The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-24
MAN WITH THE HOE.
Elucidation of Markhams Poem For a
Woman's Benefit.

Aiu0'ioh vi MafknamS Poem fof |
Woman's Benefit.
Il might just as well resign at once"
exclaimed Mrs. Dobley Il had no idea
that joining Il literary club meant that
one mad to perform in public. l simply
can't do it,"
What do they want you ito do, my
dearE' asked MIR. Dobley. "A song and
dance, or a cake walk? wouldn't mind
little thing like that. You can pick it
UP in no time"
It's nothing like that" said Mrs.
Dobley, passing "A typewriter document
over the breakfast table. And you
needn't make amy fun of the matter,
either Just read tread it!' com
manded Mrs. Dobley, and her husband
read:
"Honora Coombs Dobley-Dear mad
am; At the next meeting of the Liter
airy club the topic Of discussion will be
Markham's poem THE Man with the
Hoe. As you have been selected as
chief speaker of the evening, you will
kindly be prepared to recite the poem
and give q short sketch of the authors
career. Also. to give your opinions as
to the idea contained in the work, az
NNli eH NuC EtDtIhi Ft3AN ''AiNN
construction of the poem.
"Well, my dear" said Mr., Doblcy,
trying to conceal the fact that he was
quite as pcrturbed as his wife by the
letter "Well%
well? Why didn't they select you?
What did they send that to me for?
What do | know about farmngF
MRS. DOBLEY BECOMES INQUI-|
SITIVE.
''You forget my dear, that this is not
an agricultural club, but literary So
ciety. or course they refer to the ia
nous poem."
What poem?"
1.-The Man with the Hoe He has
become one of the most typical Of
What was the matter with him?
Why didn't he hoe? Where did it hap
penn"
1T began with a picture, my dear
An artist made a picture of a man in a
field with a hoe. The man had stopped
to lean on his hoe-the laborer in the
field. don't you see-typifying the work
man of. the ages-the empty ages,
Markham wrote"
WAS it Markham had the hoe?"
"Oh. no. Markham was a poet and
he saw the picture, and saw the poetry
in it. Then he wrote the poem and
called it ''The Man with the Hoe
WAS it pretty?"
ut was a magnificent idea-the figure
of that man as typical of the workman
the patient slave blowing the field"
what did he have hoe for, if he was
plowing?"
Il, IN1Y,'f z~pI
catch the idea? Labor the farmer at
work-plodding along without an idea
sweating over his work
'.You Just said he'd stopped to rest"
''Er-yes-but when you read it, you'll
see the splendid picture Markham
drew
Il suppose he was paid for it, wasn't
hep
Il suppose so. my dear"
"Then what was the trouble? Really,
John. ! can't seem to understand what
all the fuss was about.
Markham wanted to show the miser-
able condition of the Woodworking farm
er-the slavery of the toiler-the-the-
fetters-.'
well, he ought to have been glad he
was working, / think. The idea! What
ulQ he WanEs a steam noe
mo, my dear; but the idea is what
did life hold for him? OF what was he
thinking as he stood there leaning ON the
hoe-that humble implement of toil?'
Probably he was thinking III his din
ner I'm not bit sorry for that man.
He had nice oDen-air work. and he
could step to rest when he wanted to,
and probably his wife brought him his
dinner every noon time, and he had
nothing to do but to hoe. And he wasn't
even doing that!'
'Wait till You read the poem Honora.
Markham calls him brother TO the OK
What for?"
1.-THE OK, you see, is the beast of bur-
den. When the poet spoke of the la
borer as the brother to the OK he placed
him as low in the intellectual scale as
it was possible to get him. He asks,
Who blew out the"
"Gas-T
''No-no Who blew out the light
within this brainT asks Markham"
We'll, who did?'
1T was not a metaphor-a figure of
speech"
why didn't he say what he meant?"
Poets never do that, my dear"
well, what did he mean?'
THAT the workman, was a miserable
creature, whose life was like an ami
mals--a-'
GIVES PLAY TO SARCASM.
Don't he believe in men working?"
Yes but"
Il suppose he likes tramps, then.
Those men that sit around the parks.
The Man with the Tomato Can would
be his idea Of the ideal man.
be able To-
oh pshaw! / might just as well
start in to idealize the cook and call her
The Girl with the Frying Pan or The
Woman with the Rolling Pin
.ReallY my dear | think Won will be