NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Unit 3 Chapter 1 The Shadow

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NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Unit 3 Chapter 1 The Shadow - Summary

The Shadow is a delightful and simple poem written by Robert Louis Stevenson. In this poem, the poet describes the shadow as if it were a living companion who follows him everywhere. Through the eyes of a child, the poem captures the wonder, innocence, and curiosity about the shadow that imitates everything he does.

Main Summary
The narrator of the poem is a small child who observes his shadow keenly. He notices that wherever he goes, his shadow goes with him. The shadow copies his every action like a loyal friend or companion. When the child wakes up early in the morning and sees the sunshine, his shadow is with him and follows him closely.

Sometimes the shadow appears tall and long, especially when the sun is low. Other times, it becomes short and small when the sun is overhead. The child is amused and puzzled by how the shadow changes its size and shape so mysteriously.

The poet also expresses his confusion and amazement about the fact that the shadow does not seem to know how to behave properly sometimes. For example, when the child jumps into bed, his shadow does the same. But one morning, the child observes that his shadow is missing from his side, which he finds strange and funny.

Key Themes

• Innocence and Curiosity of Childhood: The child’s simple yet imaginative observation shows how children look at the world with amazement.
• Imitation: The shadow mimics everything the child does, symbolizing how children learn through imitation.
• Mystery of Nature: The poem reflects the child’s wonder at the mysterious behavior of natural phenomena.

Moral / Message

• The poem teaches us to observe and enjoy the small wonders around us.
• It reflects the innocence and pure joy children find in the little things.
• Nature holds many simple mysteries that can be delightful when seen through a child’s eyes.

NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Unit 3 Chapter 1 The Shadow - Question and Answers

1. Who is the author of the poem "The Shadow"?
   Answer: Robert Louis Stevenson.
2. What is the poem "The Shadow" about?
   Answer: The poem is about a child's observation of his shadow and how it behaves in different situations.
3. How does the poet describe the shadow?
   Answer: The poet describes the shadow as a little person who goes in and out with him and mimics everything he does.
4. What does the shadow do when the child gets up?
   Answer: The shadow gets up with the child and follows him everywhere.
5. How does the shadow behave at times?
   Answer: Sometimes the shadow grows tall, short, or disappears altogether.
6. What is the funniest thing about the shadow?
   Answer: The funniest thing is that the shadow sometimes grows taller or shorter without any reason.
7. What happens to the shadow when the sun is directly overhead?
   Answer: The shadow becomes very small or almost disappears.
8. What happens to the shadow early in the morning or late in the evening?
   Answer: The shadow becomes long and tall.
9. According to the poet, where does the shadow stay at night?
   Answer: The poet says the shadow stays in bed when he wakes up at night.
10. Why does the poet call the shadow a coward?
    Answer: Because the shadow disappears when it's dark and only comes when there is light.
11. What does the shadow do when the child jumps?
    Answer: The shadow jumps with the child and copies his movements.
12. Does the shadow have a mind of its own? Explain.
    Answer: No, the shadow does not have a mind of its own; it only follows the person and copies what they do.
13. What makes the shadow grow bigger or smaller?
    Answer: The position and intensity of the light source, like the sun, make the shadow grow bigger or smaller.
14. Why is the shadow called ‘the coward’?
    Answer: Because it disappears in the dark and only appears when there is light.
15. What do you learn from this poem?
    Answer: The poem teaches us to observe nature and the world around us with curiosity and wonder.
16. Write the meaning of ‘nursie’.
    Answer: Nursie means a nurse or caregiver, especially for children.
17. Which lines in the poem show that the shadow copies everything?
    Answer: "He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head."
18. Why do you think the poet wrote about the shadow?
    Answer: The poet was fascinated by how shadows behave and wanted to capture that wonder in a poem.
19. Find two rhyming words from the poem.
    Answer: Head - bed, grows - goes.
20. What figure of speech is used in 'the shadow jumps before me'?
    Answer: Personification.
21. How does the poet personify the shadow?
    Answer: The poet calls the shadow a "he" and describes it as having its own actions and decisions like a person.
22. Why is the shadow called 'the funniest thing'?
    Answer: Because its size keeps changing without any logical reason.
23. What is the mood of the poem?
    Answer: The mood is playful and full of childlike wonder.
24. What is the theme of the poem?
    Answer: The theme is a child's curious observation of nature, focusing on shadows.
25. Write one simile used in the poem.
    Answer: “He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head.”
26. Does the shadow have a life? Why or why not?
    Answer: No, the shadow does not have a life of its own; it is just a dark shape formed when light is blocked.
27. What do shadows teach us about light?
    Answer: Shadows show us that light travels in straight lines and objects block light to create shadows.
28. Why do we not see shadows in the dark?
    Answer: Because shadows need light to form. Without light, no shadow is visible.
29. How can shadows change shape?
    Answer: The position and distance of the light source affect the size and shape of shadows.
30. What do you think the poet wants children to do after reading this poem?
    Answer: The poet wants children to observe, enjoy, and wonder about simple things in nature like shadows.
31. Write the plural form of ‘child’.
    Answer: Children.
32. Use the word ‘shadow’ in a sentence.
    Answer: My shadow follows me everywhere I go.
33. Write the opposite of 'light'.
    Answer: Dark.
34. Pick the noun from this sentence: "The shadow disappears at night."
    Answer: Shadow.
35. Make a sentence using 'funniest'.
    Answer: The funniest part of the movie made everyone laugh loudly.