Question

Life is a gift to be used every day,
Not to be smothered and hidden away,
It isn’t a thing to be stored in the chest
Where you gather your keepsakes and treasure your best;
It isn’t a joy to be sipped now and then
And promptly put back in a dark place again

Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of
And one that the humblest may well make the most of
Get out and live it each hour of the day,
Wear it and use it as much as you may,
Don’t keep it in niches and corners and grooves,
You’ll find that in service its beauty improves.

(1) What do we treasure in a chest?
(2) How does the poet went us to use the gift of life?
(3) Do you agree that life should be measured un deeds and not in years? Why?
(4) Which words in the poem mean the following :
     (a) Kept from developing
     (b) Hollow places in a wall
(5) Life is a gift to be used every day. [Name and explain the figure of speech]

 

Answer 1

(1) We treasure our keepsakes and things that we consider our best in life in a chest.
(2) The poet wants us to use the gift of life every day.
(3) Yes, I do agree that life should be measured in deeds and not years, because a life devoid of great deeds does not amount to anything and is insignificant.
(4) (a) The word ‘smothered’ means kept from developing.
(b) The word ‘niches’ means hollow places in a wall.
(5) Life is a gift to be used every day.
The figure of speech used in the above line is metaphor. Life is compared directly to a gift.