Money, O!

Money, O! - Poem by W. H. Davies

STANZA 1

·         When I had money, money, O!

Tell about his past time when he still has much money and rich.

·         I knew no joy till I went poor;

When we don’t have money or lost our money, we will realize how important the money, how we waste our money in the past. He knew that he won’t be happy when he don’t have money.

·         For many a false man as a friend

In the past he has many friends, but not the real friends. It means that they just be a good friends when they want his money. His happiness with has many friend is untrue, because his money is their friend.

·         Came knocking all day at my door.

In the past, the fake friends always come to him for his money.

STANZA 2

·         Then felt I like a child that hold

I think the structure doesn’t matter, because in writing a poem many author doesn’t use correct grammar.

·         A trumpet that he must not blow

These first and second lines show that he feels no freedom like a child who cannot blow the trumpet which he held as he pleases. In most cases, if child have a toy in their hand they will played it continuously because they have freedom.

·         Because a man is dead; I dared
    Not speak to let this false world know.

Like in first and second lines, these third and fourth lines also related. A man in third line maybe interpreted an adult man or a ruler who had set up the people. And then the next line mean that he will let the people in this world realizes itself that so far they do not have any freedom.

STANZA 3

·         Much have I thought of life, and seen

I think it means that he had been thinking about life continually, like thinking hard to understand the meaning of his life. And then he realized.

·         How poor men’s hearts are ever light;

I think it mean that poor man’s life is very hard, so their heart is never light. So these lines show the reverse.

·         And how their wives do hum like bees
    About their work from morn till night.

It means that the poor man’s wife always grumbled and not satisfied with their husband work, although the poor man always works hard all day. Maybe because they don’t earned much money.

STANZA 4

·         So, when I hear these poor ones laugh,

    And see the rich ones coldly frown—

I think this is the condition when life changed. Usually poor people are never happy, and rich people always are in prosperity. So when things turn around, the poor ones will laugh with the state of rich people who suddenly become poor and the rich ones who do not receive ridiculed by the poor one.

·         Poor men, think I, need not go up

Again, I think this structure doesn’t matter if the author doesn’t use a correct grammar.

·         So much as rich men should come down.

In these two lines, he thinks that poor people not need to be rich, but much rich people must be poor. It means that the rich people must know the poor life, so when they lost their prosperity it would be fine and can deal with condition.

STANZA 5

·         When I had money, money, O!

The condition when he is a rich man.

·         My many friends proved all untrue;

It means that his all friends never sincere with him, they are not friends in all condition.

·         But now I have no money, O!

Now, he is poor ones. He has no money.

·         My friends are real, though very few.

When he has no money, he finally has true friends though they are not many. They are the poor people.

Ps. I think this whole poem tell about the rich man who wants to be a poor ones to find the real happiness in their experience of crisis monetary, because the situation say it.