2.6 Money by William H.Davies
(Maharashtra State Board English Yuvakbharti Class 12, section II-Poetry )
In the poem ‘Money’ the poet William H. Davies, states that when he had money he did not feel the eternal joy or real happiness in life. Hence, in the poem poet wants to be poor to get real happiness in life.
1.1 Introduction
The poem ‘Money’ is a very beautiful poem written by the Welsh poet William H. Davies. The poem is about a rich man who wants to be a poor man to find real happiness. It is when we do not have money, we realize how important money is. In the end, the poet says that now he doesn’t have money, he has true friends though they have few.
1.2 Stanza-wise summary
In the beginning of the poem, Poet confesses that when he was a rich person, he didn’t feel eternal joy and real happiness. So poet wants to be poor to get real happiness and eternal joy. The poet had a lot of friends who always used to meet with him in his richness.
In the second stanza, the poet compares with a boy who is desirous to blow the trumpet but due to social restrictions, he can’t do it. According to the poet, real happiness is beyond the false status of richness. Now, in poverty, the poet wants to live a happy life. According to the poet, people think that happiness can be bought with money, and richness is directly compared with happiness which remains untrue.
Poet observed that though poor person has little earnings and they don’t have enough money to spend, their heart is more delighted and contented. He is very much impressed by their happiness. The poor men’s wives are complaining and humming like bees about the activity of their husbands from morning to evening. Poor men are struggling to get money but their wives have to make more effort to maintain the household work. The poet is strongly fascinated by such behaviour and circumstances.
The poet pointed out the difference between the laughs of poor and rich people. Poor men laugh freely and from the bottom of their hearts. On the other hand, rich men laugh but it is cold and ambiguous. The poet experienced that a rich person gave up real happiness in search of money. Now they are far away from eternal and real happiness. So poet suggested that rich men should go down to experience real happiness.
In the last stanza, the poet talks about his past life. In past, he had sufficient money and more friends. But later on, he realized that these friends were untrue because their friendship was based on money. Now, the poet is poor and has not enough money to spend. But in this condition, he has very few friends and these friends are true and real.
1.3 Themes
1.4 Money by William H.Davies- Activity Sheet
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