About the Poet
William Henry Davies (3 July 1871 – 26 September 1940) was a Welsh poet and
writer. Davies spent a
significant part of his life as a tramp or hobo, in the United Kingdom and
United States, but became one of the most popular poets of his time. “The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp” and "Leisure" are his notable works.
Leisure
This poem is a criticism on a busy life
of modern man. The poet has used examples from our daily life to make his point
of view clearly and significantly easy to understand by us. The poem expresses
poet’s feelings on a needless dedication of man for worldly affairs. The poet
says that this life has no use, if we don't get time to see the beauty spread
all around us.
WHAT is this
life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to
stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see,
when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see,
in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn
at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait
till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
Summary
The poem is a rhymed flow of repeated words "No time" which create a sweet impression. The poet puts a question at the start of the poem. He asks what can be the use of life, if it is full of worries and anxieties. This life is miserable, if we fail to get time for leisure. The poem depicts that we are always tackling with the problems in life without noticing the beautiful things around us. We have no time to stand and watch beautiful objects that nature has made for us.
We have no time to stand under the trees like buffaloes and cows do. We
have no time to see the beautiful birds, animals, trees, and flowers around
when we pass through the woods. We ignore the little squirrel hiding its nuts
in grass. We just walk hurriedly absorbed in our business.
The streams of clear water create beautiful scene reflecting the
sunshine. They just look like a starry sky at night. The poet has used a simile
to compare the beauty of streams with that of a starry night. All this is
ignored because we cannot get time to see all this. Then, the poet uses
personification for the beauty and says that we miss its dance. In fact, we are
deprived of such pleasant sights due to lack of time.
The poet mourns over our harsh attitude towards nature and natural
things. We have become machines and have no emotions left in us. We have become
mechanical and formal. We are running after the money and fame but the real
life exists in nature. We should spare some time to watch the beautiful things
spread around us.
A poet says: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”.
Question#1:
Does the poet really believe that the streams are full of stars?
Question#2:
What is meant by the phrase “Beauty’s glance”?
Question#3:
What message is there in the last two lines?
Question#4:
Briefly answer the following questions. or What is the significance of the
title of the poem “Leisure”?
Question#5:
How does the poet compare men with animals?
Questions and Answers
Question#1:
Does the poet really believe that the streams are full of stars?
The poet observes that there are
stars in the streams. This refers to the reflection of the stars in the clear
water of the streams.
Question#2:
What is meant by the phrase “Beauty’s glance”?
In this phrase, Beauty means a
beautiful maiden. By Beauty’s glance, the poet suggests that her looks are
fascinating.
Question#3:
What message is there in the last two lines?
The poet feels sorry for the
modern man whose life is full of worries and cares. He does not have time to
see the beautiful things around him
Question#4:
Briefly answer the following questions. or What is the significance of the
title of the poem “Leisure”?
The title of the poem suggests
that modern man is too busy. He needs some leisure time to relax and enjoy the
beautiful things around.
Question#5:
How does the poet compare men with animals?
The poet observes that animals
lead better life than human beings. Unlike men, the animals have plenty of time
to see the beauty of nature.
Compiled By:
Prof. Muhammad Qasim
Head of Department
Punjab Group of Colleges Sambrial
Contact: 0334-8073431
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