LEISURE : ELEMENTS OF THE POEM

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.

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.

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.

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.