Poem-5 – The clock

Type of Poem

• Lyric / Didactic poem – it expresses personal reflection on time and teaches the value of using time wisely.
• Object poem – centered around the clock, giving it voice and meaning.

Theme

• Time’s constant movement and how humans should respond to it.
• The importance of being punctual, reflective, and purposeful.
• A gentle reminder that every hour can be meaningful if used well.

Tone

• Observant and thoughtful.
• Mix of playfulness (tick tock rhythm, quizzy questions) and seriousness (make a useful hour).

Imagery & Symbolism

• “Tick tock tock it sounds” – auditory imagery of the clock’s steady rhythm.
• “Three legs rounds” – symbolizes the three hands of a clock (hour, minute, second).
• “One two three to twelve” – the cycle of hours, completeness.
• “The second hand is busy” – time never stops, always in motion.
• “Minute hand moves slow” – perception of slowness, but still constant.
• “Nighttimes it glow” – clocks glowing in the dark, symbol of time’s presence everywhere.
• “Do good deeds more, Make a useful hour” – moral message: value time through action and kindness.

Poetic Devices

1. Rhyme scheme: Mostly couplets (sounds/rounds, hymn/rhyme, well/twelve, busy/quizzy).
2. Personification: The clock is given a voice and activity (hands moving, glowing, being “busy”).
3. Repetition: “Tick tock” imitates the sound of a clock.
4. Alliteration: “Minute hand moves,” “do deeds.”
5. Symbolism: Clock = life, hours = opportunities, hands = human choices.

Message

• Time is precious and always moving.
• Every moment is an opportunity: to read, learn, reflect, and act.
• The poem encourages mindful living, turning hours into meaningful deeds rather than letting them pass idly.

✅ In short:
This poem captures the rhythm of time through the image of a clock, blending playful imagery with a moral lesson: every second counts, and a good life is built hour by hour.

Would you like me to also analyze the rhythm of this poem as if it follows the “tick-tock” beat (like a metrical pattern imitating a clock)? That could make the time-theme feel even deeper.