Question

Appreciation:

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along?
Or a churlish sort of "Howdy" and then vanish in the throng?
Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way,
Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that's slipping fast,
That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;
Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber do you think that God would say,
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

Read the given extract and write the appreciation of the given poem based on the following aspects.

• Form of the poem, theme and its significance
• Poetic style, language features, poetic devices
• Inspirational message, values, morals reflected
• Your opinion and critical evaluation of the poem.

Answer 1

‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Guest is an inspirational poem written in rhyming couplets and contains four quatrains (four stanzas of four lines each). As the good deeds done by us today will earn us our tomorrow; the theme or the central idea of the poem is the importance of living each day by being kind and helpful towards others and by making small contributions to improve their lives. It is set to a rhyme scheme of ‘aabbccaa ddeeffaa’. The language of the poem is simple and straightforward, which leaves no room for subjectivity. The use of rhetoric questions by the poet, to conveys his ideas and inspires the readers, add gravity to the poem and makes a unique literary impact. The poet like Alliteration, Antithesis, Consonance, Interrogation, Inversion, Metaphor, Personification, Repetition, Synecdoche, Tautology, and Transferred Epithet. The most prominent figure of speech used throughout the poem is Interrogation. All these poetic devices serve to impart an earthy sense to the verse and hence enhance its poetic appeal. The tone and type of the poem is inspirational and didactic as the poet tries to urge the readers to be good towards others. A special feature of poem is the use of visual imagery which adds to the overall appeal of the poem. The other special features are the interrogative lines in which the poem has been written and the repetitive sounds which add an element of unification in the poem. The message being conveyed by the poem is that even the smallest good deed on one’s part is enough to guarantee a better tomorrow for oneself. Values of good work, honesty, and positivity are reflected in the poem. In my opinion, this poem is a brilliant effort by the poet to prod the readers into questioning their own goodness and help others in any way possible; thereby earning themselves a well-deserved future.