Chapter vocation: Vocation | Short Questions

The boy admires the gardener because no one stops him from doing what he likes. He is impressed that the gardener can soil his clothes with dust without being scolded. Furthermore, no one takes him to task even if he gets 'baked' in the hot sun or gets completely wet in the rain. The boy envies this freedom because, as a child, he is likely expected to stay clean and avoid harsh weather conditions.

The boy's mother represents the authority and discipline in his life. Just as it gets dark in the evening, she sends him to bed. This routine is what prompts the boy to look out of his open window and observe the watchman. The mother's act of sending him to sleep creates a sense of restriction for the boy, making him wish he could stay awake like the watchman and explore the mysteries of the night.

To the boy, the street-lamp does not look like an ordinary object. Because the lane is dark and lonely, the street-lamp stands out vividly. He compares it to a 'giant with one red eye in its head.' This imaginative comparison shows the boy's creative mind and how he turns the simple street outside his window into a magical world filled with extraordinary things while everyone else is asleep.

The boy is fascinated by the watchman because he seems to be a master of the night. He sees the watchman walking up and down the dark lane, swinging his lantern with his shadow by his side. The boy is particularly amazed by the idea that the watchman 'never once goes to bed in his life.' To a child who is forced to sleep early, the idea of staying awake all night seems like a grand adventure.

In the final stanza, the boy wishes to be a watchman 'chasing the shadows' with his lantern. This means walking through the dark streets where the light of the lantern creates moving shadows on the walls and ground. For the boy, this is not a serious job but a playful activity. It represents his desire to explore the unknown and be active in the darkness, turning a boring nighttime duty into an exciting game of following light and shadow.

The poem shows that the child has a very active and innocent imagination. He looks at ordinary people doing difficult jobs and only sees the fun or free parts of their lives. He doesn't think about the hawker's tiredness, the gardener's hard labor, or the watchman's lack of sleep. This reveals that the boy is at an age where he values freedom and play above everything else, and he creates stories around everyone he sees.