Gana Mana'
- Wrote Bangladesh's National Anthem — 'Amar Shonar Bangla'
- Founded Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan
- Known for his DEEP understanding of CHILDHOOD and NATURE
Why He Wrote This Poem
Tagore had a DEEP empathy for children. He understood that children LONG for freedom — and that they romanticise ADULT life without seeing its STRUGGLES.
3. The Full Poem
When the gong sounds TEN in the morning and I walk to school by the LEFT lane, I meet a HAWKER crying, 'Bangles, crystal bangles!' There is nothing to HURRY him — no road he MUST take. I wish I were a HAWKER — spending my days in the ROAD.
When at FOUR in the afternoon I come back from school, I see a GARDENER digging the ground. He does what he LIKES with his spade. He is not RULED by anyone. I wish I were a GARDENER — digging all day in the SUN.
When at NIGHT I am sent to bed, I see a WATCHMAN walking up and down. The lane is DARK and LONELY — but he walks with a lantern. I wish I were a WATCHMAN — walking all night through the STREETS.
4. Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation
Stanza 1: The Hawker
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'When the gong sounds TEN in the morning' | Time to go to SCHOOL |
| 'I walk to school by the LEFT lane' | The child's FIXED route — no choice |
| 'I meet a HAWKER crying, "Bangles, crystal bangles!"' | A bangle seller — FREE, moving, selling |
| 'There is nothing to HURRY him — no road he MUST take.' | The hawker has NO schedule, NO fixed path |
| 'I wish I were a HAWKER — spending my days in the ROAD.' | The child ENVIES the hawker's freedom |
Irony: The hawker is probably POOR and STRUGGLING — but the child sees only FREEDOM.
Stanza 2: The Gardener
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'At FOUR in the afternoon I come back from school' | School is OVER — but more RULES await |
| 'I see a GARDENER digging the ground.' | A man WORKING — but he looks FREE |
| 'He does what he LIKES with his spade.' | The child thinks: NO teacher, NO homework |
| 'He is not RULED by anyone.' | The gardener is his OWN boss |
| 'I wish I were a GARDENER — digging all day in the SUN.' | The child envies his INDEPENDENCE |
Irony: Gardening is HARD PHYSICAL WORK — but the child sees it as PLAY.
Stanza 3: The Watchman
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 'When at NIGHT I am sent to bed' | The child MUST sleep — NO CHOICE |
| 'I see a WATCHMAN walking up and down.' | A man who STAYS AWAKE — FREE to roam |
| 'The lane is DARK and LONELY — but he walks with a lantern.' | Even in DARKNESS, the watchman is FREE |
| 'I wish I were a WATCHMAN — walking all night through the STREETS.' | The child envies the watchman's NIGHT freedom |
Irony: The watchman works alone in DARKNESS and DANGER — but the child sees ADVENTURE.
5. Themes
The Illusion of Adult Freedom
Children think adults are FREE — but every job has its OWN burdens. The grass is ALWAYS greener.
Childhood and Constraint
The child feels TRAPPED by school, homework, and bedtime. These are the 'prisons' of childhood.
Imagination and Envy
The child's IMAGINATION ROMANTICISES each job — seeing only the FREEDOM, not the STRUGGLE.
The Power of Observation
The child is a SHARP OBSERVER of the world — this is where the poem's STRENGTH comes from.
6. Poetic Devices
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Repetition | 'I wish I were a...' | Each stanza ends with the SAME longing |
| Contrast | Child's RULES vs adult's FREEDOM | Shows the GAP between childhood and adulthood |
| Irony | Each adult job is ACTUALLY hard work | The child DOES NOT understand this |
| Imagery | 'Lane is DARK and LONELY — but he walks with a lantern' | VIVID visual — the watchman in the night |
| Free Verse | No strict rhyme | Feels like NATURAL thought |
7. Vocabulary / New Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vocation | A job or profession |
| Hawker | Someone who sells goods by calling out on the street |
| Gong | A metal disc that makes a loud sound when struck |
| Bangles | Traditional glass or metal bracelets |
| Spade | A tool for digging |
| Lantern | A portable light source |
| Ruled | Controlled, governed |
8. Important Lines
| Line | Significance |
|---|---|
| 'There is nothing to HURRY him — no road he MUST take.' | The hawker's FREEDOM — the child longs for this |
| 'He does what he LIKES with his spade.' | The child THINKS the gardener has total freedom |
| 'He is not RULED by anyone.' | The child feels CONSTANTLY ruled |
| 'I wish I were a HAWKER / GARDENER / WATCHMAN.' | The REFRAIN — the child's repeated wish |
| 'The lane is DARK and LONELY' | The REALITY of the watchman's job |
9. Short Answer Questions (2-3 marks each)
1. What does the child see on the way to school? The child sees a HAWKER selling bangles.
2. Why does the child wish to be a hawker? Because the hawker has no FIXED PATH or SCHEDULE — he is FREE to go anywhere.
3. What does the gardener do? The gardener DIGS the ground with a spade.
4. Why does the child envy the gardener? Because the gardener does 'what he LIKES' and is NOT RULED by anyone.
5. What does the watchman do at night? The watchman WALKS up and down the dark lane with a lantern.
6. Why does the child wish to be a watchman? Because the watchman gets to STAY AWAKE all night — the child has to go to bed early.
7. What is the IRONY in the poem? Each job the child envies is actually HARD and DIFFICULT — but the child only sees the FREEDOM.
10. Long Answer Questions (6-8 marks each)
1. 'The child in the poem is DREAMY but NAIVE.' Explain. The child IMAGINES each adult job as WONDERFUL. The hawker seems free — but selling bangles on hot streets all day is EXHAUSTING. The gardener seems independent — but digging in the sun is BACK-BREAKING work. The watchman seems adventurous — but walking dark streets alone at night is DANGEROUS and LONELY. The child is NAIVE because she/he only sees the POSITIVE side. This is NATURAL for a child — but the poem hints that ADULTHOOD is not as FREE as it looks.
2. What does the poem teach us about GRATITUDE? The child WANTS to be someone else. But every person they envy probably ENVIES the child! The hawker might wish he could GO TO SCHOOL. The gardener might wish he had a CHILDHOOD. The watchman might wish he could SLEEP at night. The poem teaches us — gently — that EVERY stage of life has its OWN difficulties. Instead of WISHING for another life, we should APPRECIATE our own.
3. How does Tagore use CONTRAST in this poem? Tagore contrasts the child's SCHEDULE (school at 10, home at 4, bed at night) with the ADULTS' seemingly free lives. Each stanza has a CLEAR contrast:
- Morning: child goes to school (fixed path) vs hawker (any road)
- Afternoon: child returns from school (rules) vs gardener (independent)
- Night: child goes to bed (obedience) vs watchman (stays awake)
These contrasts make the child's LONGING more POIGNANT.
4. Imagine you are ONE of the adults in the poem. Write a RESPONSE to the child. If the HAWKER could speak: 'You think I am free? I walk 10 km a day. My feet hurt. I earn very little. I wish I could go to SCHOOL like you.' If the GARDENER could speak: 'This spade is HEAVY. The sun is HOT. My back aches. But I must work to feed my family.' If the WATCHMAN could speak: 'The nights are COLD and LONELY. Sometimes I am scared. I wish I could SLEEP in a warm bed.' The lesson: EVERY life has its struggles.
11. AP Board Context
- Tagore is a MUST-KNOW author for AP Board exams — national poet.
- Telugu connection: Tagore visited Andhra and was deeply respected. His works were translated into Telugu.
- Discussion: 'What JOB do YOU envy? Why? Do you think it is as EASY as it looks?'
- Activity: Write a SHORT POEM called 'My Vocation' — what do YOU want to be? WHY?
- Writing task: 'Describe a DAY in the life of a person whose job you ADMIRE.'
12. Fun Activity
'Interview an Adult' Ask any adult in your family: 'What was the HARDEST part of being a child? What do you MISS about childhood?' Then ask: 'What do you LIKE about being an adult?' Write their ANSWERS. Share with class. Compare with Tagore's poem. Do adults ALSO wish they were children?
