Have You Earned Your Tomorrow Appreciation and explanation 12th class HSC
Have You Earned Your Tomorrow is the poem in your Maharashtra State Board for the HSC exam. The poem Have You Earned Your Tomorrow will be asked to write appreciation of the poem and some stanzas will come to solve the activities. This appreciation and explanation help you to solve the activities in the poem Have You Earned Your Tomorrow.
Introduction: Have You Earned Your Tomorrow Appreciation and explanation
Edgar Guest (1881 to 1959) was born in England and was brought to the United States when he was ten years old. He began his writing career in 1895 at the age of fourteen.
Edgar Guest is known as ‘people’s poet’ for his simple style and optimistic tone of writing. Guest is an American writer of newspaper and magazines.
This is an inspirational poem. In this poem, the speaker is asking the readers whether they have done anything to improve the life of another human being or not. It is up to you whether you will have a better future or not. Therefore, one should consider one’s actions and deeds carefully and plan accordingly for a better future.
Poem:
Have you Earned your Tomorrow
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 days 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?
– Edgar Guest
Explanation: Have You Earned Your Tomorrow Appreciation and explanation
First Stanza:
In the beginning, the poet asks the reader, Is anybody happier because you passed his way? By the question, the poet intends that if you pass by someone else that person becomes happy that you meet him/her today because you see him on the way and express greetings and due to your meeting that person becomes happy. The next question the poet asks the readers that Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today? Because if you meet the person and express greetings to that person with great positive thoughts such as good morning, have a nice day, etc. that person will pleased by your meeting.
The poet asks the next question, Is anyone speak kindly words of you because you spoke to him/her today because this day is almost over by the spent of time through the hard physical work?
The Second Stanza:
In the second stanza, the poet asks the reader that did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who come along with you? By the question, the poet wants to tell us that we have to always give positive greetings to our friends who come with us because by your positive greetings that person will always feel cheerful with your company. Or just you behave rude (Churlish) with your friend by giving an informal greeting and then disappeared in the among all friend’s crowd then the poet tells if you behave like that you were defiantly selfish and you behaved very common as you rushed along the way that you do not care of what your friends thinks so about your behavior.
End of the second stanza the poet asks if is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today. Because by your behavior or work is someone mighty grateful. The poet wants to tell us that by our work or deed someone will feel grateful because you deed good things for them.
The Third stanza:
The poet asks the readers by end of the day, at night can you say tonight at a sleeping time that by your helped a single person of the many that you met or passed? The poet asks that by your work or behavior if any single person’s heartfelt happy/ rejoice due to what you did or spoke to him/her today. If whether you help such a person whose hopes were fading away but now by your help that man regains his courage or that person looks courageous in coming times.
The fourth stanza:
In the last stanza, the poet asks the reader what did you do today. Did you waste or lose the day without helping others or the day as well because you did deed good things to others and gave cheerful greetings to those who met you today or it was a day that you just spend the day with a lack of satisfaction because you didn’t help anyone. Further, the poet asks that because of your help, did you leave the kindness about you in someone’s heart or leave the mark of discontent to someone because of your rude behavior and due to that, someone felt disappointed.
At last, The poet says that now as you close your eyes in sleep (slumber), do you think that God would say that due to your good work you have earned one more tomorrow? The end of the poem is that if we did good for others and speak with hopefulness to others definitely God will bless us with one more day in our life.
Appreciation: Have You Earned Your Tomorrow Appreciation and explanation
About the poem/ poet/ title:
The poem, Have You Earned Your Tomorrow is about how we should behave toward others. If we did good things for others that will definitely help us in the future time. The poem is written by the great poet Edgar Guest. Edgar Guest is known as ‘people’s poet’ for his simple style and optimistic tone of writing. Guest is an American writer of newspaper and magazines.
The title of the poem is apt and suitable for the theme of the poem. The title is in the rhetorical question itself. The poet does not want to answer the readers; readers should answer the questions asked by the poet and find whether they are right or wrong themselves by the questions.
Theme:
The theme of the poem is how we do we communicate with others as well as behave with others. Everyone has the chance to earn one better day by behaving in a good way and speaking positively to others. God has a record of everyone how we behave and communicate with others. The poet tells the minor act of greetings will make others cheerful throughout the day. How we behave with a loved one is also important because sometimes they need just the support of your good words. if we give support with what we have that will also help to boost the courage of others, and those will feel courageous in their life. At last, God will not ask how much you earned the money today, God will ask whom you met and they felt happy. Thus this is an inspirational poem that makes us understand bout how we behave with others and how people will remember us.
Poetic devices:
Alliteration:
Line: This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through. In this line, the T sound is repeated at the beginning of its toiling time is through
Line: Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way? In this line, the S sound is repeated at the beginning Selfish and Simple.
Synecdoche: Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said. In this line heart stands for person and part is used to show the whole.
Interrogation: in this poem, the poet asked so many questions in the poem.
Rhyming words: way – today, through – you, along – throng, way – today, fast – passed, said – ahead, spent – discontent, say – today.
Rhyme scheme: aabb, ccdd, eeff, gghh.
Value/ Message:
This is an inspirational poem. In this poem, the speaker is asking the readers whether they have done anything to improve the life of another human being or not. It is up to you whether you will have a better future or not. Therefore, one should consider one’s actions and deeds carefully and plan accordingly for a better future.
Your opinion about the poem:
I truly like the poem. The poem is highly inspirational. As the poet asks the questions in this poem I really think about how to behave with everyone who comes all my way and do really good for others. Hence I like the poem very much.
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