ENGLISH: CHAPTER 6

LEISURE
Questions with Answers
# Q1. Why does the speaker feel that we have no time to stand and stare?
A1. In the poem, ‘Leisure’, the poet laments that people in the modern life are very busy and
stressed out and they do not have the time to pay attention to their surroundings and enjoy the

beauty of nature.

# Q2. According to the speaker, what are the simple delights that we miss out in our busy
life?
A2. There are many simple delights which we miss out in our daily lives as mentioned in the poem.
Some of them are standing beneath a bough placidly for long hours like a sheep or cow, taking
glimpse of a squirrel hiding a nut in the grass, star grazing at night, wondering at the sparkling
streams or taking a glance at a beautiful village girl dancing happily on her feet.

# Q3. Why does the word ‘Beauty’ begin with a capital letter?
A3. The word ‘Beauty’ begins with a capital letter to indicate the beauty of nature in its various
forms.

# Q4. What does the phrase ‘no time’ mean? Why do you think the speaker has repeated
this phrase in the poem?
A4. The phrase ‘no time’ means unable to spend time. The phrase has been repeatedly used to
emphasize the fact that we have no time to pay attention to our surroundings and enjoy the
beauty of nature around us.

# Q5. According to you, what is the poem’s main message?

A5. The poet wants to convey the message that true happiness of life lies in being one with nature
and not in deriving pleasure from the artificial and materialistic things in life.

# Q6. Why do you think the poem is titled as Leisure?

A6. The poem is titled Leisure meaning relaxation and enjoyment, because the poet wants to
emphasize that one should enjoy life by paying attention to the beauty of nature around them.

Q7. Answer the questions with reference to the context

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
and stare as long as sheep or cows.

A7.

a) What does “full of care” mean? a) “Full of care” here in the poem means that
life is full of responsibilities.
b) Who is the “we”? b) “We” here means the general public , i.e.
all the readers of this poem along with
poet himself.
c) Why does the speaker think we have no time c) The poet expresses his feeling of modern
to stand beneath the boughs? What do you life which is fast moving where everybody
understand by boughs? is always in a hurry. None therefore have
time to pay attention to their surroundings

or stand beneath the boughs.

By “boughs” we understand branches of
trees.

Contd ... Pg (2)

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Q8. Answer the questions with reference to the context

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 skies at night.

A8.

a) Why do you think the speaker has added the
adjective “broad” to the word “daylight”?
b) What does the speaker mean by streams that
are full of stars? Why does he compare the
stream with the sky at night?
a) By using the adjective broad to the word
daylight the speaker meant that the
sunlight had flooded strongly over a vast
area.
b) The broad daylight which had fallen on the
streams, made the water sparkles like
stars.
The sparkling water of stream looks like
sparkling stars in a night sky. So the poet
compared the stream to a night sky.

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 ENGLISH: CHAPTER 6
LEISURE
Questions
a) What does “full of care” mean?
b) Who is the “we”?
c) Why does the speaker think we have no time to stand beneath the boughs? What do you
understand by boughs?
a) Why do you think the speaker has added the adjective “broad” to the word “daylight”?
b) What does the speaker mean by streams that are full of stars? Why does he compare the
stream with the sky at night?
# Q1. Why does the speaker feel that we have no time to stand and stare?

# Q2. According to the speaker, what are the simple delights that we miss out in our busy
life?

# Q3. Why does the word ‘Beauty’ begin with a capital letter?

# Q4. What does the phrase ‘no time’ mean? Why do you think the speaker has repeated
this phrase in the poem?

# Q5. According to you, what is the poem’s main message?

# Q6. Why do you think the poem is titled as Leisure?

Q7. Answer the questions with reference to the context

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
and stare as long as sheep or cows.

Q8. Answer the questions with reference to the context

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 skies at night.

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