Vocation — Chapter Notes NCERT Extra Notes for Class 5 English Chapter 9 Santoor NCERT Book
“Vocation ” — Chapter CBSE Notes
Poet: Rabindranath Tagore
Here is a complete chapter notes of “Vocation” NCERT Class 5 English, Chapter 9
What the Poem Says / Summary
- The poem Vocation by Rabindranath Tagore describes a child’s desire to be free and admire people in different occupations.
- In the morning, as the child walks to school, he meets a hawker selling bangles. The hawker moves freely, with no rush, no fixed path, and no fixed time to return. The child wishes he could be like him.
- In the afternoon, the child sees a gardener digging in a garden. The gardener works with his spade, getting his clothes dusty, and no one stops or questions him. The child again wishes he could be a gardener.
- At night, when the child is sent to bed, he observes a watchman walking the street with a lantern. The watchman walks up and down in the dark, without rest, following his duty, and seems to have freedom of movement. The child wishes to be a watchman.
- Through these wishes, the child sees that each occupation gives a sense of freedom—no fixed time, no restrictions of where to go or what to do.
New / Difficult Words & Their Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vocation | A person’s profession or work |
| Gong | A metal disc which produces sound when struck |
| Lane | A narrow road |
| Spade | A tool for digging |
| Lantern | A small portable light source |
| Giant | Very large or huge |
| Crystal | Clear, transparent — used for jewelry like bangles |
Vocation – Poet: Rabindranath Tagore — Explanation / Summary Stanza by Stanza
Here’s the Stanza-wise Explanation / Summary for the Poem “Vocation” (from the NCERT English textbook Santoor – Class 5)
Stanza 1 (Morning)
When the gong sounds ten in the morning and
I walk to school by our lane,
Every day I meet the hawker crying, “Bangles,
crystal bangles!”
There is nothing to hurry him on, there is no
road he must take, no place he must go to, no
time when he must come home.
I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in
the road, crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”
- Explanation:
In the morning, when the school bell (gong) rings at ten, the child walks along the lane to school. On the way, he sees a hawker (street vendor) selling bangles. The hawker moves freely—he doesn’t have a fixed road he must follow, no set time he must return home. Because of this freedom, the child says: “I wish I were a hawker”. - What the child admires: freedom from rules, no hurry, ability to choose one’s path.
Stanza 2 (Afternoon)
When at four in the afternoon I come
back from the school.
I can see through the gate of that
house the gardener digging the ground.
He does what he likes with his spade,
he soils his clothes with dust, nobody
takes him to task if he gets baked in the
sun or gets wet.
I wish I were a gardener digging away
at the garden with nobody to stop me
from digging.
- Explanation:
In the afternoon, returning from school, the child notices a gardener digging the soil with his spade. The gardener’s clothes get dusty, he works under sun or rain, yet no one scolds him or stops him. He does as he wishes in the garden. The child envies this — “I wish I were a gardener”. - What the child admires: doing physical work with freedom, not being constrained.
Stanza 3 (Night / Evening)
Just as it gets dark in the evening and my
mother sends me to bed,
I can see through my open window the
watchman walking up and down.
The lane is dark and lonely, and the
street-lamp stands like a giant with one red eye
in its head.
The watchman swings his lantern and walks
with his shadow at his side, and never once goes
to bed in his life.
I wish I were a watchman walking the streets
all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern.
- Explanation:
In the evening, when the child is sent to bed by his mother, he looks out and sees a watchman walking the lanes with a lantern. The street is quiet and dark; the watchman walks with his shadow. He is awake while others sleep. The child imagines: “I wish I were a watchman”. - What the child admires: being awake at night, having his path to walk without someone telling him to sleep.
Central Message / Theme
- The poem explores a child’s longing for freedom and the way he sees adult vocations as paths to that freedom.
- It shows how a child often idealises work of others because rules and duties constrain his own life.
- But it also subtly hints that every vocation has challenges (though the poem focuses on the positive side perceived by the child).
Vocation – Poet: Rabindranath Tagore — Stanza-wise Questions & Answers
Here’s the Stanza-wise Question and Answer set for the Poem “Vocation” (from the NCERT English textbook Santoor – Class 5)
Stanza 1 (Morning / Hawker)
When the gong sounds ten in the morning and
I walk to school by our lane,
Every day I meet the hawker crying, “Bangles,
crystal bangles!”
There is nothing to hurry him on, there is no
road he must take, no place he must go to, no
time when he must come home.
I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in
the road, crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!”
- Who does the speaker meet in the morning while going to school?
Answer: He meets a hawker crying, “Bangles, crystal bangles!” - What freedom does the speaker notice in the hawker’s life?
Answer: The hawker has no hurry, no fixed road, no place to go, and no time to come home. - Why does the speaker wish to be a hawker?
Answer: Because it seems like a free life without rules or time limits. - Pick a line that shows the hawker has no fixed route.
Answer: “There is no road he must take.” - What emotion does the speaker feel toward the hawker’s life?
Answer: Envy or longing — he wishes to enjoy that freedom.
Stanza 2 (Afternoon / Gardener)
When at four in the afternoon I come
back from the school.
I can see through the gate of that
house the gardener digging the ground.
He does what he likes with his spade,
he soils his clothes with dust, nobody
takes him to task if he gets baked in the
sun or gets wet.
I wish I were a gardener digging away
at the garden with nobody to stop me
from digging.
- What does the speaker see in the afternoon?
Answer: He sees a gardener digging the ground. - What does the gardener do with his spade?
Answer: He does what he likes — dig, soil his clothes with dust — without being stopped. - Why does the speaker admire the gardener?
Answer: Because the gardener works freely even under sun or rain without being scolded. - Pick a line that shows the gardener is not forced to stop.
Answer: “Nobody takes him to task.” - What does this stanza teach about work and freedom?
Answer: That when someone loves their job, working freely gives joy.
Stanza 3 (Evening/Night / Watchman)
Just as it gets dark in the evening and my
mother sends me to bed,
I can see through my open window the
watchman walking up and down.
The lane is dark and lonely, and the
street-lamp stands like a giant with one red eye
in its head.
The watchman swings his lantern and walks
with his shadow at his side, and never once goes
to bed in his life.
I wish I were a watchman walking the streets
all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern.
- What does the speaker see when evening comes?
Answer: He sees the watchman walking up and down with a lantern. - How is the street-lamp described?
Answer: Like a giant with one red eye in its head. - What does the watchman do with his lantern?
Answer: He swings it, walking with his shadow. - Why does the speaker wish to be a watchman?
Answer: Because the watchman walks freely at night, chasing shadows, without rest. - What contrast does the speaker show in this stanza?
Answer: While the speaker is sent to bed, the watchman remains awake and free.
MCQs — Vocation
- Who is the author of the poem Vocation?
a) Rabindranath Tagore
b) Subramania Bharati
c) Harivansh Rai Bachchan
d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: a) Rabindranath Tagore - What does the speaker meet in the morning when walking to school?
a) Gardener
b) Watchman
c) Hawker
d) Teacher
Answer: c) Hawker - What is the hawker selling?
a) Fruits
b) Bangles, crystal bangles
c) Toys
d) Books
Answer: b) Bangles, crystal bangles - What does the speaker like about the gardener?
a) The gardener is famous
b) The gardener works under supervision
c) The gardener works freely and no one scolds him
d) The gardener earns a lot
Answer: c) The gardener works freely and no one scolds him - In the evening, what does the speaker see the watchman doing?
a) Sleeping under a tree
b) Walking up and down with a lantern
c) Singing songs
d) Reading a book
Answer: b) Walking up and down with a lantern - How is the street-lamp compared in the poem?
a) Like a bird
b) Like a ship
c) Like a giant with one red eye
d) Like a candle
Answer: c) Like a giant with one red eye - Which of the following vocations is not mentioned in the poem?
a) Hawker
b) Gardener
c) Watchman
d) Teacher
Answer: d) Teacher - What is the main feeling the speaker expresses through the poem?
a) Anger
b) Envy for freedom
c) Sadness
d) Fear
Answer: b) Envy for freedom
Grammar Exercises — Vocation
A. Identify & Correct the Mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Underline it and write the correct sentence.
- I has recently read a new book.
Answer: I have recently read a new book. - The speaker goes for school at ten in the morning.
Answer: The speaker goes to school at ten in the morning. - The fox ran fast than the others.
Answer: The fox ran faster than the others. - Mita was slept when the doorbell rang.
Answer: Mita was sleeping when the doorbell rang. - The old elephant walked slow to the river.
Answer: The old elephant walked slowly to the river. - Radhika is tall than Suman.
Answer: Radhika is taller than Suman. - Sudhanshu ran faster of all the runners.
Answer: Sudhanshu ran faster than all the runners. - My mother are cooking.
Answer: My mother is cooking. - He go to school everyday.
Answer: He goes to school every day. - The birds is flying.
Answer: The birds are flying.
B. Matching — Word Meanings
Match each word from the poem with its correct meaning.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gong | A metal disc that makes a loud sound when struck |
| Spade | A tool used for digging soil |
| Lane | A narrow path or road |
| Giant | A very large or huge creature or person |
| Lantern | A portable light (lamp) |