NCERT Chapter Summary: The Shed (Poem)

There is a shed at the bottom of the poet’s garden and the poet wishes to visit it one day. There is a spider’s web on the door of the shed and its hinges are rusty and creak when the wind blows.

The poet often thinks about it while lying in his bed. On one side of the shed, there is a dusty window and three of its window panes are broken. The poet feels as if someone stares at him through the window and whenever the poet visit the shed he would like to find out who lives there.

The poet’s brother informs him that a ghost lives inside the shed and if the poet dares to enter the shed, the ghost would chop off his head. Despite these warnings, the poet believes that his brother tells him imaginative stories about the ghost as he wants to keep the shed for himself. The poet no longer feels anyone staring at him or hears any strange noises coming from the shed. The spider, too, is no longer there. Thus, very soon he should go inside the shed.

Stanza 1

There’s 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

Explanation: At the bottom of the garden, there is a shed. Hardly anybody goes inside the shed, therefore, the hinges or the door joints have become rusty and make a lot of noise whenever the wind makes them move. When the poet is peacefully lying in the bed, he sometimes hears noised from the shed. The poet wished to be able to open the door of the shed some day.

Stanza 2

There’s 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.

Explanation: The shed has a dusty old window on its side. Three glass panes of the window are broken. Whenever, the poet passes through the shed, he gets the feeling as if someone was staring at him. To find out, the poet wishes to peep inside the shed.

Stanza 3

My brother says there’s 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.

Explanation: The poet’s brother talks about the presence of the ghost inside the shed and warns the poet that if he went inside the shed, the ghost would chop off his head. However, this does not much frighten the poet. He still wished to one day step inside the shed and see for himself.

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 _______

Explanation: The poet is able to overcome his fears. He is able to understand that there is no ghost inside the shed. He understands that there is actually nobody inside the shed, who stares at him or makes those strange noises. The spider, too, is no longer there. His brother had been telling him lies because he wanted to retain the shed for his own self. Therefore, very soon the poet would be able to set in foot inside the shed. However, he says that this can’t happen immediately.

Class 07 English