Question

The lapse of time and rivers is the samespeed their journey with a restless stream,The silent pace with which they steal awayNo wealth can bribe, no prayers persuade to stay:Alike irrevocable both when past,And a wide ocean swallows both at last.Though each resemble each in every part,A difference strikes at length the musing heart,Streams never flow in vain : where streams abound,How laughs the land with various plenty crowned !But time, that should enrich the nobler mindNeglected, leaves a weary waste behind.equestions:1. how according to the poem should men treat time ? 2. what similarities between time and river are mentioned in this poem 3. what happened to time once it is passed 4. explain the last two line of this poem ​

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Answer 1

1.  According to the poem, a man should treat time as a dear friend. One should cherish it and value it for its unique nature. Since time can not be reversed we should not be wasting it as well.

3. It is a "mistaken argument," he said, to use relativity to assert that time is an illusion, "because no observer has knowledge of a distant event, or the simultaneity of different events, until they are unambiguously in that observer's past

Answer 2

The Extract is taken fro the poem, A Comparison by William Cowper showing the importance of time

Explanation:

• According the poem men should value time since if time passes it would be difficult to get back the lost time. Even if one gives his/her wealth or say prayers to persuade lost time to come back, lost time would never come back.
• The poet here compares time to rivers. He says that both are irrevocable (not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered). The poet says "the lapse of time and rivers is the same speed as their journey with a restless stream, that is, with the same speed and turbulent flow time and speed moves ahead. And no wealth can bribe or any prayers can persuade either time or river to stay
• "But time, that should enrich the nobler mind. Neglected, leaves a weary waste behind". This implies that time that we have in hand must be used to enrich the  (improve or enhance the quality or value of.) the nobler mind (nobler here refers to a person having/showing high moral principles or fine personal qualities). Else, if this time is not made use of, it would go wasted. That is, time if not made use by the nobler mind, they   would not never get a a chance to enhance their abilities/qualties and it would go wasted.