Introduction:
Robert Frost, the great American poet, published The Death of the Hired Man in 1914 alongside his North of Boston collection. The title relates to the death of hired worker Silas, who returns to his former company. Frost’s poetry frequently examines human interactions in rural environments, and this poem turns an apparently everyday occurrence into a rich reflection on obligation, loyalty, and the definition of home.
Background
Written during Frost’s years in England (1912–1915), The Death of the Hired Man draws on his experiences in rural New England, where hired laborers were essential to farm life. The poem captures Frost’s views of interpersonal dynamics, class tensions, and the unsaid ties holding people together. Set in the early 20th century, it speaks to pre-industrial agricultural civilization concepts of community and commitment. The dialogue-driven approach of the poem reflects Frost’s passion in obtaining real human voices.
Point of View
Presented in a third-person narrative, the poem centers on a conversation between farming couple Mary and Warren with sporadic narrative interruptions. Acting as an omniscient observer, the speaker reports the dialogues and Silas’s background free from clear assessment. This point of view has a dramatic effect that lets readers witness the characters—Mary’s compassion and Warren’s pragmatism—while indirectly seeing Silas’s suffering. The conversation creates closeness and pushes readers into the moral conundrum of the relationship.
Mood and Tone
As the poem negotiates Silas’s return and death, the tone is dark and introspective, tinged with melancholy. The weight of death contrasts with the personal environment created by the rural surroundings and calm talk. Frost balances empathy with discipline in her conversational yet emotional voice. Silas’s death’s understated announcement (“dead, was all he answered”) emphasizes the inevitable nature of loss by implying a tone of quiet acceptance.
Theme
The complicated interaction of obligation, loyalty, and personal connection forms the main focus of The Death of the Hired Man. By Silas’s return to Mary and Warren’s farm, the poem questions conventional ideas of “home” and who counts as family. It looks at the conflict between compassion and practicality as well as the social dynamics of employer-employee contacts. Other themes cover the fleeting character of life, the dignity of work, and forgiveness.
Stanza-by-Stanza Summary
The Death of the Hired Man is a narrative poem of 169 lines in blank verse, without stanza breaks, but it can be divided into thematic sections for analysis:
- Lines 1–20: Mary waits for Warren outside their house, getting ready to talk about their former hired guy, Silas, who has returned. The rural scene is created, with quietude and moonlight lending a reflective mood.
- Lines 21–55: Mary talks of Silas’s feeble state and his will to labor once again, despite his very weak condition. She tells Warren to be gentle, exposing his estranged brother and lack of alternative sanctuary.
- Lines 56–95: Warren laments Silas’s unreliability—he left during haying season to work elsewhere for better pay. The couple questions Silas’s value and their responsibilities to him.
- Lines 96–130: Mary speaks for Silas, stressing his pride in educating Harold Wilson and his want to die with dignity. Though Warren is dubious, she describes the land as Silas’s “home.”
- Lines 131–169: Warren questions why Silas neglected to pursue his rich brother, softening just somewhat but still pragmatic. Mary tells Silas about his guilt and allegiance to them. Warren visits Silas, then comes back with the sobering death announcement, therefore cutting off the poetry.
Development
The poem unfolds through the conversation between Mary and Warren, following a dramatic arc. It starts with Mary’s sympathetic appeal, therefore defining the moral stakes. Warren’s pragmatism clashes with Mary’s empathy, so it deepens the struggle; Silas’s past adds complexity. The poem develops toward the disclosure of Silas’s death, therefore ending the argument and allowing readers to consider the couple’s responsibilities. Rising emotional and philosophical tension in this sequence reflects a real-time conversation.
Type
The Death of the Hired Man, a dramatic narrative poem, is set up as a dialogue akin to a play. Frost uses images and words; it is also a lyric poem revealing the emotional undercurrents of its protagonists. Combining dramatic and narrative aspects lets Frost investigate universal ideas via particular, sympathetic people.
Style
The poem is written in blank verse with 169 lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter. The absence of stanza breaks generates an ongoing flow that reflects the natural cadence of communication. While the iambic rhythm bases the poem in normal speech, the form’s adaptability lets in dialogue, narrative exposition, and meditative pauses. The arrangement helps to sustain the emotional depth and dramatic tension of the poem.
Versification
The poem employs iambic pentameter, with five stressed syllables per line (e.g., “She PUT out HER hand A-mong the HARP-like MORN-ing”). Variations, such as trochaic or spondaic feet, add emphasis (e.g., “SI-las IS here”). The unrhymed structure prioritizes dialogue and content, enhancing the poem’s realism. Enjambments and caesuras reflect the ebb and flow of conversation, with pauses emphasizing emotional weight (e.g., “‘Dead,’ was all he answered”).
Diction and Figures of Speech
Frost’s diction is simple, rural, and authentic, using words like “haying,” “barn,” and “moonlight” to evoke New England farm life. The conversational tone (“He’s worn out. He’s asleep beside the stove”) makes the poem accessible, while its emotional depth adds richness. Below are examples of figures of speech:
- Metaphor: Home is metaphorically redefined as a place of emotional refuge, not just physical space, as Mary says, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.”
- Simile: Silas’s hands are “like the useless hands / Of some old miser, working at his trade,” comparing his frailty to a hoarder’s futility.
- Allusion: The poem lacks explicit allusions, focusing on universal human experiences rather than specific historical or literary references.
- Personification: The moonlight “walked” and “touched” the scene, giving it an active, almost sentient role in setting the mood.
- Imagery: Visual imagery dominates, with “the moonlight on the grass” and “the stove’s warm glow.” Tactile imagery (“his hands were like old roots”) and auditory imagery (“the harp-like morning-glory strings”) enhance the sensory experience.
Quotable Lines
- “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.”
- “‘Dead,’ was all he answered.”
- “Nothing would be said to make him stay, / And nothing said to make him go.”
These lines are celebrated for their emotional resonance and concise expression of the poem’s themes, particularly the redefinition of home and the starkness of death.
Critical Analysis
What does the poet say?
The title, The Death of the Hired Man, foregrounds Silas’s fate while emphasizing his marginal status as a “hired man,” not family. It sets up the poem’s exploration of duty and belonging. Robert Frost, known for his vivid portrayals of rural life and human complexity, uses this title to frame a seemingly mundane event as a profound moral inquiry, enhancing the poem’s universal appeal.
Frost examines the obligations that bind people, even in unequal relationships. Silas, a flawed worker, returns to Mary and Warren’s farm to die, prompting a debate about their duty to him. Mary’s compassion redefines “home” as a place of unconditional acceptance, while Warren’s pragmatism highlights the limits of obligation. The poem suggests that human connection transcends transactional roles, affirming the dignity of even the marginalized.
How Does he say it?
The third-person perspective, centered on Mary and Warren’s dialogue, creates a dramatic lens, allowing readers to weigh both sides. The somber mood and conversational tone evoke intimacy, with the understated tone of Silas’s death adding poignancy. Mary’s empathy contrasts with Warren’s restraint, deepening the emotional texture.
The theme of duty develops through the farm’s symbolism as “home,” a place of refuge despite Silas’s outsider status. The moonlight connotes quiet introspection, while Silas’s frail hands symbolize his diminished agency. Mary’s definition of home connotes unconditional acceptance, challenging Warren’s transactional view. The poem’s arc—from debate to death—underscores the urgency of compassion.
How well does he say it?
Frost masterfully blends realism and depth. The authentic dialogue and vivid imagery make the poem relatable, while its moral complexity invites analysis. The dramatic structure and understated conclusion amplify its impact. The poem’s only potential limitation is its focus on a single event, but this focus enhances its emotional and philosophical weight.
Relevance to Modern Poetry and Deviations from Predecessors
The Death of the Hired Man bridges Romantic and modernist sensibilities. Like Romantic poets, Frost celebrates human emotion and nature, but his dialogic structure and moral ambiguity align with modernism. Unlike Victorian poets’ ornate or didactic verse, Frost uses plain speech and realistic voices, influencing modern poetry’s emphasis on authenticity. The poem’s themes of duty and belonging resonate with contemporary issues of community and marginalization.
Conclusion
The Death of the Hired Man explores deeply obligation, loyalty, and the human urge for belonging. Frost’s real conversation, rich images, and subdued moral inquiry produce a poem that is global but also personal. By contrasting compassion with pragmatism, Frost asks readers to reinterpret the definition of “home” and the responsibilities defining us. Its ongoing relevance confirms Frost’s talent in capturing the complexity of personal connections.