Leisure

Leisure 
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 or 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.

In his poem “Leisure” , W. H. Davies argues the relevant danger of failing to observe beauty in the world leads to a lack of meaning. The first stanza identifies the primary source of missing this beauty. The speaker is wary of not having enough “time to stand and stare”. Standing is promoting stagnation, the opposite of moving forward or achieving progress. The speaker argues that there’s more to life than merely progressing. He finds it important to observe, or “stare” and appreciate other things in life than those that are attained through work and narrow minded focus on a specific task. Instead of rewards earned, the speaker says that life is full of gifts nature offers. The speaker claims that some of theses gifts are things that have been given since the beginning of creation. The speaker mentions standing “beneath the boughs”, an Adam and Eve- like image. Along with describing a harmony with the flora side of nature. The fauna side of nature is described in the same stanza, as he compares the intent act of staring to that of “sheep or cows”. Simpler creatures have not forgotten how to appreciate nature’s beauty. The speaker is urging a return to a time when humans and animals were no different. It is a recall to unity with nature, a trait that offers care. The speaker also implies that taking time to slow down offers long-term pros. The speaker of the poem mentions “squirrels hide their nuts in grass”. Hiding the nuts implies that they are saving them for later. The speaker argues that investment in present can have payoffs in the future whether that’s manifested as experiences I don’t know. The speaker also fears the speed of life to miss things that are obvious. The streams “full of stars” are compared the night sky. The speaker is arguing that on earth, there is an entire immense universe that’s similar to the stars in the sky. This is trying to say how much the world has to offer. So far the speaker only mentions man’s relationship to nature, but he beings to talk of mans’ relationship with each other. The next two stanzas refer to love. By falling in love with the present, one can appreciate the others around them. An obsession with work is selfish, and relationships deteriorate when one isolates themselves in their work. The speaker draws attention to the eyes of the woman and how she “can dance”. Dancing is a purposeless act and only shows an expression of emotion. The speaker encourages the audience to be drawn to these things. The speaker repeats each stanza with “no time”. Contrasted with ending the poem with the sentence “a poor life”, the speaker is equating time with wealth. A finite amount that must be spent on a single service. One cannot have it all.