The theme of the poem, "Rising five" by Norman Nicholson is that humans, adults and children, like nature are impatient and are always looking to the future and, in effect, are dead if they do not spend a moment to appreciate what is around them (the present). This theme is demonstrated by means of subject matter, carefully chosen diction, figures of speech, parallel construction and antithetical parallelism. To demonstrate the theme of impatience the poet …showed first 75 words of 438 total…

…showed last 75 words of 438 total…these words aren't spoken by the boy it is an emphasis on the usage of numbers, showing that the boy has reduced his life to numbers and therefore is no longer living fully. By quoting the boy and introducing an irony at the same time, using ironic diction, parallel constructed refrain, antithetical parallelism, subject matter and greatly emphasizing the use of numbers Norman has skillfully demonstrated the impatience that the world has, humans and nature.