Poem "Say Not The Struggle Naught Availeth"

Questions & Answers

Q1:   Give the moral of the “Say not the struggle Naught Availeth”?

In the poem, the moral of the poem is that, struggle does not unrewarded. It is the key of success.

Q2:   What do the tired waves symbolize in the poem?

The tired waves symbolize a half hearted attempt by man, to archive success in life; such measures will not bear fruit. One has to struggle with his heart and soul, to be successful in life.

Q3:   In the poem, what examples does the poet give in the last two stanzas to prove his point?

In the second last stanza the poet gives the example of a man, watching the tide coming in. On the beach the waves do not seen to be advancing. But, behind the watcher, the water comes rushing back into the sea.

And in the last stanza the poet presents the picture of a man watching the rising sun. Looking towards the east, he sees the sun climbing very slowly towards the west. He does not observes the steady advance of the sun, until he looks towards the west when he notices that the sun is about to set.

          The point which the poet wants to emphases is that struggle never goes unrewarded.