Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song,
Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong.
Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span.
Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man. -4
Laugh and be merry: remember, in olden time.
God made Heaven and Earth for joy He took in a rhyme,
Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of His mirth
The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth. -8
So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky,
Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by,
Laugh, and battle, and work, and drink of the wine outpoured
In the dear green earth, the sign of the joy of the Lord. -12
Laugh and be merry together, like brothers akin,
Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beautiful inn,
Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends.
Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends. – 16
What kind of poem Laugh and be merry is?
‘Laugh And Be Merry is a highly optimistic poem written by John Masefield. This poem makes a passionate plea to enjoy life to the maximum.
John Masefield says that sufferings are a part of our life, but we can overcome them with a smile on our faces. The Poet says that laughing and being merry is the motto of our life.
What is the meaning of Laugh and be merry?
In this poem, the poet wants us to be cheerful and enjoy our life to the fullest. He also reminds us that we are like temporary guest who stays in a beautiful inn for a while.
What allusions are used in the poem Laugh and be merry?
The allusions are made to the Bible or religion as a whole. That is, how we should live our lives in spite of our imminent deaths–is based around Masefield’s religious beliefs as a Christian, as the allusions indicate.
What according to Masefield is the best way to live in the poem?
The poet suggests that we should have a positive attitude in life. Life is short so we must enjoy the fruits of happiness. Every moment of our life should be enjoyed and cheered. God created the moon and the stars for the pleasure of human beings.
Why according to the poet John Masefield has God created man?
The Almighty has created man to laugh and be merry. One has to laugh and make other people laugh. God made the earth and sky for us to get inspiration from the green earth and the great stars.
How does the poet refer to humanity’s laughing and being merry?
The poet compares the world with an inn where all human beings are temporary guests. We should enjoy life till it comes to an end and till the music of life ends. Laugh and be merry for the world is a much better place with a happy song and to live in a world that is ready to blow in the teeth of a wrong.
The poet compares the world with an inn where all human beings are temporary guests. We should enjoy life till it comes to an end and till the music of life ends.
What is the figure of speech used in lines 7,9,14?
Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of His mirth -7
So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky, -9
Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beautiful inn, -14
The figure of speech used in the above line is Metaphor.
Figures of speech in second and fourth Stanzas?
Assonance. In the second stanza, it (olden, of) and in the fourth stanza it is (akin, awhile), (in, inn, is).
What is the Rhyme scheme of the poem?
Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song, -A
Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong. -A
Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span. -B
Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man -B
The last words of the first and second line have a similar rhyming word, (Song, Wrong) and the third and fourth line has (span, man). This pattern is similar for all the stanzas.
So the rhyming pattern of this poem is AABB.
Mention the alliteration in the 3rd line?
Laugh and Length.
What is the rhyming word in the 15th and 16th lines?
Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends.
Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends.
The rhyming words are (end, friends).
Appreciation Question
- Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a song,
Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong.
What should one do?
One should Laugh and be merry.
How would one better the world? What should we remember? How?
As per the above lines, the answer is, one would better the world with a song.
How should we live out?
We should live our life happily.
2. Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span.
Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man