Appreciation : (4 marks)Read the extract and write the appreciation of the poem given below :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 th…

Answer: Appreciation of ‘Have you Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Albert Guest, written in paragraph form under the usual points.

About the poem / poet / title : ‘Have you Earned Your Tomorrow’ is written by Edgar Albert Guest, a popular American poet known as ‘the People’s Poet’ for his simple, optimistic poems on everyday life. The title is a question that asks whether we have done enough good today to deserve another day.

Theme : The poem is about kindness, compassion and helping others. At the end of the day the poet asks the reader to look back and check whether he made anyone happier, greeted a friend cheerfully, did a selfless deed, or gave courage to someone whose hopes were fading. Only such good deeds earn us our tomorrow.

Poetic style : The poem is written in rhyming couplets (rhyme scheme aabb : way/today, through/you, along/throng). Almost every line is a question, which makes the reader think and examine himself. The lines are long and have a steady rhythm.

Language / poetic devices : The language is simple and conversational. Devices include interrogation (the whole poem is a series of questions), alliteration (‘selfish … simple’, ‘heart … hopes’), inversion (‘Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?’), synecdoche (‘a single heart’ for a person) and the metaphor ‘brother’ for every fellow human being.

Message / values / morals : We should spend every day doing good — speaking kindly, greeting warmly and helping those in need — instead of rushing about selfishly. Life is meaningful only when we bring happiness to others.

Your opinion about the poem : I like the poem because its simple questions make me reflect on my own day. It inspires me to be kind and helpful to everyone I meet.