Leisure (poem) by William Henry Davies

Leisure (poem) by William H Davies: Summary, explanation, meaning, analysis, question and answers.

Although written simply, this is a very popular poem, and even those who read it a few decades back still recollect the poem because they can relate to it.

Leisure: Complete Poem

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.

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.

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

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

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

Meaning

• Full of care: Full of anxieties, worries, tension
• Stare: Look/see
• Beneath: Under the tree
• Boughs: Branches
• Wood: Forests / Trees
• Streams: Rivers/Brooks
• Stream full of stars: Sun’s reflection looks like stars

Summary of the poem ‘Leisure’

In the poem ‘Leisure’, the poet William Davies laments about how fast life has become and how people have no time to take a pause and appreciate the natural beauty around them.

People are so busy that they are unable to spare a few moments to stand under the shade of trees and watch the world go by. Even the sheep and cows are better off in this regard.

When we pass through the woods, we do not observe the different kinds of trees, the natural beauty, and small animals like squirrels hiding nuts in the grass.

During the daytime, the sun rays fall on the water (of the stream) and shine like stars, but humans fail to notice such things.

Natural beauty is all around us, personified as a young beautiful dancing girl with a smiling face. But we have no time to look at it and appreciate its beauty.

The poet says that humans are living a poor life with no time to look and appreciate nature and its natural beauty.

Academic Questions

Question: Search a poem based on Nature and write it in your scrapbook. Based on the poem, write a summary of it in your own words.

Answer: In the poem Leisure, the poet says that people today have become very busy and have no time to stop for a moment and see the nature around, to pause for a moment, and to see the beautiful things around us.

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