"I would like to be a watchman, walking on the street all night long, carrying a lantern to chase shadows." It means that I would like to be a watchman, when night falls, when everyone else has fallen asleep At that time, I held the lantern and happily followed the shadow of the lantern to tell the time for everyone in the streets and alleys. This poem comes from Rabindranath Tagore's "Profession". The full poem is as follows:
Poem title "Profession"
Author: Tagore
Full poem:
In the morning, when the clock struck ten,
I walked along our alley to the school.
Every day I meet that hawker,
He shouts: "Bracelets, shiny bracelets!"
He has nothing to do in a hurry,
There is no street that he must walk on,
there is no place that he must go to,
there is no prescribed time when he must go home.
I wish I was a hawker,
living on the street,
crying: "Bracelets, shiny bracelets!"
< p>At four o'clock in the afternoon, I came home from school.From the door of a house, I saw a gardener digging in the ground.
He used his hoe to dig wherever he wanted.
His clothes were stained by the dust.
If he gets tanned by the sun or gets wet,
no one scolds him.
I would like to be a gardener,
dig the ground in the garden, and no one can stop me.
As soon as it got dark, my mother sent me to bed.
From the open window, I saw the watchman walking around.
The alley is dark and deserted, and the street lamp stands there,
like a giant with a red eye on its head.
The watchman shook his lantern and walked with the shadow beside him.
He had never gone to bed once in his life.
I wish I were a watchman,
walking on the street all night long, holding up a lantern to chase shadows.
Extended information:
"I would like to be a watchman, walking on the street all night, holding a lamp to chase shadows." This poem comes from Rabindranath Tagore's "Occupation", It is the last sentence of the poem "Professional". This poem looks at various professions from a child's perspective, cultivating children from an early age to love life, be dedicated, discover beauty in ordinary work, and create value. In terms of career outlook, Tagore believes that there is no distinction between high and low job positions, only willingness and willingness to bring people joy and good experience. Educate children to choose careers that are free, happy, passionate and can contribute to people.
The occupations mentioned in this poem, hawkers, gardeners, and watchmen, are all menial jobs in the eyes of ordinary people, and they cannot be happy at work. But in Tagore’s poems, The hawker can go wherever he wants and arrange his time as he pleases. Such freedom is enviable. The gardener soils his clothes but no one scolds him. What a joy it is. The watchman chases the light every night. The shadow tells everyone the time, how romantic. Every profession is equal, there is no hierarchy.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - "Profession (Tagore's Poems)"