1) What do you understand by the term ‘Vagabond’? Ans: A "vagabond" is a person who is homeless by choice, one who wanders the world as she or he wills with complete freedom to go and do as she or he chooses. The vagabond speaking in the poem is expressing the desire for and the pleasure in having that lifestyle. 2) What does vagabond ask for in the first stanza of the poem? Ans: Generally people like a life of steadiness, security and certainty, but R. L. Stevenson likes to live the life of a vagabond. He sings the glory of aimless wandering life. The vagabond loves to live with the minimum requirements of life. What he wants are the sky above a bed in the bush, bread for food and river water to drink and nothing more. 3) What does the vagabond not wish for? Ans: The vagabond does not wish for a friend, hope, love or wealth. 4) What does the poet say about autumn and winter? Ans:The poet has vividly described the autumn and winter in the poem Vagabond. In autumn the field looks barren. The leaves have fallen off the tree. The birds are no longer seen singing on the trees. The cold is so severe in the winter that blood almost freezes and the finger looks blue. The fields are covered with snow. The fireside is the only place which can give warmth and relief to the vagabond. 5) Why has the poet repeated some of the lines? Ans:The poet has repeated some of the lines in order to emphasize the intense feelings of the vagabond. It also shows the poet's strong desires to lead a carefree life, without fearing neither death nor the severe weather conditions. He stresses on the wish of the vagabond that he does not want wealth, hope or friend , but he only wants to roam on the roads before him under the sky full of stars.
6) How does the poet lead his life during winter?
Ans: During the winter there is no change in the poet's lifestyle, he also roams in the frosty fields; which makes the blood almost freeze and the finger looks blue. He eats whatever food he gets from the frosty fields. He keeps himself warm with the help of someone else’s fire and continues with his everlasting journey without yielding to winter.
7) Why does the poet choose to be a vagabond?
Ans: The poet chooses to be a vagabond because he has unlimited independence and has not tied to any limitation. It is his care free life, without any aim or worries that makes him feel happy as a vagabond.
8) Give the central idea of the poem.
Ans: The central idea of the poem is that the vagabond wants to live a kind of life where he is totally free. He does not mind eating dry bread dipped in water from the river when he is hungry. He is not afraid of death or whatever happens to him, all he wants is the road before him and the heaven above him. He is not afraid of the cold wind which silences the birds on the trees or which gives him cold blue fingers. He does not want to detach himself from nature since he loves nature more than a friend. 9) What does he not fear? Ans: The vagabond does not fear the autumn which signifies the beginning of our old age, nor does he fear the autumn winds which silences the birds on the tree and give him blue fingers. He does not fear the hardship of life outdoors, all he wants is a road below him and a heaven above him. He does not fear the time of his death. 10) How does he want to spend his life? Ans: He wants to spend his life in the midst of nature. He wants to live his life on the road, sleeping outside in the bushes with the sky as his covering, swimming in the river. He does not want wealth or friends but he wants a road and the heaven above. He emphasizes an independent life outdoors.
