"My Shadow" by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

My Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

 

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.

 

He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;

I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

 

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.

Poem Video👇

https://youtu.be/Gv44dDC8B0M

Who wrote the poem "My Shadow"?

Robert Louis Stevenson 

(November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894)

Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet, and travel writer. From an early age, Stevenson suffered from serious bronchial illnesses. Despite his poor health, Stevenson continued to write prolifically and travelled widely. His best known works include “Treasure Island” and “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” He gained great literary fame based on his profound ideas and catchy writing style.

"My Shadow" explanation

In the poem, the speaker (a child) finds great joy in the company of his own shadow. The child is amazed to see how his shadow follows him everywhere and grows taller, smaller, and sometimes invisible. In his innocent imagination, the child thinks his shadow is a coward, afraid of being alone. One day when he wakes up before the sunrise, he cannot find his shadow around him, and assumes that the shadow must still be sleeping. Through an innocent child’s curious and imaginative perspective on such ordinary things as his own shadow, the poem invites the reader to share the excitement of the child.