The Swing: NCERT Class 4 English Poem (Santoor Chapter 10)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

Almost every child loves a swing. In this classic poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, children can feel the thrill of going up, seeing far away, and coming down again.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 4, unit “Up High”. Chapter 10.

What your child learns

Words for the countryside: rivers, cattle, garden
Rhyming words: swing and thing, wall and all
Words that can be both naming and action words (swing, play)
Reciting a poem with actions

What the poem is about

The poem is about a child on a swing. The child asks if we like going up in a swing and says it is the most pleasant thing a child can do. As the swing goes up over the wall, the child can see far across the countryside: rivers, trees and cattle.

Looking down, the child sees the green garden and the brown roof, and then flies up and down again. The feeling of the poem is pure joy and freedom, like flying in the open air.

New words, with Hindi meanings

swing: a seat that hangs on ropes and moves back and forth (हिंदी: झूला)
pleasantest: the most enjoyable (हिंदी: सबसे अच्छा, सबसे सुखद)
wall: a side of a building or a fence made of bricks (हिंदी: दीवार)
wide: far and broad (हिंदी: दूर-दूर तक)
cattle: cows and bulls (हिंदी: मवेशी)
countryside: land outside towns, with fields and villages (हिंदी: गाँव का इलाक़ा)
roof: the top cover of a house (हिंदी: छत)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What does the child see when the swing goes over the wall?
How does the child feel about swinging?
What colours does the child see when looking down?
Where have you seen a swing, and what would you like to see from it?

Answers for parents

Rivers, trees, cattle and the countryside.
The child thinks it is the most pleasant thing a child can do.
The green garden and the brown roof.
For example: I have seen a swing in the park. From it I would like to see the whole village.

Grammar corner: One word as naming word and action word

Some words can name a thing and also show an action. In 'I swing on a swing', the first swing is an action and the second is a thing. Look at where the word sits in the sentence.

We swing high in the garden. (action)
The swing is tied to a big tree. (thing)
I play on the swing; we watched a play. (action, thing)

Practice at home

Find the rhyming word: wall - ___ (all / wide)
Is 'swing' a thing or an action here: 'The swing is red.'
Fill in the blank: Up in the air so ___. (blue / green)

Answers: 1. all · 2. A thing (naming word) · 3. blue

Try this

Recite the poem while 'swinging'. Stand up and sway forward and back with your arms, going higher on 'up' and lower on 'down'. Then lie on the floor and pretend to look down from a swing: say three things you would see, like a roof, a tree or a cow.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi, 'Jhoole par baith kar kya dikhta hai?' Let your child answer in Hindi, then help them say, 'I can see trees and a roof.' It is fine if they mix words like 'jhoola' and 'swing'; praise them for speaking.

Questions parents ask

Who wrote the poem The Swing?

The Swing was written by Robert Louis Stevenson.

What is the poem The Swing about?

A child enjoys swinging high, seeing rivers, trees, cattle and the countryside, and then the garden and roof below.

Which words rhyme in The Swing?

Swing and thing, blue and do, wall and all, wide and countryside, brown and down.

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Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

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