Tired

The theme of passivity occurs in the first half of “Tired,” with the speaker bemoaning their idle condition: “I am so tired of waiting” (Line 1). The adjective (“tired”) and the noun (“waiting”) are not exciting, propulsive words, as they indicate lethargy, loitering, and a general lack of purposeful movement. This passivity upsets the speaker, and he does not wait to wait any longer. In the context of the theme, "tired" takes on an ironic meaning, as the speaker uses a sleepy word to signal that he’s ready to take action.

The theme of passivity carries over onto the audience. The speaker implicates the reader in the lack of activity by asking, “Aren’t you” (Line 2) tired of waiting, too? The speaker suspects that the reader is on his side, and they, too, are fed up with passively hoping for “the world to become good / And beautiful and kind” (Lines 3-4). As the speaker aligns himself with the reader, they’re both in the same place, so neither must feel guilty about waiting around and not taking a more aggressive approach. The speaker reaches out to the audience and gives them the opportunity to cast aside their passive stance and, with the speaker, do something productive.