The analysis of W. H.

Davies poem “Leisure”

The poem "Leisure" has been composed by an American poet William Davies. Most
of his poems are on the subject of nature or life on the road and exhibits a natural simple,
earthy style. As the title of the poem suggests, it is about the availability of time for enjoying
various delights of life. These may range from the most ordinary every day pleasure to the
extraordinary events. In this paper we will analyze this poem deeply using the objective and
subjective approach.

From the objective approach this poem consists of 14 lines, so technically it is a

sonnet, but it doesn't follow any of the classic sonnet forms as it is all by written in rhyming
couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter - ie, most lines have four strong beats (tetrameter)
and start with a weak (iambic) one. (eg: And STARE as LONG as SHEEP or COWS.). the
rhyming system is aa, bb, cc ,dd ,ee, ff, aa. In this poem we also find some alliteration, for
example :' stand and stare', 'beneath the boughs', 'when woods we pass','Streams full of stars
like skies'. The poem contains several similes and personification, The similles are : And
stare as long as sheep or cows',' like skies at night'( any comparison with the use of 'as' or
'like' is a simile). In the last few lines Beauty has been personified as a woman. The diction
used in this poem is simple and comprehensible. What is interesting from this poem is that its
form related to its content (meaning). The most noticeable point is that the poet repeats the
word “no time” seven times to show the core of the meaning.

From the subjective point of view, the theme deals with the beauty of nature that is
spread all around us. The first stanza introduces the reader to the theme of the poem by
questioning the purpose of a life which is so full of worry that it does not allow us use any
time to simply stand still and watch the world goes by. In the next few stanzas, he describes
the various things that people are not able to do due to lack of leisure. It is elaborated in the
second stanza that 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 posses the leisure to stand under
the branches of trees and keep gazing on and on like such ruminants. The third stanza, W. H.
Davies further adds that when 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 enjoy leisure time to notice the various aspects of the natural world around
them. The fourth stanza, 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
beauty of nature is likely to be missed by people overburdened by anxiety and living a life of
haste without any leisure. In the Fifth stanza/ Sixth stanza focus on the abstract quality of
“Beauty”: there is no time to watch Beauty dance; the abstract concept is being personified.
There is no time to stop and stare as a beautiful woman dances, and no time to wait to see her
smile, first with her eyes and then with her mouth. Finally, In the last stanza, 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.

The messages of this poem is that the poet expresses his grief at the fact that modern
rush of life has deprived us of many commonplace pleasures. We run around after our
material pursuits, so crazily that we get no time to spend in a relaxed manner. He warns us if
our life remains full of worries and problems with no opportunity to enjoy its simple
pleasures, it will be very miserable life.
Leisure
By W. H. Devies

What͜ 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.