Go Go Go! That seems to be the motto nowadays because we live in such a fast paced society where everything is always in constant motion. Sometimes people forget to slow down and enjoy their life, because who knows, it might their last day. A majority of people in the United States and all over the world don't seem to use the term "leisure," anymore. Why should people need to slow down and relax, when they can be productive and finish tasks that need to be done? Our world has evolved into an environment where humans have adapted to being busy whether it be at work, at home, or even relaxing isn't truly taking a break from the fast forward motion, we as humans always seem to be in. It's hard to think that there ever used to be a time, where leisurely activities were done. In Eliot's poem she alludes to "old leisure" and conveys it in a way that seems foreign to our present society.
Eliot uses an admirable tone throughout the poem and she starts out with painting a scene in the past. She alludes to many old inventions that were brought up during the 1800s. In a sense her tone is envious of what used to be. Times were not simpler but more valued. People actually took the time to go through their life in a serene way. There was still constant commotion all around but not to an extent where people didn't live their lives. People took in their surroundings and felt content in their aura even though it was more jaded than today. There was actual stillness in the air and a place to gather their thoughts and think about the next move. The society in the past may not have had all the resources that we do today but it still had an essence of leisure.
The hustle and bustle of our changing society may never from this point on seem to slow down. It's not necessarily the world that may need to step back and breathe, it's us. We are the ones that choose to always keep busy and become so consumed with everything else besides the more important things. A society wont ever stop moving forward unless something is imposed on it. We have to allow ourselves to make time to live. Not be wrapped up in work or sheltered away in a house, but there are still many ways to find a leisurely way to do activities that fit into our modern society. In order to exhale a person needs to slow down and breathe.
Gouda but should be a little heavier on analysis. I liked that there wasn't a lot of summary but I think you should have given more evidence and I stress that word because especially in a poem analysis question, the graders are looking for evidence from the text and support. I think you could have also explained her techniques more and how she portrayed the difference in leisure activities from then to now. You have interesting ideas and I think the essay flowed in a logical way. Nice intro where you expanded the prompt subject and ended with thesis and nice conclusion where you tied everything together but I think overall you could have related the subject in more depth back to the poem and Eliot's purpose, if that makes sense. Glad to be partners, partner :)
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