Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Song of the Wage-Slave" was published in 1912, during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in North America. The poem reflects on the experience of the working class during this period, and the struggles and hardships that came with industrialization. Robert Service, who wrote the poem, was himself a working-class man who worked various jobs before finding success as a poet.

Content:

"The Song of the Wage-Slave" is a narrative poem that describes the life of a working-class man, who spends his days toiling away in a factory. The poem explores the drudgery and monotony of his work, and his longing for something more in life. The poem is characterized by its use of repetition and metaphor, which help to create a sense of the speaker's despair and frustration.

Form:

"The Song of the Wage-Slave" is a narrative poem that is characterized by its use of repetition and metaphor. The poem is written in four stanzas, each consisting of eight lines, with a regular rhyme scheme and meter. The use of repetition creates a sense of the speaker's monotony and frustration, while the metaphor of the wage-slave highlights the exploitation and powerlessness of the working-class during this period.

Poetic Elements:

"The Song of the Wage-Slave" makes use of a variety of poetic devices, including repetition, metaphor, and imagery. The poem's use of repetition creates a sense of the speaker's drudgery and monotony, while its metaphor of the wage-slave highlights the exploitation and powerlessness of the working-class during this period. The poem also makes use of vivid imagery to describe the bleak and oppressive nature of the factory setting.

Summary:

"The Song of the Wage-Slave" is a powerful and evocative poem that reflects on the struggles and hardships of the working-class during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization. The poem is characterized by its use of repetition and metaphor, which help to create a sense of the speaker's despair and frustration, and its vivid imagery, which highlights the bleak and oppressive nature of the factory setting. Overall, "The Song of the Wage-Slave" is a work of great literary merit and cultural significance, and continues to be studied and celebrated today as a reflection on the experiences of the working-class during the early 20th century.

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