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FORM 3

Poem ; ` LEISURE’ By William Henry Davies

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 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 can Enrich that smile her eyes began.

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

William Henry Davies

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Elements Of The Poem : `LEISURE ’ By William Henry Davies SETTING

The English countryside where there are farms with sheep and cows. There are woods

with wild animals like squirrels. There are streams. There is no specific time mentioned and can

be both past and present.

PERSONA

The persona could be the poet himself. In the poem, the persona thinks and wonders

about life. He believes that life should be enjoyed at a slower pace. He loves outdoor and nature

and he wants everybody to think about their life too.

LEISURE : SYNOPSIS

In the poem Leisure the persona talks about taking time to look around and notice the

beauty of little things around us. What good is life if we do not take time to stand or look at what

is happening around us? Life should not be busy all the time. We should slow down and look at

nature and appreciate it. We should take advantage of the little time we have in life and pay

attention to the little things.

THEME 1. The importance of leisure

The title itself is the main theme of the poem. The poet says that a life without leisure is

a great loss. The phrase no time is repeated throughout the poem. This is to emphasize how

important it is to find time to enjoy the beauty around us. The poem encourages us to put aside

our worries and busy schedules for a while and to take a break. We should do nothing and look

at what is happening around us.

2. Managing our time

The poem describes us needing to manage our time better. We need to find time where

can put aside work and worries to stop and relax. If we manage our time well, we will have

leisure which will benefit us.

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3. Appreciating nature

According to the poem, nature has many wonders and mysteries. We should marvel at

such sparkling streams an the squirrel hiding its nuts. Finding time to appreciate nature will help

us to relax. It helps us to lead better life.

MESSAGE 1. Take a break

Life can get very busy. We might be so full of care that we do not notice what is

happening around us. We need to slow down and enjoy life. Look at the beauty around us and

take time to smile at people. Then we will have a happy life.

2. Manage your time well

We need to manage our time. Being our own time manager we can find some free time.

If we do not handle our time well, we will not get a break and enjoy simple joys of life. Having no

time for leisure will make us unhealthy and unhappy.

3. Enjoy nature

Nature is beautiful. Like the sheep and cows, we should spend time enjoying the beauty

and wonders of our natural surroundings. We should not rush around and miss out on simple

joy os seing beautiful trees, sparkling streams and clever animals.

MORAL VALUES

1. We should be grateful for life and treasure life and do not let it pass us by.

2. We need to love and appreciate nature.

3. Everything we see, touch, smell and hear make our life beautiful

4. We should use leisure creatively to strengthen our minds and hearts.

5. We should practice moderation by not spending all our time working and worrying about

our problems. We need to balance our lives with leisure and enjoyment.

6. Life is transient and what we have today may disappear tomorrow, so appreciate what

we have today.

7. We should take care of ourselves and take a break from our busy schedule.

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TONE AND MOOD

The persona sounds thoughtful and questioning. The tone is conversational,

contemplative and reflective. The persona feels that people have become too absorbed in their

work that they have no time to relax. He also reminds and warns us if we are too busy rushing

around an too full of our own problems to take a break, we will not be happy. The mood is one

of regret at a life that is so full of care that we do not know how to relax or stand and stare. The

persona regrets that our busy life prevents us from enjoying the simple joys and pleasure of

leisure. The persona is also giving advice on ways to enjoy simple pleasures of life.

FIGURATIVE MEANING (symbolic)

Life should not be about working that we have no time to relax and enjoy the beauty of

nature. We are so caught up with our work routine and mundane schedule that we do not know

how to break away. We should slow down and take a look at things around us because life goes

by fast and we on not want to miss a thing. Sometimes, the mind should be free from work

related stress so that we can enjoy the beauty of the little pleasures of life. We all get so caught

up in the ways of the world that we become emotionally blind to what is actually going on. We

focus so much on the things that bring us trouble and not enough time on what makes us

happy. Life becomes meaningless if we do not learn to set aside time for ourselves and our

families.

LITERAL MEANING (factual)

The poet says that life should not be so full of work that we have no time to relax. We

should take time to stand underneath a tree and look at the surroundings. When we pass the

woods, look out for small creatures as they run in and out of the grass. Take time to look at how

the water glimmers in the sunlight. If we take time to look at the beauty of nature, we will realize

how much we are missing. Life is poor emotionally if we do not have time to look at and enjoy

our surroundings.

PARAPHRASE OF THE POEM : LEISURE

„Leisure’ is a simple yet beautiful and thought provoking poem written by

William Henry Davies (W. H. Davies). In this poem, the poet wonders whether it is worth

leading a life which provides one with no time for leisure. The poem „Leisure‟ is divided

into seven rhyming couplets.

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Couplet 1:

The poet, W. H. Davies, begins by questioning the purpose of a life which is so full of worry that it does not allow us any time to simply stand still and watch the world go by. In the next few couplets, he describes the various things that people are not able to do due to lack of leisure. Couplet 2:

Sheep and cows can often be seen standing still in vast open fields and staring into a distance. People living a busy life would not possess the leisure to stand under the branches of trees and keep gazing on and on like such ruminants. Couplet 3:

W. H. Davies further adds that when such people pass a forest or a woodland, they would be in too much of a hurry to notice the nooks and crannies in the grass where squirrels conceal their nuts. They would not possess the leisure to notice the various aspects of the natural world around them.

Couplet 4:

In daylight, streams appear to be sparkling under the effect of sunshine making it seem as if the streams are full of stars like the night sky. However, such beauties of nature are likely to be missed by people overburdened by anxiety and living a life of haste without any leisure, remarks W.H. Davies.

Couplets 5 and 6:

There are two ways of looking at the fifth and sixth couplets of the poem: literally and metaphorically. Looking at it literally- The poet states that the rush of life provides people with no leisure to turn at the glance of a beautiful maiden and marvel at her dancing feet. They are unable to leisurely observe her as her mouth shapes out a smile that started from her eyes. Looking at it metaphorically- W.H. Davies has personified the beauty of the world around us which many often fail to observe due to a lack of leisure. The dancing feet and enchanting smile refers to various aspects of the beauty around us.

Couplet 7:

In the final couplet of the poem, Davies states that a life which is so bogged down by worry that it allows one no time for leisure is indeed a miserable life. If you read the first couplet of „Leisure‟ carefully, you will notice that although it ends with a full stop, (and is hence in the form of a statement) it can also be interpreted as a question asked by the poet. In that case, the final couplet can be seen as W. H. Davies‟ answer to his own question.

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MODEL QUESTION

PAPER 2 - SECTION B : LITERATURE COMPONENT Read the poem `Leisure’ and answer the questions that follow. SET 1

1. Name two things that the persona says people have “no time‟ to do.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ (2 marks)

2.. What does the word „woods‟ refer to? _____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

SET 2

1. What do cows and sheep do in the field?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark) 2. Give two benefits of taking the time to stand and stare.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ (2 marks)

SET 3

1. What does the phrase “full of care” means?

_______________________________________________________________ (2 marks) 2. Which phrase in the poem means “life is meaningless”?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

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SET 4

1. Why are the streams full of stars?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark) 2. Why is it important to have leisure in life? _______________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

SET 5

1. What is nature compared to?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

2. What does the persona keep asking us to do?

_______________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

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A Fighter’s Lines

by Marzuki Ali

I am old and worn

and have lost all my strength

sufferings

and the history of the fight for independence

have forced sacrifices

that know no name

or life

from the wheelchair of the rest of my days

I, body and energy crushed

see and cannot do much

these times are too big a challenge

for the remnants of my crippled years

the net of deceit spread everywhere

disturbs me.

In the name of justice

Wake up and form ranks sons of our ancestor

Be brave

And erect a wall of people

Stand up heirs of our freedom

I have no more voice

It is you now who should speak!

Poem: „ A Fighter’s Lines ‘ by Marzuki Ali

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Elements Of The Poem : `A Fighter’s Lines’ by Marzuki Ali

Synopsis of the poem

The persona in the poem is an old soldier. He is tired as he is old and weak. He and his

people suffered in the past in their fight for freedom of their country and they made many

sacrifices. People lost their lives and some remain nameless or unknown.

The persona, who believes that he will be in the wheelchair for the rest his life says he can

only watch the happenings around him. Physically, he is helpless and he has no energy left. He

was either seriously injured when he was a soldier or is very ill. He finds that times have

changed and being a crippled man, it is too challenging for him to fight the injustice he sees

around him. He is troubled by many lies being told everywhere.

Being highly spirited, he calls on the younger generation to wake up and fight on. They have

to realize that they have to form lines or ranks irrespective of racial, religious and social

differences to fight courageously for justice. He wants the young people who inherited the

country's freedom to be united and denounce lies which may threaten the country.

The persona feels helpless that he is not heard. He urges the younger generation to fight or

speak up for what is right because it is now their turn to do so.

The Setting

The poem is set after independence. The persona feels that the independence he has

struggled for is now threatened by subversive elements.

Tone and mood

In the first stanza, the tone indicates that the persona is sad and weary because he is old

and weak. The persona is also melancholic, reflecting on his past sacrifices he made for the

country's independence.

In the second stanza, the persona voices his helplessness, anger and contempt because his

country is facing threats.

The tone used in the third stanza is serious and demanding. The persona urges the present

generation to form a united front to uphold the freedom that he and many others has fought for.

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The persona ends by insisting that the younger generation continues to fight against injustice

because he can no longer do so.

Themes

1. Patriotism

Patriotism is one of the themes of this poem. The people in this country have made a lot of

sacrifices to fight for their freedom. They have achieved independence but now there are other

threats such as deceit. This affects the country's safety. The persona calls on the younger

generation to fight for justice and to speak up against deceit.

2. Being courageous

Another theme is being courageous. In the past, people made many sacrifices and fought

bravely with the country's enemies for their freedom. Now, the persona urges the younger

generation to be brave and fight against other threats in the country. He tells them to stand up

and speak with courage.

3. Unity

In the past, people were united when they fought for independence. Now, the persona

emphasizes that the younger generation who has inherited a free country should unite to

preserve their freedom. They should stand united by building a wall of people or forming ranks

irrespective of racial, religious and other social differences. The "lines" in the poem, A Fighter's

Lines refer to the persona's lines and the lines or ranks formed for unity. We have to be united

and strong as in the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall".

Values

1. We must be brave to uphold justice.

The persona urges the younger generation to stand up against the widespread lies which

are rampant in society today. This 'net of deceit' worries his as it can destroy the solidarity of the

people. Therefore, he urges them to stand united and uphold justice to preserve the freedom

and safety of the country.

2. We must be willing to make sacrifices to preserve our independence.

In the fight for independence, the persona and other soldiers sacrificed and risked their lives

when they fought for independence. Now, he is wheelchair-bound because he was either

crippled in the war or is now old and sick. Now, he wants the younger generation to make

sacrifices too to preserve their freedom.

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3. We must be united to preserve our freedom.

The persona wants the younger generation to stand united regardless of their differences to

ensure their freedom.

MODEL QUESTION

PAPER 2 - SECTION B : LITERATURE COMPONENT Read the poem ` A Fighter’s Lines’ and answer the questions that follow. SET 1 1. What do you think the persona‟s job was?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

2. What disturbs the persona now?

_______________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

SET 2 1. Why do you think the persona has lost all his strength?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

2. Give 2 phrases to indicate that the persona is old and weak.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________ (2 marks)

SET 3

1. What is the tone in stanza 1?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

2. The phrase “remnants of my crippled years” shows that

____________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

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SET 4

1. Give one thing that the poet had to do when he was young?

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark) 2. Give 2 messages that the poet wants to convey. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ (2 marks)

SET 5 1. Use a sentence to summarize the persona‟s wish in Stanza 3.

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

2. What does the title `A Fighter‟s Lines‟ speak of ?

_________________________________________________________ (2 marks)