William Henry Davies
William
Davies was a famous universally acclaimed poet and great lover of nature. Most of his poems are about
objects of nature. William Henry Davies was a Welsh poet and writer. Davies
spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or hobo, in the United Kingdom
and United States, but still became one of the most popular poets of his time.
Birth:
3 July 1871 Death: 26 September 1940
Main
Idea of Poem:
William
Henry Davies is a famous poet and a great lover of nature. Most of his poems are
about objects of nature and beauty of nature. This poem “Leisure” is about the
tragedy of modern man. He has no free time to enjoy nature. The poet laments at
this sad fact that we are busy in our world to such an extent that we cannot
find free time to enjoy the beauties of nature. Man is running blindly after
materialistic things. One must get some time to see and enjoy the beauty of
nature.
In this poem, Davies has criticized out greed for
wealth. It has deprived us of love for natural objects. We are all the time
busy. The poet has also used personification. He says that beauty is in plenty
yet we have no time to enjoy it. We should spare some time to enjoy the beauty
of nature. On the whole the poem is simple, beautiful, straightforward and
impressive.
Reference:
These
lines have been taken from the poem “Leisure” written by universally acclaimed poet William Davies.
Context:
This
poem is a protest against the unnecessary commitment of man with worldly
affairs. We are always in a hurry and have no leisure time to look at the
beauty spread all around us. Man’s miserable life brings him nothing but
sadness and worries.
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.
Explanation:
In
these lines the poet says the modern man’s life has become a life full of
worries and troubles. The poet says that we cannot call this life a pure life,
if it is full of worries and anxiety. We have no time to stand at a certain
place and look carefully at nature. Even we cannot spare a few moments to stand
under the branches of green trees and enjoy the beautiful and restful shades of
the trees. The common animals like sheep and cows are better than us in
enjoying life. We cannot look at the common animals like sheep and cows grazing
in the pastures. We have committed ourselves with worldly affairs unnecessarily
and cannot enjoy nature and the natural beauty spread all around us.
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.
Explanation:
In
these lines the poet tells us, when we pass through some forest, we do not have
time to stop for some moments to look at the trees tall and short, and enjoy
their natural beauty. The dark green trees provide a soothing effect but we are
always in a hurry and cannot enjoy at least the simple beauty. We cannot look
at the small animals like squirrels concealing their food-grain in the grass
for the winter. This minor scene can also give us relief.
The
poet says that human beings cannot see the beauty that is hidden in the
streams. During day time, when the rays of the sun fall upon the clear water of
the brooks, the water reflects and shines like stars in the sky during night.
Sometimes water of streams, because of its clearness seems so beautiful that
even stones beneath the water can be observed, which look like stars in the
clear blue water. This scene also resembles the stars shining in the sky 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.
Explanation:
In
these lines the poet has used personification (To attribute human qualities to
lifeless things). Here the poet says that beauty is dancing everywhere. It is
in plenty. The poet uses the symbol of a dancing maid who inspires others with
her smile but we are unlucky that we are unable to enjoy that beauty. It is due
to our bust routine that we are unable to enjoy her beauty. The “Beauty” here
represents ay beautiful object of nature.
A poor life this is
if, full of care,
We have no time to
stand and stare.
Explanation:
In
these concluding lines the poet regrets to say that ours is a poor life. In a
way it cannot be life if it is full of cares and worries. Unluckily, we have no
time to stand at a place and look carefully at nature that can refresh us. As
such our life is nothing but lamentation through and through. As human beings
we should spare some moments and look at nature and natural beauty spread
around us and enjoy life.
