The poet further renders into view the bad aspects of the environment. He says that the place is ‘noisy’, and that ‘smoke’ rises signifying on the polluted atmosphere. The word ‘smoke’ can also signify choking and harshness of the situation. Further by saying that the smoke ‘rises’, the poet shows the continuous movement inside the factory or workplace. Machines are ‘thumping’ and ‘thrusting’, clarify the bad condition of the people by not only describing the noise in the surroundings but also by showing exactly how the workers are being treated as they are being smacked and shoved around. This illuminates how the workers pride are at stake as well, by saying that they are not just pushed around by the supervisors, but also by the machines, which are symbolizing the fact that even inhumane things are given better treatment and rights than the workers, as the machines are now bullying them too. The people are ‘kneading’, ‘shaping’ and ‘putting things together.’ This shows that the workers are hard at work in vigorous physical activity whilst the machines are standing by bullying them. It can also emphasize on the increasing production and work in the place as the workload is increasing. The reason why he doesn’t want to shift away from his present job even after all these bad aspects is now clarified. By saying that because he has a job ‘nearest’ to the main doors, he is the ‘furthest’ from ‘those’ i.e. the supervisors who are continuously shouting and degrading the workers. This shows how the workers are not really offended by hard word but more by the attitude of their employers.
He then goes on to say that he is the first person greet strangers who ‘drift’ in through the ‘open’ doors. The word ‘drift’ here denotes how the people who enter the workplace drift in, sometimes happily rushing in, at other times flying somewhere about in cloud seven and totally lost. This indicates that the people have no idea about what they are going to find. They have been deceived by the ‘open’ doors which gives them the illusion of a welcome. The fact that these people are ‘looking’ for ‘work’ makes us realize the harshness of the world that people are so desperate to get work and earn money that they are willing to enter the most vilest of vilest places in search of it. He helps these wanderers by giving them ‘as much information as they require’. This shows that the narrator is quite indifferent to people, but not unkind. The actuality that he ‘acknowledges’ the ‘casual recognition’ of one worker to another emphasizes on the brotherhood of workers, and how this environment forces them to come together against the tyranny around them.
In addition the person can ‘always’ tell, shows that he has become very experienced in his line of work and that he is never wrong. The use of the word ‘hurry’ here implies on the fast paced lifestyle and also on the spring of happiness and hope that a successful person establishes upon victory. The fact that he is unmoved by the ‘successful’ faces but is very much effected by the ‘unlucky’ ones indicates how he is a good character and is effected only by the problems of people less unfortunate than him.
The sixth stanza of the poem starts of by stating that the relater has worked in this place only for fifteen months. But even now he is saying that ‘it’s too good to last’, that this has gone on too long and it’s not possible to continue. This shows what type of a life these workers lead, never permanently established in one place, but moving from place to place in search of jobs to feed their bellies. The fact that ‘orders will fall’ and that there will be a ‘reduction in staff’ shows that the industrialists don’t care about anyone except for money and profits, this has been clarified as ‘more people’ than they can ‘cope’ with are brought from ‘other lands’ just so that they will work on lower wages leaving much better profits for the employers. These people, however, are also the same, and are also ‘looking’ and searching and striving to obtain something more real and ‘permanent’ than ‘dying’. This shows that the life that these workers lead, are just like the steps and seconds right before death. This is because they are unable to find anything permanent and are not able to enjoy life and live life as a healthy human being is supposed to. The word ‘dying’ could also imply that perhaps the industry is finishing and that these workers are wasting there time seeking permanent jobs here. The phrase ‘before the axe falls’, asserts that the workers know exactly what will happen to them. He knows that he will eventually be kicked out ruthlessly and heartlessly when his need is finished or a better replacement is found. Still though he realizes this and knows he ‘ought’ to search for another job he doesn’t, as the word ‘ought’ makes us realize that the aspect of looking for another job is not exactly appealing to him.
The thoughts that the worker has are ‘pushed away’, as he does not want to think about that reality until the time comes, but also because he thinks that he is ‘lucky’. He thinks this as when compared to others he indeed does have it better off, away from the brutal and merciless supervisors, and from the interior crowdedness, and nearer to open and fresh air. Possibly the worker has had far worse experiences in previous jobs and that is why he seems to like this job to such an extent. He ‘consoles’ himself shows that he is just like every man who needs a job and hates to be insulted. Hence he likes the idea that if the ‘worst’ does happen and he is finally dismissed, at least he would not have to go a ‘great distance’ among all the workers and be humiliated even further.
The last stanza brings the melancholic poem into humorous grounds, as he sums up the reason of working near a door is that in case an ‘earthquake’ occurs or a ‘fire’ breaks out. These both could be referring to their literal meaning and are in actuality denoting that he wants to be ready to run in case of an emergency. On the other hand he could be representing the supervisors and their uproars as ‘earthquakes’. In addition, the use of the word ‘fire’ could be for the effectual symbolism of anger, spite, dejection, malice and hatred of the supervisors. The phrase ‘You know?’ lays the height of humour into the poem, as the poet seems to be inviting the reader to share into his joke. On the other hand he could literally be asking a question of whether we know how these employers can get considering he has described them all in detail. Nonetheless it could also be a threat to all those who believe that he is wrong and would like to argue.
The poem overall has been written in free verse style in strophic form, though the stanza’s follow no typical line structure except for the sixth. The poem is written in casual style with the author making perfect free use of simple language, to express his thoughts on the matter of labour, work and social injustice. The poem has a very glum and melancholic atmosphere surrounding it, with its tone being very serious, evaluative and ironical.
Very few forms of phonological patterning has been used, though the use of alliteration in the second stanza in the form ‘cold creeps’, loaned a great deal of information on how exactly was the cold effecting the place. In the sixth stanza, the use of another alliteration, ‘fall off’ and ‘staff’ emphasizes that the staff slowly falls away. The use of ‘looking’, ‘lasting’ and ‘dying’ one after the other lays great effect onto the use of ‘ing’ which in turn highlights on the temporary desires and longings. Metaphorical devices have been used to a great extent to get the correct meaning about, such as the use of ‘big doors’ to personify the rulers. Others include, ‘earthquake’, ‘fire’, ‘drift’ and ‘open’.
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