Leisure
Activity 1: Understanding the poem
The first couplet is about the persona exploring the idea of standing and staring. He wants to know what life is about if standing and staring cannot be tolerated.
The second couplet is about the persona begins to list out the many things for which people today seem to have no time for such as 'No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep and cows'. Here, the persona compares the human condition to that of sheep and cows. These animals can stand and stare as long as they wish. They are in a simple natural world like unlike man.
The third couplet claimed by the persona that as human beings travel by the woods, they have no time to see that the squirrels are hiding their nuts in the grass.
In couplet 4, the persona mourns the lack of time for seeing 'in broad daylight'. Man does not bother to take the time to look at the streams which sparkle with stars. This must be the light from the sun.
In couplet 5-6, beauty is personified. The couplets focus on the human quality of 'Beauty'. Man has no time to watch Beauty dance. This is like saying that a man does not take the time to appreciate a beautiful woman as she dances or wait to see her mesmerizing smile, first with her eyes and then with her mouth.
last couplet simply makes something of a moral judgement that is a pity that Man today cannot just stand and stare at natural and beautiful things. This is because they are so bogged down with responsibilities and worries.
Leisure
p/s: Exercise 1 is for activity 2 and Exercise 2 for activity 3.
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