A Wedding in Brownsville By Isaac Bashevis Singer

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A Wedding in Brownsville By Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer (1903-1991) was a Polish-American writer and Nobel Prize-winning author known for his Yiddish-language stories that explore Jewish life, folklore, and themes of spirituality, identity, and morality. His works often delve into the complexities of human nature, blending realism with mysticism. In his story, “A Wedding in Brownsville,” Singer tells the tale of a man named Dr. Margolin, who returns to Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood for a wedding after many years. As he reconnects with familiar faces, he is haunted by memories of his past, including lost love and the horrors of the Holocaust. The story explores themes of memory, guilt, and the enduring impact of trauma on personal identity and relationships. Q: Who were the Senciminers? Ans. Sencimineers were Jewish villagers from the town of Sencimin, where Dr. Margolin once lived. They are now dispersed due to the devastation of WW II, and some of them attend th...
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Leisure by W.H. Davies

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Leisure

By W.H Davies

 

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

The was first published in 1911 in “Songs of Joy and others”. Davies talks about modern life in the poem. The progress that humanity has made, has left many detrimental effects on it. Excessive care, anxiety and worries distract people from the beauty of the natural world. The poet encourages readers to slow down and appreciate the natural beauty that exist all around them.

Summary

The poet says that there is no point of existence if we are always so filled with worry and we do not take time to pause for some time and look around ourselves.

There is no point of life if we do not have any time to stand under the tree and simply look at them as long as sheep and cows do.

If, when walking by the woods, we do not have time to watch the squirrels and see where they hide their nuts in the grass.

If we do not take the time to notice how in the middle of the day, the light glittering on the surface of a stream makes the water look like the star-filled night sky.

If we do not have time to look towards the beauty and watch her dance.

If we do not have time to wait for the smile that began in her eyes to reach all the way down to her lips.

Life will be pretty terrible if we are so filled with worry that we do not take our time to stand still and enjoy the beauties of the world before us.

Importance of Leisure

The poet urges the readers to relax, reflect and simply be present rather than spend time rushing around and worrying about future and other things. He seems to suggest that life is there to be enjoyed and appreciated. It is meant to be lived rather to spend. It means that sometimes we need to slow down and embrace the journey without worrying about the destination.

A hectic life of anxiety and worries is no life. These things deny people the opportunity to stop and enjoy the natural beauty around them. The people who are always in a hurry will never be able to appreciated the beauty of the nature, the calm and serene environment under the tree, and the way sunlight glitters on the surface of the stream, making it look like it’s filled with stars. They will also miss the smaller details like the determined industry of a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter. To the writer, these are the real signs of life. Taking the time to stare at this world and engage with it fully is the whole point.

The poet personifies beauty as a dancing woman whose smile slowly spreads from her eyes to her mouth. But the people are so busy that they turn away too soon and will not see her smile reaching down to her lips. The poet emphasizes that the modern man is so busy that he sees the beauty of the world around him but do not watch for long enough to fully capture that beauty. He only gets a glimpse of that beauty and not the entire landscape. The poet thus encourages the readers find some time for themselves in order to appreciate the beauty of nature round them, to enjoy what is always been right there in front of them.

 

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