Leisure

By W. H. 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 and 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 if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

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Leisure

1 / 15

What is the poet criticising in this poem?

2 / 15

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

3 / 15

Why does the poet mention sheep and cows in the poem?

4 / 15

What does "A poor life this" mean in the final stanza?

5 / 15

How does the poet use personification in the poem?

6 / 15

What does the poet compare the reflection of stars in water to?

7 / 15

What grammatical type of word is "Enrich" in "Enrich that smile her eyes began"?

8 / 15

What is the tone of the poem?

9 / 15

What does the phrase "We have no time to stand and stare" mean?

10 / 15

What does "Beauty's glance" symbolise in the poem?

11 / 15

What does the poet suggest about modern life?

12 / 15

What is the effect of the repetition of "No time to..." in the poem?

13 / 15

What poetic device is used in "Streams full of stars, like skies at night"?

14 / 15

What does the poet mean by "full of care" in the first line?

15 / 15

What is the main theme of the poem?

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