Available Answers

1. 1.

   Choose the right answer.

   1. In the poem, Davies describes life as "full of care". Which of the following options most closely reflects his meaning?

   1. Life is full of caring people.
   2. Life is filled with responsibilities and petty worries.
   3. Life is short and very frightening.

   2. Who is the "we" that Davies writes about?

   1. all school children
   2. people with important jobs
   3. all people

   3. Which of the senses does the poem repeatedly refer to?

   1. touch
   2. hearing
   3. sight

   4. The poem suggests that nature is ________________.

   1. beautiful
   2. all right, but not worth our time
   3. a divine presence

   5. The final stanza of the poem describes "a poor life". Which of the following options is closest in meaning to "poor" as it appears in the poem?

   1. poverty-stricken
   2. busy
   3. bad
2. 2.

   The speaker seems to suggest that it is a pity that people don't simply "stand and stare". Why do you think he wants people to "stand and stare"?

3. 3.

   Write down, in one sentence, what you think is the poem's main message.

4. 4.

   Why do you think the poem is titled "Leisure"? Hint: Consider how the word 'leisure' is connected to the main message of the poem, which you just identified!

5. 5.

   A great poet called Samuel Taylor Coleridge once commented that prose is "words in their best order" while poetry is "the best words in their best order". How is a poem different from a short story or a novel?

6. 6.

   This crossword puzzle contains several rhyming words. Use the clues below to solve it.

   

   Across	Down
   4. a feeling of fear or apprehension 5. description for a steep place with lots of ups and downs 7. jump on one foot 9. something you eat with butter and jam 10. another word for pail 11. a little pouch for storing things that is usually part of dresses and trousers 14. spring through the air	1. a young female horse 2. the part of your body above your neck 3. foolish or ridiculous 4. the opposite of shallow 6. the place you go to buy vegetables 8. move slowly and stealthily 12. a colloquial word for a police inspector 13. to wash the floor with water

    

   You've uncovered 5 sets of rhyming words in the crossword puzzle above. Can you use them to construct 5 rhyming couplets?