“Leisure” Introduction

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“Leisure” Summary

“Leisure” Themes

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  The Importance of Leisure

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• 

  The Beauty and Wisdom of Nature

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Leisure”

• Lines 1-2

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

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 3-4

  No time to stand beneath the boughs
  And stare as long as sheep and cows.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-6

  No time to see, when woods we pass,
  Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 7-8

  No time to see, in broad daylight,
  Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  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.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-14

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

  

  

  

  

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“Leisure” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Anaphora

  

  

  

  

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• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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• Personification

  

  

  

  

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• Rhetorical Question

  

  

  

  

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“Leisure” Vocabulary

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• Care
• Broad
• Enrich

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Leisure”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Leisure” Speaker

“Leisure” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Leisure”

More “Leisure” Resources

• External Resources

  • More of Davies's Poems — Dive into the poet's collected works. 

  • The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp — Learn more about the poet's early life, in his own words.

  • Davies's Life and Work — Check out an in-depth study of Davies, written by biographer Richard Stonesifier.

  • The Georgian Poets — Take a look at portraits of Davies and other so-called "Georgian Poets."