Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Poem 7 The Shed by Frank Flynn.
The Shed by Frank Flynn
About the Poem
The poem “The Shed” is composed by Frank Flynn, a Northern Territory-based Australian doctor, author and missionary priest. He was born on 6thDecember 1906 in Sydney, Australia and passed away on 29thJuly 2000.
The speaker of this poem is the poet Frank Flynn. In this poem the poet has used the literary devices like alliteration and imagery. He has also personified ghost and spider’s-web.
Stanza-1
There’s a shed at the bottom of our garden
With a spider’s web hanging across the door,
The hinges are rusty and creak in the wind.
When I’m in bed I lie and I listen,
I’ll open that door one day.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shed | an outbuilding with a single story; used for shelter or storage. |
| Bottom | lower part |
| spider’s web | cobweb |
| Across | from one side to the other of (a place, area, etc.). |
| Hinges | Joints (a movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes or which connects linked objects.) |
| Rusty | old and having rust (of a metal object) affected by rust. |
| Creak | make a sharp sound/ (of an object or structure, typically a wooden one) make a harsh, high-pitched sound when being moved or when pressure or weight is applied. |
Stanza-2
There’s a dusty old window around at the side
With three cracked panes of glass,
I often think there’s someone staring at me
Each time that I pass,
I’ll peep through that window one day.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dusty: covered with dust | Dusty: covered with dust |
| Cracked: broken, damaged | Cracked: broken, damaged |
| Panes of glass: sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors | Panes of glass: sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors |
| Staring: look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one’s eyes wide open. | Staring: look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one’s eyes wide open. |
Stanza-3
My brother says there’s a ghost in the shed
Who hides under the rotten floorboards,
And if I ever dare to set foot inside
He’ll jump out and chop off my head,
But I’ll take a peek one day.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ghost | spirit |
| Shed | storehouse |
| Hides | a covered place |
| Floorboards | one of the long, straight pieces of wood used to make a floor |
| Chop off | cut, behead/ to cut off part of something with a sharp tool |
| Peek | a secret look, look quickly or furtively |
Stanza-4
I know that there isn’t really a ghost,
My brother tells lies to keep the shed for his den;
There isn’t anyone staring or making strange noises
And the spider has been gone from his web
since I don’t know when,
I’ll go into that shed one day soon,
But not just yet…
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Den | a place to hide/ a room that is comfortable and secluded |
| Staring | look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought. |
Thinking About the Poem
Answer the following questions.
(i) Who is the speaker in the poem?
Ans: The speaker in the poem seems to be a little boy who talks about a shed, which is at the bottom of his garden.
(ii) Is she/he afraid or curious, or both?
Ans: He/she is both afraid and curious. Whenever he passes by the window of the shed, he feels that somebody is staring at him. This suggests that he is afraid to go inside. However, after describing each part of the shed with its strange sounds and other descriptions, he says that he would go inside the shed one day. This shows his curiosity.
(iii) What is she/he planning to do soon?
Ans: She/he is planning to go inside the shed soon.
(iv) “But not just yet…” suggests doubt, fear, hesitation, laziness or something else. Choose the word which seems right to you. Tell others why you chose it.
Ans: “But not just yet…” suggests the speaker’s hesitation. He is confident that there is no ghost in the shed and that the stories of ghosts that his brother makes up are all lies. However, there is some fear inside him as he still cannot muster enough courage to set foot inside the shed.
