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Poem LeisureBy: William Henry DaviesWilliam Henry DaviesBorn in Wales in 1871A poor manWrote poems based on his experience as a tramp.Died in 1940

What is thislifeif, 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 stareCouplet 1Couplet 2Couplet 3Couplet 4Couplet 5Couplet 6Couplet 7What 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 natures beauty.It is a sad life if we cant find time to relax and appreciate the nature around us.4LEISURE

BUSY LIFEThe meaning of the poemCouplet 1What is this life if, What is the purpose of life iffull of care,full of worry (because too busy with work & problems)We have no time to stand and stare.We do not have time to pause and admire the nature around us.

..stand and stare

Couplet 2No time to stand beneath the boughs, Busy people do not have time to stand under the treesAnd stare as long as sheep or cowsJust like sheep and cows which graze in the fields. They just stand and stare at their surrounding.

..stand beneath the boughs

..stare as long as sheep or cows

Couplet 3No 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 grassCouplet 4No 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 starsLike stars at nightCouplet 5No time to turn at Beautys 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 6No 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 womans smile. The smile starts from the eyes and spreads slowly to the mouth.Couplet 7A 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.

POETIC DEVICES1. RhymeThe repetition of the same sound at the end of a line in poem.2. ImageryThe mental picture that attracts the senses

IMAGERY..streams..they can dance.smile her eyes.. IMAGERY

Streams full of stars the use of imagery creates a picture of stream sparkling in the sunlight.24LEISURE IMAGERYAnd watch her feet, how they can dance a life-like image of a graceful woman dancing

25LEISURE IMAGERYEnrich that smile her eyes began we can image someone giving a bright smile that begins with the eyes and progress to the mouth.

26LEISURE3. AlliterationThe repetition of consonant sounds in the first syllables of a series of wordsstand and starebeneath the boughswhen wood we passStreams full of stars

The poem is written in a straightforward manner and is easy to understand. The poem starts with a rhetorical question and the whole poem is the answer to that question.LANGUAGE AND STYLE

Mood and toneGenerally the mood and tone of the poem are serious and thoughtful.

The persona is very sincere as he reflects on our busy lives which prevents us from enjoying the beauty of nature and life.29LEISURE4. Rhetorical questionA question which is asked, but not expected to get an answer.5. RepetitionThe repetition of words or lines in a poem This phrase is repeated seven times to show what a busy and frantic life man leads nowadays.15. RepetitionThe repetition of words or lines in a poem Emphasises how our lives are burdened with worries25. RepetitionThe repetition of words or lines in a poem This stresses that we are so busy that we do not have any time for leisure36. MetaphorA comparison between 2 different things without using like or as7. SimileA comparison between 2 different things which uses like or as 7. SimileA comparison between 2 different things which uses like or as 8. PersonificationNon-living things are given human qualities.Beautys glance , / And watch her feet, how they can danceNature is personified as a beautiful woman who can dance and has a mesmerising smile