ENGLISH 9

“Man with the hoe”

Group 4 – Ruby

Members:

Naz Lorence De La Calzada

Kaira Venice Matillano
Carl Stevin Quidlat
Sayuri Shimane
Rhianne Pearl Taypin
The first stanza of the man with the hoe serves as the setting explanation or exposition of
the painting of a man with the hoe. The author had used figures of speech to describe the
image he had seen of the man with the hoe. The last parts of this stanza had the author's
hypothesis to whom had done this to the man with the hoe as well as the author's questions
why the man with the hoe have come to this sorry state.

In the second verse, the author portrays a scenario that begs questions about God as it implies that
man is superior compared to other creatures and that he has authority over everything in this world,
However he also presents a scenario that begs many questions and promotes perplexity.

In the third stanza, it talks about the realization of the man, where he realizes that he was longing for
a bright and good future but only seeing despair and misjudgment everywhere. Everyone was
longing for hope and equality where people don’t judge and treat them the same. But only seeing it
as a prediction.

The fourth stanza addresses the social issues of inequality, and the dehumanization of the working
class. The speaker is addressing those in power. The masters, lords, and rulers in all parts of the
world. The speaker is questioning whether the way they treat the common people, particularly the
man with the hoe, is the kind of creation they present to God. The speaker is somehow asking the
rulers to take responsibility for the dehumanization they have caused. The speaker is urging those in
power to correct the long-standing wrongs and injustices that have been inflicted on the working
class. A call for rulers, urging them to restore humanity, dignity, and basic rights.

The fifth stanza is about a voice of realization for those on top and redemption for what they did. In
the lines of the fifth stanza says that to those who are on top, what will their future be with the man,
the man they did injustice to. How will they face the man when the time comes where the tables are
turned, and he has the lead. How will they answer his brute questions when that time comes. What
will become people that did things to him that shaped him for who he is, a pitiful man.

Questions

7. The “Man with a Hoe" symbolizes exploited laborers during the Industrial Revolution. Today,
modern equivalents could include manual laborers in developing countries, low-wage workers in
service industries, migrant workers, gig economy workers, and some factory workers. These
organizations deal
with issues like the poem's calls for social justice and worker exploitation.

8. The "Man with the Hoe" portrays laborers who endure mistreatment and poor working conditions.
Various kinds of people in society face difficulties like inadequate compensation, harsh working
conditions, and prohibited rights. These types of individuals consist of manual laborers, low-wage
workers, migrants, and gig economy workers. Although there are variations regarding the way these
individuals are treated, fundamental issues such as labor exploitation and wealth inequality keep
happening, reiterating the themes encountered in Edwin Markham's poem.