Critical Analysis of Work Poems through Grint (2005)

Through this critical review, Elaine, Antonella and I are going to analyse five different poems written in the past few centuries. The central theme of these poems is mainly related with work. However, every poem tackles out different aspects regarding work, which are still concerned issues nowadays such as gender and class discrimination.

Philip Larkin, in the poem called Toads, highlights the theme of work in relation to a dull, negative picture. In fact, though Grint (2005) argues that “no unambiguous or objective definition of work is possible”, he included authors who emphasised this necessary activity in their writings often perceiving it as a negative issue; such as Marx. The title in itself ‘Toads’ describes broadly the physical bodies of the workers which get rougher and drier due to the hard work; and which are ultimately compared with those of toads. Larkin seems to deliberate the protagonist as being a repulsive person. Throughout the poem, he emphasized that work has ruined his life and is eventually related with acquiring money and “Just for paying a few bills!” Therefore, he shows a lack of interest towards work. Also as Marx points out, the significance of work is “as a means to an end” in one’s life. The protagonist also claims that, compared with the work he is working, the amount of money he gains is ultimately “…out of proportion”. This is also highlighted by Grint (2005) when he mentioned the ideology of Marx in which he claimed that the bourgeoisie exploit the workers by paying them miserable wages. On the other hand, Larkin notes a positive attainment in being courageous more than others in doing this work. The poet focused more on the so-called ‘males’ work’ which at those times, was often associated with hard and dirty work. During the early twentieth century, people’s mentality about success usually involved status, family and money: “The fame and the girl and the money”.

The poem You will be Hearing from us Shortly by U. A. Fanthorpe also refers to the theme of work. However, it highlights the issue of discrimination against women. This was considered as typical at that time, also as Grint (2005) stated that “employment opportunities for women have historically been restricted in the main to analogous domestic activities”. From the title itself, we think that like in every interview where the employers are not sure if the person is adequate for that job, the woman is told that she will be informed later on if she is eligible for that work. In fact, this poem regards an interview which is carried out with a woman who is applying for a job. From the first verse one can imagine how the woman is underestimated, regarding if she is sure in applying for this job. The questions asked during the interview are regarding age, physical appearance, level of education and family. This feminist poet wanted to emphasize the stereotypes on females at that time which are still considered typical nowadays. The fact that they asked her if she was married, had children and her level of education shows that they considered these issues whether to employ her or not: “We see. The usual dubious”. Grint (2005) claimed that though women’s negative attitudes towards domestic work are very recent, research since the 1950s has suggested that such attitudes were relatively common even then. Therefore, one could suggest that the protagonist in this poem could be a typical woman in the 20th century that wanted to find a job rather than doing domestic work only. Grint (2005) argued that “gender-based inequalities are not inevitable” and that “it should be remembered, however, that gender tends to interact with, rather than override, the significance of class”. That is, gender discrimination can also be related with social class inequalities.

The Chimney-Sweeper’s Complaint by Alcock illustrates a complaint regarding the experiences that a young chimney-sweeper faces during his work which is quite dirty and tough. The chimney-sweeper feels abandoned as he is “Far from my home, no parents I/Am ever doom’d to see;” considering the fact that he is just a boy. He also tries to touch the reader’s heart regarding his harsh lifestyle based on his work:

“Ah, turn your eyes;’twould draw a tear.
Knew you my helpless state.”

Indeed we can also see the form of hierarchy which the poet mostly emphasizes in the last part of the poem. The concept of hierarchy is often associated with that of work, as Giddens (1979) “argued that too many conceptualizations of power take a position in which the default category is one of zero sum: the more A gains the more B loses”. This is also highlighted by Marx’s ideology, when he stated that the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat; and it is this idea that leads him to suggest and urge the workers to revolutionise and bring about communism. Alcock reveals to us how the work leaves him bodily devastated. He also refers to the discrimination he faces on his work: “Yet still my master makes me work, / Nor spares me day or night:” However the chimney-sweeper ignores all these factors when his is at work because the only reason for his effort is done in order to survive and to gain extrinsic rewards.

The theme of work is also stressed out in the title and through the poem Work by D. H. Lawrence. The poet has a negative perception regarding work which ultimately results in a lack of interest. This is shown already in the first few verses:

“There is no point in work
unless it absorbs you
like an absorbing game.”

This negative attitude towards work is also laid emphasis upon by Grint (2005), when he mentioned the “late nineteenth-century music-hall songs revealed, work was an evil but there was no escape from it nor from the class system”. The approaches highlighted by Grint (2005) and D. H. Lawrence portrait work as a negative issue, where there is ultimately no room for leisure or interest towards one’s occupation. D. H. Lawrence suggests that if you don’t feel fascinated vis-à-vis your job, you might as well “don’t do it.” He compares people with nature. This is shown in various similies throughout the poem such as:

“they are like slender trees putting forth leaves, a long
White web of living leaf,”

The type of work that Lawrence spoke about is the typical work of the early 20th century which involved manufacturing in factories. In fact, when Grint (2005) referred to the writings of Allen Clarke (1899) regarding the Lancashire factory workers he pointed out that “some few seek recreation in Sunday school work and prayer meetings, but there the minority; the majority want stirring amusements, lively and intoxication – something to make them forget”.

The theme of work is questioned in the poem What the chairman told Tom by Basil Banting. He points out such attitudes that people show towards poetry and being a poet. We noticed that this poem is an autobiography of Banting. People used to undervalue this work as they compare it with work which was more manual and hard at those times. Indeed, Grint (2005) said that ultimately “what counts as work cannot be served from the context within which it exists, and the context necessarily changes through space and time”. That is, at that time being a poet was not considered as work; however this idea changed over time. Thus, the value of work must be analysed and understood within a particular time and space. They sought a difference between ‘manual work’ and ‘mental work’. As Banting pointed out, they didn’t even consider this type of profession as work:

“It’s not work. You don’t sweat.
Nobody pays for it.
You could advertise soap.”

In the 20th century poets were considered with little significance towards their status as anybody could do their work:

“My ten year old
can do it and rhyme.”

As highlighted in the other poems, the idea of hierarchy is also portrayed in this poem. He discussed the issue of wages and says that poets are less paid then in other jobs. He talks as well about the subordination that is seen in the other jobs whereas the poet does not have. Banting concludes the poem by an intervention of Mr. Hines telling the protagonist: “Go and find work”, making him more conscious that his ‘work’ is not considered as such.

Through these poems several factors that Grint points out in his text were highlighted. We noticed that the idea that manual work is better than any other type of job came out in ‘Toads’ and in ‘What The Chairman Told Tom’ the job of a poet is not given any status at all. Such a lack of importance is also given to the job of the chimney-sweeper in the ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’s Complaint’ where he emphasis the harsh conditions he is in. Dominance is also seen in other ways, most of all by the employer with his workers like in ‘What the chairman told Tom’ and ‘You will be Hearing from us Shortly’. In the latter, discrimination based on gender and social background was also observed. On the other hand only in the poem ‘Work’, where a comparison to nature and fun is done, this is seen in a bit of a positive view.