Poem – LeisureBy: William Henry Davies

William Henry Davies• Born in Wales in 1871• A poor man• Wrote poems based on

his experience as a tramp.

• Died in 1940

What is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughsAnd stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like stars at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth canEnrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare

Couplet 1

Couplet 2

Couplet 3

Couplet 4

Couplet 5

Couplet 6

Couplet 7

What is the poem about?

• Reminds us to take time to appreciate the beauty of nature & be thankful to God for all His creations.

• HOWEVER, if we are too busy with our daily life & worry too much, WE FORGET to watch & admire nature’s beauty.

• It is a sad life if we can’t find time to relax and appreciate the nature around us.

BUSY LIFE

The meaning of the poem

Stanza 1

What is this life if, full of care,

What is the purpose of life if full of worry (because too busy with work & problems)

Stanza 1

We have no time to stand and stare.

We do not have time to pause and admire the nature around us.

Stanza 2

No time to stand beneath the boughs,

Busy people do not have time to stand under the trees

Stanza 2

And stare as long as sheep or cows

Just like sheep and cows which graze in the fields. They just stand and stare at their surrounding.

Stanza 3

No time to see, when woods we pass,Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

Busy people do not see squirrels hide their nuts in grass when they pass through the forests.

..woods we pass

..squirrels hide their nuts in grass

Stanza 4

No time to see, in broad daylight,Streams full of stars, like stars at night.

Rivers sparkle in the sunlight. In the day, the rivers look like stars at night. But, busy people do not have time to see this.

Streams full of stars Like stars at night

Stanza 5No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,And watch her feet, how they can dance.Nature is personified as a beautiful woman who is glancing and dancing. When a woman glance or dance, she will move parts of her body. When nature changes, it is like a beautiful dancer. Busy people do not have time to admire the changes (movement) of nature.

Couplet 6

No time to wait till her mouth canEnrich that smile her eyes began.

Busy people do not have time to watch the changes in nature. When nature changes, it is like a smile that starts from the eyes and spreads slowly to the mouth.

When nature changes, it is like a woman’s smile. The smile starts from the eyes and spreads slowly to the mouth.

Stanza 7

A poor life this if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.It is a sad life if we do not have leisure time.

PoeticDevices

1. Rhyme

• The repetition of the same sound at the end of a line in poem.

What is this life if, full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.

2. Imagery

• The mental picture that attracts the senses

No time to stand beneath the boughs

3. Alliteration

• The repetition of consonant sounds in the first syllables of a series of words

stand and stare.

4. Rhetorical question

• A question which is asked, but not expected to get an answer.

What is this life if, full of care,

5. Repetition

• The repetition of words or lines in a poem

No time to see, when woods we pass,No time to see, in broad daylight,

6. Metaphor

• A comparison between 2 different things without using ‘like’ or ‘as’

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

7. Simile

• A comparison between 2 different things which uses ‘like’ or ‘as’

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

8. Personification

• Inhuman things are given human qualities.

And watch her feet, how they can dance.