Poem Leisure

By: 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 thislifeif, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

Couplet 1

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

Couplet 2

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

Couplet 3

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like stars at night.

Couplet 4

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

Couplet 5

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

Couplet 6

A poor life this is if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare

Couplet 7

What is the poem about?

Reminds us to take time to appreciate the

beauty of nature & be thankful to God.

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.

BUSY LIFE

The meaning of
the poem

Couplet 1
What is this life if,
What is the purpose of life if
full 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 2
No time to stand beneath the
boughs,
Busy people do not have time to
stand under the trees
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.

..stand
beneath the
boughs

..stare as long as sheep or cows

Couplet 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

Couplet 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

Couplet 5
No 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 glances or dances,
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 can
Enrich 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 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.

Poetic Devices

1. Rhyme

The

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

2. Imagery

The

mental picture
that attracts the
senses

3. Alliteration
The

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

4. Rhetorical question
A

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

5. Repetition

The

repetition of
words or lines in a
poem

6. Metaphor
A

comparison between
2 different things
without using like or
as

7. Simile
A

comparison between
2 different things
which uses like or
as

8. Personification

Non-living

things are
given human
qualities.