This makes the poem (The Man with the Garden Tool) an ekphrasis, or an example of a poem inspired by, or that describes, a piece of art. The poem can also be considered a protest poem, one that is concerned with social justice. Specifically, the poet is concerned with the treatment of the working class. A the time it as published, the poem was widely printed in newspapers and helped to start a new debate about labor and the distribution of wealth in America.
He focuses on how spiritually exhausted this man seems. He’s lost, without either hope or sorrow. The world has taken his soul from him, and Markham is determined to express his outrage. Through a series of questions, he challenges the listener to do something about this state of affairs. What are you, he asks, going to do to amen sure you can face future generations and God without shame?
