Paper Boats by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem)

 PAPER BOATS

~Rabindranath Tagore

Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.
In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of
the village where I live.

I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and
know who I am.
I load my little boats with shiuli flowers from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.

I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting their white bulging sails.
I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to race with my boats!

When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.

Paper Boats – Stanza-wise Summary

Poet: Rabindranath Tagore

Stanza 1

The poet says that every day he makes paper boats and floats them one by one down the flowing stream. He writes his name and the name of his village on each boat in big black letters. He does this because he hopes that someone living in a faraway land will find his boats and learn about him.

Stanza 2

The poet fills his little paper boats with shiuli flowers from his garden. He hopes that the flowers, which bloom in the early morning, will be carried safely to some distant shore during the night.

Stanza 3

The poet launches his paper boats into the stream and looks up at the sky. He sees little white clouds that look like boats with bulging sails. He imagines that an unknown playmate in the sky is sending the clouds to race with his paper boats.

Stanza 4

At night, the poet rests his face on his folded arms and dreams. He imagines that his paper boats are sailing endlessly under the stars at midnight. He also dreams that fairies are sailing in the boats, carrying baskets full of beautiful dreams.

Central Idea of the Poem: The poem beautifully expresses a child's imagination, innocence and curiosity. Through his paper boats, the child dreams of distant lands, unknown friends and magical adventures.

REFERENCE TO CONTEXT (RTC)

 RTC 1

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.”

Q1. Who is the poet of these lines?

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore is the poet of these lines.

Q2. What does the speaker float in the stream?

Ans. The speaker floats paper boats in the stream.

Q3. How does the speaker float the boats?

Ans. The speaker floats the boats one by one.

Q4. Where does the speaker float the paper boats?

Ans. The speaker floats the paper boats down a running stream.

Q5. What does the phrase “day by day” tell us about the speaker's activity?

Ans. It tells us that the speaker floats paper boats every day.

Q6. What does the running stream suggest about the journey of the boats?

Ans. The running stream suggests that the boats are carried forward by the flowing water.

Q7. What kind of activity is the speaker engaged in?

Ans. The speaker is engaged in a playful and imaginative childhood activity.

Q8. What is the meaning of the word “float”?

Ans. “Float” means to rest or move on the surface of water.

RTC 2

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the village where I live.”

Q1. What does the speaker write on the paper boats?

Ans. The speaker writes their name and the name of the village where they live.

Q2. In what kind of letters does the speaker write?

Ans. The speaker writes in big black letters.

Q3. Why does the speaker write the name of the village on the boats?

Ans. The speaker hopes that someone in a distant land will find the boats and learn where they came from.

Q4. What does the word “them” refer to?

Ans. The word “them” refers to the paper boats.

Q5. What does this action tell us about the speaker?

Ans. It tells us that the speaker is imaginative, curious, and eager to communicate with people in distant lands.

Q6. Does the poet mention the name of the speaker's village?

Ans. No, the poet does not mention the name of the speaker's village.

Q7. What does the speaker hope will happen to the boats?

Ans. The speaker hopes that someone in a strange land will find the boats and discover who sent them.

RTC 3

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and know who I am.”

Q1. Whom does the speaker hope will find the boats?

Ans. The speaker hopes that someone in a strange land will find the boats.

Q2. Where does the speaker imagine the boats will be found?

Ans. The speaker imagines that the boats will be found in a distant and unfamiliar land.

Q3. What does the speaker want the finder to know?

Ans. The speaker wants the finder to know who they are.

Q4. What feelings are expressed in these lines?

Ans. These lines express hope, curiosity, and a desire to connect with unknown people.

Q5. Why does the speaker send the boats away?

Ans. The speaker sends the boats away in the hope that they will travel to distant lands and introduce the speaker to unknown people.

Q6. What is meant by “strange land”?

Ans. “Strange land” means an unfamiliar or distant place.

Q7. Is the speaker certain that someone will find the boats? Give a reason.

Ans. No, the speaker is not certain. The words “I hope” show that finding the boats is only a wish.

RTC 4

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“I load my little boats with shiuli flowers from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.”

Q1. What does the speaker load into the paper boats?

Ans. The speaker loads the paper boats with shiuli flowers.

Q2. Where do the flowers come from?

Ans. The flowers come from the speaker's garden.

Q3. What are shiuli flowers?

Ans. Shiuli flowers are small, fragrant flowers that bloom during the autumn season.

Q4. What does the speaker hope will happen to the flowers?

Ans. The speaker hopes that the flowers will be carried safely to land during the night.

Q5. What does the phrase “blooms of the dawn” refer to?

Ans. The phrase “blooms of the dawn” refers to the shiuli flowers.

Q6. Why does the speaker use the word “safely”?

Ans. The speaker uses the word “safely” to express the hope that the flowers will reach the land without being lost or damaged.

Q7. What does this extract reveal about the speaker's imagination?

Ans. It reveals that the speaker has a vivid imagination and dreams of sending beautiful flowers to distant places.

Q8. Find a word from the extract that means “to put a load into something.”

Ans. The word is “load”.

RTC 5

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting their white bulging sails.”

Q1. What does the speaker launch?

Ans. The speaker launches paper boats.

Q2. Where does the speaker look after launching the boats?

Ans. The speaker looks up at the sky.

Q3. What does the speaker see in the sky?

Ans. The speaker sees little clouds that appear to have white, bulging sails.

Q4. What are the clouds compared to?

Ans. The clouds are compared to boats with white sails.

Q5. What is meant by “white bulging sails”?

Ans. It refers to the white, rounded shapes of the clouds that resemble sails filled with wind.

Q6. Why does the poet compare clouds to boats?

Ans. The poet compares clouds to boats to show how the speaker's imagination connects the paper boats on the water with the clouds in the sky.

Q7. What does the word “launch” mean?

Ans. “Launch” means to send or set something into motion.

Q8. What figure of speech is suggested by the description of clouds as boats with sails?

Ans. The description creates a metaphorical image by imagining the clouds as boats with sails.

RTC 6

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to race with my boats!”

Q1. What does the speaker not know?

Ans. The speaker does not know who sends the clouds down the air.

Q2. Who is the speaker's imagined playmate?

Ans. The speaker's imagined playmate is an unknown companion in the sky.

Q3. What does the playmate send down the air?

Ans. The playmate sends the clouds down the air.

Q4. With what do the clouds race?

Ans. The clouds race with the speaker's paper boats.

Q5. What does this line tell us about the speaker's imagination?

Ans. It shows that the speaker has a vivid imagination and imagines a playful connection between the earth and the sky.

Q6. Why does the speaker call the unknown companion a playmate?

Ans. The speaker calls the unknown companion a playmate because they imagine that the companion is playing the same game by sending clouds to race with the paper boats.

Q7. What is the meaning of “race” in this context?

Ans. “Race” means to move quickly alongside or against something.

Q8. Is the playmate a real person? Explain your answer.

Ans. No, the playmate is imaginary. The speaker imagines that someone in the sky is sending the clouds.

RTC 7

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.”

Q1. When does the speaker dream?

Ans. The speaker dreams when night comes.

Q2. What does the speaker do before dreaming?

Ans. The speaker buries their face in their arms.

Q3. What does the speaker dream about?

Ans. The speaker dreams that the paper boats continue their journey.

Q4. Where do the paper boats float in the dream?

Ans. The paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.

Q5. What does the phrase “on and on” suggest?

Ans. The phrase suggests that the paper boats continue travelling for a long time without stopping.

Q6. What does “midnight stars” tell us about the setting?

Ans. It tells us that the setting is a starry night around midnight.

Q7. What mood is created by these lines?

Ans. These lines create a peaceful, dreamy, and magical mood.

Q8. What do these lines reveal about the speaker?

Ans. These lines reveal that the speaker has a rich imagination and enjoys dreaming about wonderful adventures.

RTC 8

Read the following lines and answer the questions.

“The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.”

Q1. Who are sailing in the paper boats?

Ans. The fairies of sleep are sailing in the paper boats.

Q2. What does “the fairies of sleep” mean?

Ans. It refers to imaginary magical fairies associated with sleep and dreams.

Q3. What does “lading” mean?

Ans. “Lading” means the cargo or goods carried by a boat or ship.

Q4. What do the fairies carry in their baskets?

Ans. The fairies carry baskets full of dreams.

Q5. What makes this scene magical?

Ans. The presence of imaginary fairies sailing in paper boats with baskets full of dreams makes the scene magical.

Q6. What is the significance of the word “dreams” in these lines?

Ans. The word “dreams” represents the wonderful and imaginative experiences associated with sleep.

Q7. What does the poet imagine the paper boats have become?

Ans. The poet imagines that the paper boats have become magical vessels carrying fairies and dreams.

Q8. What is the effect of introducing fairies into the poem?

Ans. The fairies add a magical and dreamlike quality to the poem and reflect the speaker's vivid imagination.

SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Who wrote the poem “Paper Boats”?

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore wrote the poem “Paper Boats”.

Q2. What does the speaker float in the stream?

Ans. The speaker floats little paper boats in the running stream.

Q3. How often does the speaker float paper boats?

Ans. The speaker floats paper boats day by day.

Q4. What does the speaker write on the boats?

Ans. The speaker writes their name and the name of their village in big black letters.

Q5. Why does the speaker write the village's name on the boats?

Ans. The speaker hopes that people in distant lands will learn where the boats have come from.

Q6. What does the speaker hope someone in a strange land will do?

Ans. The speaker hopes that someone will find the boats and learn who sent them.

Q7. Which flowers are loaded into the boats?

Ans. Shiuli flowers are loaded into the boats.

Q8. Where does the speaker get the Shiuli flowers?

Ans. The speaker gets the Shiuli flowers from their garden.

Q9. Why does the speaker load flowers into the boats?

Ans. The speaker imagines sending beautiful flowers on a journey to distant lands.

Q10. What does the speaker hope will happen to the flowers?

Ans. The speaker hopes that the flowers will be carried safely to land during the night.

Q11. What does the speaker see when looking at the sky?

Ans. The speaker sees little clouds that appear to have white, bulging sails.

Q12. What are the clouds compared to?

Ans. The clouds are compared to boats with white sails.

Q13. Who does the speaker imagine sends the clouds?

Ans. The speaker imagines that an unknown playmate in the sky sends them.

Q14. Why does the speaker imagine the clouds racing with the boats?

Ans. The speaker imagines the clouds racing with the paper boats as part of a playful game between the sky and the earth.

Q15. What happens when night comes?

Ans. The speaker buries their face in their arms and dreams about the paper boats.

Q16. Where do the boats float in the speaker's dream?

Ans. The boats float on and on beneath the midnight stars.

Q17. Who sails in the paper boats in the dream?

Ans. The fairies of sleep sail in the paper boats.

Q18. What do the fairies carry?

Ans. The fairies carry baskets full of dreams.

Q19. What does “lading” mean in the poem?

Ans. “Lading” means the cargo or goods carried by a boat or ship.

Q20. What is the central idea of the poem?

Ans. The poem celebrates childhood imagination, curiosity, hope, and the joy of dreaming.

Q21. What qualities of the speaker are revealed in the poem?

Ans. The speaker is imaginative, hopeful, curious, playful, and dreamy.

Q22. What is the significance of the running stream?

Ans. The running stream carries the paper boats away on their imagined journey to distant places.

Q23. What is meant by “strange land”?

Ans. “Strange land” means an unfamiliar or distant place.

Q24. Why does the speaker look up at the sky after launching the boats?

Ans. The speaker looks up at the sky to observe the clouds and imagines that they are racing with the paper boats.

Q25. How does the poet connect the earth and the sky?

Ans. The poet connects the earth and the sky through the imagined race between the paper boats on the stream and the clouds in the sky.

Q26. Why are the boats important to the speaker?

Ans. The boats represent the speaker's hopes, dreams, imagination, and desire to connect with the unknown world.

Q27. What atmosphere is created in the final lines?

Ans. The final lines create a peaceful, magical, and dreamlike atmosphere.

Q28. What does the poem teach us about imagination?

Ans. The poem teaches us that imagination can transform ordinary things into wonderful adventures.

Q29. Is the poem only about paper boats? Explain.

Ans. No, the poem is also about childhood dreams, curiosity, hope, and the desire to explore the world.

Q30. Suggest a suitable alternative title for the poem.

Ans. “The Journey of Dreams” would be a suitable alternative title for the poem.

Q31. What is the significance of writing the speaker's name on the boats?

Ans. Writing the name allows the speaker to imagine introducing themselves to someone in a distant land.

Q32. What is the difference between the speaker's daytime activity and nighttime dreams?

Ans. During the day, the speaker floats real paper boats in a stream. At night, the speaker imagines the boats travelling through a magical world beneath the stars.

Q33. What role does nature play in the poem?

Ans. Nature provides the setting through the running stream, shiuli flowers, clouds, air, and stars, all of which inspire the speaker's imagination.

Q34. How does the poet express childhood innocence?

Ans. The poet expresses childhood innocence through the speaker's simple pleasure in floating boats and imagining wonderful adventures.

Q35. What might the journey of the paper boats symbolise?

Ans. The journey of the paper boats may symbolise the journey of hopes, dreams, and the desire to explore the wider world.

Q36. Why is the poem suitable for readers of all ages?

Ans. The poem explores universal themes such as imagination, hope, curiosity, and dreams, which can be appreciated by people of all ages.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs)

Q1. Who is the poet of “Paper Boats”?

A. William Wordsworth

B. Rabindranath Tagore

C. Robert Frost

D. Rudyard Kipling

Ans. B. Rabindranath Tagore

Q2. What does the speaker float in the stream?

A. Wooden ships

B. Leaves

C. Paper boats

D. Flowers only

Ans. C. Paper boats

Q3. How does the speaker float the boats?

A. All together

B. One by one

C. In pairs

D. Only at night

Ans. B. One by one

Q4. Where does the speaker write their name?

A. On the trees

B. On the boats

C. On the walls

D. On the flowers

Ans. B. On the boats

Q5. In what kind of letters does the speaker write?

A. Small red letters

B. Big black letters

C. Blue capital letters

D. Golden letters

Ans. B. Big black letters

Q6. What else does the speaker write on the boats?

A. The name of a friend

B. The name of a school

C. The name of the village

D. The name of a river

Ans. C. The name of the village

Q7. Where does the speaker hope the boats will be found?

A. In a strange land

B. In the garden

C. In a classroom

D. On a mountain

Ans. A. In a strange land

Q8. What does the speaker want the finder to know?

A. The price of the boat

B. The speaker's identity

C. The river's depth

D. The time of day

Ans. B. The speaker's identity

Q9. Which flowers are placed in the boats?

A. Rose flowers

B. Lotus flowers

C. Sunflowers

D. Shiuli flowers

Ans. D. Shiuli flowers

Q10. Where do the shiuli flowers come from?

A. A market

B. A forest

C. The speaker's garden

D. A neighbour's house

Ans. C. The speaker's garden

Q11. What does the speaker hope will happen to the flowers?

A. They will grow into trees.

B. They will be carried safely to land.

C. They will sink immediately.

D. They will be sold.

Ans. B. They will be carried safely to land.

Q12. The phrase “blooms of the dawn” refers to:

A. The stars

B. The clouds

C. The shiuli flowers

D. The paper boats

Ans. C. The shiuli flowers

Q13. What does the speaker see in the sky?

A. Little clouds

B. Flying birds only

C. Airplanes

D. Kites

Ans. A. Little clouds

Q14. The clouds are imagined as boats with:

A. Golden flags

B. White bulging sails

C. Black sails

D. Red sails

Ans. B. White bulging sails

Q15. Who sends the clouds according to the speaker's imagination?

A. The village children

B. The fairies of sleep

C. An unknown playmate in the sky

D. The boat maker

Ans. C. An unknown playmate in the sky

Q16. The clouds race with the speaker's:

A. Toy cars

B. Paper boats

C. Birds

D. Flowers

Ans. B. Paper boats

Q17. What does the speaker do when night comes?

A. Goes to the market

B. Buries their face in their arms

C. Makes new sails

D. Writes a letter

Ans. B. Buries their face in their arms

Q18. When does the speaker dream about the boats?

A. At noon

B. At sunrise

C. At night

D. In the afternoon

Ans. C. At night

Q19. What shines above the boats in the dream?

A. Streetlights

B. Midnight stars

C. Fireworks

D. Lanterns

Ans. B. Midnight stars

Q20. Who sails in the paper boats in the dream?

A. Fishermen

B. Village children

C. The fairies of sleep

D. The speaker's family

Ans. C. The fairies of sleep

Q21. What do the fairies carry?

A. Baskets full of dreams

B. Baskets full of stones

C. Baskets of fruit

D. Baskets of toys

Ans. A. Baskets full of dreams

Q22. What is the meaning of “lading”?

A. A kind of flower

B. Cargo carried by a boat

C. A stream

D. A cloud

Ans. B. Cargo carried by a boat

Q23. What does “float” mean in the poem?

A. To fly in space

B. To rest or move on the surface of water

C. To sink quickly

D. To climb

Ans. B. To rest or move on the surface of water

Q24. Which word means to send a boat into the water?

A. Bury

B. Launch

C. Load

D. Race

Ans. B. Launch

Q25. The word “playmate” means:

A. A person with whom someone plays

B. A teacher

C. A shopkeeper

D. A sailor

Ans. A. A person with whom someone plays

Q26. The word “strange” in “strange land” means:

A. Familiar

B. Beautiful

C. Unfamiliar

D. Nearby

Ans. C. Unfamiliar

Q27. Which quality is most evident in the speaker?

A. Cruelty

B. Imagination

C. Dishonesty

D. Anger

Ans. B. Imagination

Q28. Which is a major theme of the poem?

A. War and conflict

B. Business and money

C. Childhood imagination and dreams

D. Science and technology

Ans. C. Childhood imagination and dreams

Q29. What carries the paper boats?

A. The running stream

B. A railway track

C. A road

D. A mountain path

Ans. A. The running stream

Q30. The poem mainly presents the world through the eyes of:

A. A sailor

B. A child

C. A shopkeeper

D. A soldier

Ans. B. A child

Q31. The mood of the final lines is:

A. Frightening and violent

B. Magical and dreamy

C. Angry and bitter

D. Strict and formal

Ans. B. Magical and dreamy

Q32. The expression “on and on” suggests:

A. A journey that continues

B. An immediate stop

C. A sudden fall

D. A short distance only

Ans. A. A journey that continues

Q33. The paper boats symbolise, among other things:

A. Punishment

B. The speaker's hopes and dreams

C. Wealth

D. Fear of water

Ans. B. The speaker's hopes and dreams

Q34. The clouds and paper boats are connected through:

A. A playful imagined race

B. A real competition

C. A storm

D. A fishing trip

Ans. A. A playful imagined race

Q35. Which statement is correct?

A. The speaker knows who sends the clouds.

B. The speaker hopes someone will find the boats.

C. The fairies are described as real people.

D. The speaker never looks at the sky.

Ans. B. The speaker hopes someone will find the boats.

FILL IN THE BLANKS

Q1. The poet of “Paper Boats” is __________.

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore.

Q2. The speaker floats paper boats down the running __________.

Ans. Stream.

Q3. The speaker writes their name in big __________ letters.

Ans. Black.

Q4. The speaker also writes the name of their __________.

Ans. Village.

Q5. The speaker hopes someone in a __________ land will find the boats.

Ans. Strange.

Q6. The speaker loads the boats with __________ flowers.

Ans. Shiuli.

Q7. The flowers come from the speaker's __________.

Ans. Garden.

Q8. The clouds appear to have white bulging __________.

Ans. Sails.

Q9. The speaker imagines an unknown __________ in the sky.

Ans. Playmate.

Q10. At night, the speaker dreams under the midnight __________.

Ans. Stars.

Q11. The __________ of sleep sail in the paper boats.

Ans. Fairies.

Q12. The fairies' baskets are full of __________.

Ans. Dreams.

TRUE OR FALSE

Q1. The speaker floats paper boats every day.

Ans. True.

Q2. The speaker writes their name on the paper boats.

Ans. True.

Q3. The speaker hopes nobody will find the boats.

Ans. False. The speaker hopes that someone in a strange land will find the boats.

Q4. The shiuli flowers come from the speaker's garden.

Ans. True.

Q5. The speaker sees little clouds in the sky.

Ans. True.

Q6. The speaker knows exactly who sends the clouds.

Ans. False. The speaker does not know who sends the clouds and imagines an unknown playmate in the sky.

Q7. The speaker dreams about the boats at night.

Ans. True.

Q8. The fairies carry baskets full of dreams.

Ans. True.

IMPORTANT EXAM REVISION QUESTIONS

Q1. Name the poet of “Paper Boats”.

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore.

Q2. What does the speaker write on the boats?

Ans. The speaker writes their name and the name of their village.

Q3. Which flowers are placed in the boats?

Ans. Shiuli flowers.

Q4. Who is the speaker's playmate?

Ans. An imaginary, unknown companion in the sky.

Q5. What races with the paper boats?

Ans. The clouds race with the paper boats in the speaker's imagination.

Q6. When does the speaker dream about the boats?

Ans. The speaker dreams about the boats at night.

Q7. Who sails in the boats in the speaker's dream?

Ans. The fairies of sleep.

Q8. What do the fairies carry?

Ans. Baskets full of dreams.

Q9. What does “lading” mean?

Ans. Cargo carried by a boat or ship.

Q10. Mention two major themes of the poem.

Ans. Childhood imagination and hope.

Q11. What does the speaker hope to achieve by sending the boats away?

Ans. The speaker hopes that someone in a distant land will find the boats and learn who sent them.

Q12. What makes the poem magical?

Ans. The imagined race between clouds and boats and the fairies sailing beneath the midnight stars make the poem magical.

Q13. What is the mood of the poem?

Ans. The mood is playful, peaceful, hopeful, and dreamy.

Q14. What does the running stream represent in the poem?

Ans. It carries the boats forward on their journey and helps express the speaker's hopes and dreams.

Q15. What is the central message of the poem?

Ans. The poem celebrates the power of childhood imagination and the beauty of hopes and dreams.