My Shadow Class 5 English Chapter 3 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
NCERT English Chapter 3 My Shadow Class 5 Notes, we look at the poem's simple ideas of curiosity and imagination. Our revision notes cover the main points and the fun nature of the poem, helping students easily connect with the content. These Class 5 English notes will help students understand the poem and what it is about.
Table of Content
Following the CBSE Class 5 English Syllabus, these notes also explain important parts like how shadows act and what the child notices about them. The notes are made to make the poem easier to understand and to help students get ready for exams. By using these notes, students can understand the poem better and feel more sure about their English skills.
FAQs on My Shadow Class 5 English Chapter 3 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. What is the quick summary of the Class 5 poem 'My Shadow'?
The poem 'My Shadow' by Robert Louis Stevenson is about a young child's fascination with their shadow. The child observes how this little shadow follows and copies them everywhere, doing exactly what they do. The child is amused by how the shadow's size changes unpredictably and how it jumps into bed before them. The poem captures the curiosity and imagination of a child trying to understand this everyday phenomenon.
2. What is the central theme to remember for a revision of 'My Shadow'?
The central theme of 'My Shadow' is the innocent and playful curiosity of a child. The poem explores how a child perceives the world around them, turning a simple scientific phenomenon like a shadow into a mysterious and funny companion. It highlights the power of a child's imagination and their relationship with their own self, as reflected by the shadow.
3. According to the poem, what funny things does the shadow do?
According to the child in the poem, the shadow does several funny things that are useful for a quick concept revision. These include:
- It grows extremely fast, unlike proper children who grow slowly. The poet says it 'shoots up tall like an india-rubber ball'.
- It can also become very small or disappear entirely.
- It always jumps into bed before the child can.
- It copies the child's every move, from jumping to walking.
4. Who is the speaker in the poem 'My Shadow'?
The speaker in the poem 'My Shadow' is a young, imaginative, and curious child. The entire poem is narrated from this child's perspective, reflecting their thoughts and wonder about the shadow that follows them. The simple language and playful observations are characteristic of a child's point of view.
5. What did the child discover one morning before the sun was up?
One morning, the child woke up very early before the sun had risen and found that their shadow was missing. When the child went outside, they saw dew on the buttercups but couldn't find their 'lazy little shadow' anywhere, leading them to believe it was still asleep in bed.
6. Why does the child in the poem call the shadow 'lazy'?
The child calls the shadow 'lazy' because one morning, after waking up very early, the child couldn't find the shadow. The child humorously concludes that the shadow must be a 'sleepy-head' that stayed behind in bed. This is a key example of the child's imagination, as they give the shadow human-like qualities and feelings.
7. How do these revision notes for 'My Shadow' help in understanding the poet's imagination?
These revision notes help by focusing on the core concepts of the poem, particularly the poet's use of personification—giving human traits to a non-human thing. By summarising how the shadow is described as 'lazy', 'cowardly', and a 'companion', the notes clarify how Robert Louis Stevenson skillfully shows the world through a child's imaginative and wondrous eyes, making the poem relatable and engaging.
8. In what key way does the child believe the shadow is different from real children?
The main difference the child observes is in how the shadow grows. The child notes that 'the proper way for children is to grow always very slow'. However, the shadow doesn't follow this rule. It sometimes 'shoots up tall' very quickly and at other times gets so small that there is 'none of him at all'. This unpredictable growth is what the child finds most strange and unlike real children.
9. How is the shadow shown to be both a loyal companion and a coward in the poem?
The shadow is a loyal companion because it is always with the child, as the poem says, 'I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me'. It never leaves the child's side during the day. However, the child also sees it as a coward because it seems to hide by sticking so close ('what can be the use of him is more than I can see'), and most importantly, it 'jumps into bed before I can', as if it is scared and rushing to safety first.
