BRAINSTORMING of the poem Money by William H. Davies
Here you will find icebreakers, brainstorming, paraphrase, activity sets and Money poem appreciation along with poetic devices and poetic creativity from Money by William H. Davies.
Summary
“Money” by William Henry Davies is a poem that explores the complex relationship between wealth and happiness. The speaker reflects on the ways in which money can influence people’s lives, noting that while it can bring comfort and ease, it can also lead to greed, envy, and moral corruption.The poem begins by acknowledging the practical benefits of money, such as the ability to buy food, shelter, and other necessities. However, it quickly transitions to a more critical perspective, highlighting the negative consequences of a relentless pursuit of wealth. The speaker observes how money can consume people’s thoughts and desires, causing them to lose sight of what truly matters in life.Ultimately, “Money” serves as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of materialism and the importance of finding fulfillment and contentment beyond monetary wealth. It encourages readers to prioritize relationships, values, and personal growth over the accumulation of riches, suggesting that true happiness lies in the richness of experience and the simplicity of a life well-lived.
The Poem Money Poem
(A1) (i) ‘Money does not mean everything in life’. Discuss with your partner and justify the statement by giving examples. Take help of the following points.
(a) Money cannot give you eternal happiness.
(b) Art, music and literature can give you unending happiness.
(c) Money is short-lived.
(d) Money cannot purchase happiness and contentment.
Ans : Money does not mean everything in life. Happiness cannot be bought with money. We will come across people who have all the riches but are not happy. Happiness we get with money is short-lived. Money does not bring us eternal happiness because happiness is a state of mind. Rag pickers sleep peacefully while landlords pass night sleeplessly.
(A2) (i) State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the False statements with the help of the poem.
(a) The poet knew no joy till he was rich. True
(b) The poet felt that he should talk about his poverty. True
(c) When poet had money, he had many true friends. False
Correct : When poet had money, he had many false friends.
(d) When poet became poor he had a few real friends. True
(ii) Write reasons for the following statements.
(a) Friends came knocking all day at the poet’s door because he had money. It is the inclination of the world to gather around the rich man.
(b) Poor men’s wives hum like bees because they suffer a lot due to poverty. They are attracted to richness.
(iii) Money makes the world go round. Explain it in the light of the poet’s experience.
Thepoet had many friends when he had money. He could not get a time to enjoy life. He was always surrounded by false friend.
(iv) Poor men need not go up so much as rich men should come down. Express your views regarding this statement.
Ans : It is difficult for poor men to become rich. It is like a mountain top to climb. The rich came down to poverty level fast like a stone dropped from the mountain top.
(A3) (i) Find out meanings of the phrases given below and use them in your own sentences.
(a) be in the money – have or win a lot of money
(b) win lots of money – to earn money easily
(c) for my money – in my opinion
(d) money for old rope – reward for no effort
(e) put one’s money where one’s mouth is – take action to support one’s statements or options
(ii) Complete the crossword with the help of the clues from the poem.
Across Down
(1) A brass musical instrument (5) Not imaginary
(2) A low steady continuous sound (6) Ponder
(3) False (7) Stinging insects
(4) Say Something (8) In large number
(9) Strike a surface noisily
| 1 T | 5 R | U | 8 M | P | E | 6 T | 9 K | |||||||
| E | A | 2 H | U | M | 7 B | N | ||||||||
| A | N | I | E | O | ||||||||||
| L | Y | 3 U | N | T | R | U | E | C | ||||||
| K | 4 S | P | E | A | K |
Poetic Devices – Figures of Speech
(A4) (i) Complete the following table. Money poem poetic devices i.e. figures of speech
| Figures of speech | Line of the poem | Explanation |
| 1. Inversion | Then felt I like a child that holds | The line is not in a prose order. |
| 2. Simile | And how their wives do hum like bees | Wives are compared to bees. |
| 3. Repetition | When I had money, money O ! | The word ‘money’ is repeated. |
| 4. Onomatopoeia | hum | Hum represents the sound of bees. |
| 5 Antithesis. | About their work from morn till night. | Opposite words are used. |
(ii) Identify the rhyme scheme of all the stanzas of the poem Money
Abcb
Activity Sheet on Money Poem
Q.3 (A) Read the given extract from the poem Money and complete the activities given below: (10)
When I had money, money,
O! I knew no joy till I went poor;
For many a false man as a friend
Came knocking all day at my door.
Then felt I like a child that holds
A trumpet that he must not blow
Because a man is dead; I dared
Not speak to let this false world know.
Much have I thought of life, and seen
How poor men's hearts are ever light;
And how their wives do hum like bees
About their work from morn till night.
So, when I hear these poor ones laugh,
And see the rich ones coldly frown
Poor men, think I, need not go up
So much as rich men should come down. When I had money, money,
O! My many friends proved all untrue;
But now I have no money,
O! My friends are real, though very few.
Set A :The Poem Money
A1 Complete the web (02)
A2 Complete the sentences. (02)
1) The poet wanted to become poor because ………
2) The poet doesn’t want to speak to this fake world……………….……
A3 ‘Can we live without money’ write your view’s about this statement. (02)
A4 Complete the following table. (02) .
| Stanza | Rhyming scheme | Rhyming words |
| Stanza 1 | …… | …… |
| Stanza 2 | …… | …… |
A5 Compose four lines on ‘friendship’.
Set B : Activity on Money Poem
Q. 1 A Read the extract from the Poem Money and do all the activities given below.
A1 Match the pairs.
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. When he had money | a. his friends were real. |
| 2. He felt like a child | b. hum like bees . |
| 3.Poor men’s wives | c. that holds a trumpet but can’t blow. |
| 4. When he had no money | d. his friends were false. |
A2. The poet found real happiness when he had no money. Elaborate.
A3. Give your opinion about ‘ Happiness can’t be bought with money.’
A4. ‘ Much have I thought of life.’ Name the figures of speech and find another similar example.
A5. Convert the following sentences into poetic lines.
1. I was a poor man.
2. Because I had no work.
Answers Set A The Poem Money
A1 Complete the web
A2 Ans 1) The poet wanted to become poor because he is fed up with false friends.
2) The poet doesn’t want to speak to this fake world because he is bound to behave according to their wishes.
A3. Ans: Though money is not everything in life, we need money to meet with basic needs. These basic needs are ever increasing. Along with food, shelter and clothing, education and health also are our basic needs. We need money to buy these.
A4 .
| Stanza | Rhyming scheme | Rhyming words |
| Stanza 1 | abcb | poor-door |
| Stanza 2 | abcb | blow-know |
A5
Friendship
Friends are breeze in summer
Friends are cheese in hunger.
Answers Set B : The Poem Money
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. When he had money | d. his friends were false. |
| 2. He felt like a child | c. that holds a trumpet but can’t blow. |
| 3.Poor men’s wives | b. hum like bees. |
| 4. When he had no money | a. his friends were real. |
.
A2. When the poet had money many false friends gathered around him. He could not enjoy the real happiness and joy. The importance of money was realised when he lost the money. But that was real happiness for him because he had true friends around him.
A3. It is rightly said that happiness can’t be bought with money. Happiness is a state of mind. It is achieved with contentment. With money one can buy mattress but not rest.
A4. Inversion: The line is not in a prose order. The correct order is – I have thought much of life.
Another example of inversion – Then felt I like a child that holds.
A5. A poor man was I
Because no work had I. Money Poem Appreciation
Money Poem Appreciation
The poem Money is written by William H. Davies, a Welsh poet. After several years of a wandering life, he published his volume of poems. The poem ‘Money’ tells us about the rich man who wants to be a poor man to find real happiness. It is when we do not have money or have lost our money, we realize how important the money is. When the poet has money, he has lot of friends. Naturally the friends were for money. As the money is the cause of people coming now and then. They can not be considered as real friends. The poor men always keeps smiling whereas the rich frowns all the time. He wishes to be poor.
There are five stanzas of four lines each. The poet has maintained the particular rhyming pattern in the first four stanzas. The second line rhymes with the fourth line. He has made use of repetition skillfully. Poetic devices like inversion, simile, onomatopoeia and antithesis made the poem effective. The poem is closely associated with the modern world. The underlying message in the poem is money cannot give you eternal happiness.
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