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The poem “The Blind Boy”, composed by Colley Cibber, is a poignant yet deeply inspiring monologue spoken by a child who has been sightless since birth. Completely unaware of visual light, the boy asks sighted people to explain what light is and what special blessings eyesight brings. While others converse about the brilliant sun, he can only feel its warmth, defining day and night through his own actions—day is when he plays, and night is when he slumbers. When onlookers pity his condition with sorrowful sighs, he remains patient and cheerful, refusing to let what he lacks destroy his peace of mind. Ultimately, he celebrates his inner contentment, proclaiming that as long as he sings, he remains a king despite his physical limitations.
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Poem Text & Stanzas
O say what is that thing call’d light,
Which I must ne’er enjoy.
What are the blessings of the sight,
O tell your poor blind boy!
You talk of wondrous things you see,
You say the sun shines bright;
I feel him warm, but how can he
Or make it day or night?
My day or night myself I make,
Whene’er I sleep or play;
And could I ever keep awake
With me ’twere always day.
With heavy sighs I often hear
You mourn my hapless woe;
But sure with patience I can bear
A loss I ne’er can know.
Then let not what I cannot have
My cheer of mind destroy:
Whilst thus I sing, I am a king,
Although a poor blind boy.
Summary Overview
The poem 'The Blind Boy' by Colley Cibber portrays the cheerful mindset of a blind child. Unaware of visual perception, he asks about light and the advantages of sight. He experiences the sun through warmth rather than sight, making his own day when active and night when sleeping. Though observers feel pity, he remains content, preserving his peace of mind and feeling like a king while singing.
Questions and Answers
Q1. What is it that the blind boy cannot enjoy?[cite: 1]
The blind boy cannot enjoy light and the blessings of sight because he has been blind since birth[cite: 1].
Q2. How does the blind boy define day and night?[cite: 1]
For him, it is day whenever he is awake and playing, and night whenever he sleeps[cite: 1].
Q3. How does the blind boy react to people mourning his woe?[cite: 1]
He bears his loss with patience and resolves not to let their pity destroy his cheer of mind[cite: 1].
Q4. What is the message of the poem?[cite: 1]
The message is to remain contented, patient, and cheerful with whatever God has provided, keeping inner peace intact[cite: 1].
Identify the non-finite verb in the sentence: "The boy likes to play in the daytime."
"O say what is that thing call’d light?" — Identify the language function of this line.[cite: 1]
Choose the infinitive form from the sentence: "He decides to bear his loss with patience."[cite: 1]
Complete the sentence: "If he could see, he _______ the light."
How many syllables are present in the word 'patience'?[cite: 1]
Select the correct collocational pair:
Fill in the blank with the appropriate article: "The boy considers himself _____ king."[cite: 1]
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: "He bears his loss patiently."
Choose the appropriate linker: "I am a king, _______ I am a poor blind boy."[cite: 1]
Fill in the preposition: "He bears the loss _____ patience."[cite: 1]
Choose the correct tense form: "The sun _______ bright in the sky."[cite: 1]
Give the noun form of the word 'patient':
Convert to passive voice: "Others mourn his hapless woe."[cite: 1]
Choose the correct reported speech: The boy said, "I make my own day or night."[cite: 1]
Identify the error and select the corrected sentence: "The blind boy feel the warmth of the sun."[cite: 1]
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