I feel that the boy from the poem is either anti-social or has a mental instability which makes him unwilling to go play. Firstly, as quoted from the poem

“ Back against the wall he stays –
And never plays. “

He doesn’t leave the comfort the wall gives him. Even though he is bored, he still doesn’t leave the wall. And while all the children in the playground are playing and having fun, he just leans against the wall and watches them. Which makes me think that actually there is a part in him that wants to go and play with the rest, but yet there is something that is holding him back. It may be that in the past, he was bullied by someone in the playground, which has lead him to feel reluctant in playing at the playground. Therefore I think that he has a bad that has made him a loner.


About the other children in the playground, I feel that they do not dare step out of their comfort zone, or that they feel daunted by the boy’s aloneness. If they see a boy all by himself not playing, they should not play their own games and whisper or gossip about him.

“ We pass him running, skipping, walking,

In slow huddled groups, low talking. “
Furthermore, they shouldn’t ignore him.

“ We pass him by and never speak, “

Which tells us that the children never went to talk to the boy, and tried to talk to him. Though it could be that they were intimidated by him, when they see him bored, shouldn’t they be able to tell that he wants to play? Therefore I feel that the children like to keep in their own cliques and do not dare to extend a hand to those whom they are unfamiliar with.

{/7:14 PM}

Typed by Faith

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