Summary
The poem "My Hobby: Reading" is written by Arunachalam Chandrasekharan. It is a short, inspiring poem from the 8th standard English textbook that celebrates reading as a hobby. The poet expresses how reading serves as a powerful tool for intellectual and emotional growth.
The poem begins with the poet declaring that reading is his hobby, and it helps him in "thought breeding" -- meaning it stimulates his thinking and generates new ideas. Reading takes him to places both near and far, serving as a means of virtual travel and exploration. It keeps his "rational doors ajar," which means it keeps his mind open to reason and intelligence.
The poet further states that reading teaches him to experience the full range of emotions -- to laugh ("cackle") and cry. Most beautifully, it allows him to "fly without wings," a metaphor for the imaginative freedom that reading provides. The poem concludes with a noble wish: if all children could develop the habit of reading, society would become vigorous and strong. The poet believes that a reading culture among children is essential for building a powerful and progressive society.
The lesson also includes a parallel reading poem, "Good Books" by Edgar Guest, which personifies books as loyal, patient, and faithful friends who never judge, never complain, and are always available for companionship.
Themes
- Reading as Intellectual Growth: The central theme is that reading stimulates thinking and breeds new thoughts. It is presented as a hobby that nurtures the mind and keeps rational thinking alive.
- Imagination and Freedom: Reading gives the reader the ability to transcend physical boundaries -- to visit distant places and to "fly without wings." It symbolizes the limitless freedom that imagination provides.
- Emotional Development: The poem highlights that reading helps develop emotional intelligence by teaching one to experience both laughter and tears through stories and literature.
- Social Responsibility: The concluding lines carry a social message -- if all children develop a reading habit, they can contribute to building a vigorous and strong society. Reading is thus linked to nation-building.
- Books as Companions (Parallel Reading): Edgar Guest's poem "Good Books" extends the theme by portraying books as the most faithful and non-judgmental friends one can have.
Literary Devices
- Metaphor: "Without wings / It lets me fly" -- Reading is compared to flying, suggesting the imaginative freedom it provides. The poet does not literally fly but experiences a soaring feeling through books.
- Metaphor: "It keeps my rational / Doors ajar" -- The mind is compared to a door. Reading keeps this door slightly open, allowing knowledge and reason to flow in.
- Personification: Reading is personified as a teacher and guide that "takes me to places," "teaches me to cackle and cry," and "lets me fly." It is given human-like abilities.
- Rhyming Words: The poem uses rhyming pairs such as "reading/breeding," "far/ajar," "cry/fly," and "read/succeed" to create a musical and rhythmic quality.
- Hyperbole: "It takes me to places / Near and far" is a slight exaggeration emphasizing the vast scope of knowledge and experience available through reading.
- Alliteration: Subtle alliteration appears in phrases like "thought breeding" and "constructing... could... children."
Poet and Tone Analysis
- The Poet (Speaker): The speaker is an enthusiastic reader who passionately advocates for reading. Through first-person narration ("My hobby," "It helps me," "It lets me fly"), the poet shares a deeply personal relationship with books and reading.
- Tone: The tone is enthusiastic, optimistic, and inspirational. The poet is not merely describing a personal habit but encouraging all children to adopt reading as a way of life.
- Shift in Perspective: The poem shifts from personal experience (first three stanzas) to a collective wish for society (final stanza), moving from "me" to "we," showing the poet's concern for the larger community.
- Edgar Guest (Parallel Reading): In "Good Books," Edgar Guest personifies books as silent, patient, loyal friends. He emphasizes that books never judge, never gossip, and remain constant companions through loneliness and illness.
Full Poem Text
My hobby is reading
It helps me
In thought breeding.
It takes me to places
Near and far,
It keeps my rational
Doors ajar.
It teaches me
To cackle and cry
Without wings
It lets me fly.
I wish
If all the children could read,
In constructing a vigorous society,
Then we shall succeed.
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Breeding | Procreation; producing or generating (here, generating thoughts) |
| Rational | Intelligence; relating to reason and logical thinking |
| Ajar | Slightly open (referring to a door that is not fully closed) |
| Cackle | An informal laugh; to laugh in a loud, high-pitched way |
| Constructing | Establishing or creating; building something |
| Vigorous | Powerful; strong and active |
| Leisure | Free time; time when one is not working |
| Fellowship | Companionship; friendly association (used in the parallel reading poem) |
| Slighted | Neglected or treated with disrespect (used in the parallel reading poem) |
| Counsel | Advice or guidance (used in the parallel reading poem) |