“Work” is a multifaceted concept and subject. It extends from the board room to the shop floor, from the Oval Office to the local school district, from the tractor-trailer truck on the interstate to the university classroom, from stage and screen to the hospital intensive care unit, from raising a child to burying a loved one, and so much more. Work is a significant life activity common to all people. We love it, hate it, want to change it, embrace it, hide from it, worry over it, celebrate it.
Poets have long recognized work as a theme and subject. One of the more famous poems about work was published by Walt Whitman (1819-1892) in Leaves of Grass:
I Hear America Singing.
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe
and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off
work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deck-
hand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing
as he stands,
The woodcutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morn-
ing, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,
or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young
fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
Wallace Stevens was one of America’s best known mid-20th century poets, and worked his entire career as a corporate lawyer for a major insurance company. Geoffrey Chaucer was a clerk and diplomat. John Donne was a church dean. Robert Burns was a farmer. Edwin Arlington Robinson worked in a customs house. James Dickey worked for an ad agency. Marianne Moore was a public library assistant. Robert Frost was a chicken farmer. William Carlos Williams was a pediatrician. T.S. Eliot was a banker. Ted Kooser sold insurance. Dana Gioia was head of the beverage division at General Foods. Philip Larkin and Jorge Luis Borges were librarians. A.E. Housman was a clerk in the Patent Office.
The important lesson here, other than very few poets make a living writing poetry, is that virtually every poet has worked in a workplace, one familiar to all of us, because virtually all of us work in a workplace, too, no matter what we call it. Our work affects what we write, and what we write can affect our work.
Here at Tweetspeak Poetry, we’re embarking upon a new Tuesday feature called “Poetry at Work.” We will be looking at the language (and poetry) of the workplace, the poetry of work culture, the poetry of leadership, the poetry of corporate conscience, the poetry of sales and marketing—even the poetry of meetings. We will be seeking poetry about work. We will sponsor a few contests about poetry at work. We will interview a few workplace poets.
The overall idea is to help us all understand that poetry is very much a part of what we do at work every day, help us infuse poetry into what we do, and help provide an understanding of how poetry may actually help us do better work.
Photograph by Angelo Angelo. Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Glynn Young, author of Dancing Priest.
_____________________
Buy a year of Every Day Poems, just $2.99— Read a poem a day, become a better writer. In October we’re exploring the theme Wine and Beer.
- A History of Children’s Stories: “The Haunted Wood” by Sam Leith - May 20, 2025
- World War II Had Its Poets, Too - May 15, 2025
- Czeslaw Milosz, 1946-1953: “Poet in the New World” - May 13, 2025
brian miller says
pretty cool idea….and ha true on poets needing a job…very few dont…i think some of the more pure poetry to me is what engages us in everyday life…and with as many hours as well spend at work…why not make it poetry…
and ironically my poem today is about work…
Glynn says
Good point, Brian – finding the poetry int he everyday, because that’s where most of us live. Thanks for commenting.
Jerry says
Oh there are so many poems lying around at work. This should be good.
Glynn says
That was the thought, Jerry — finding the poetry in what for most of us is a hugely signficiant part of our lives. Thanks for reading and commenting,
L. L. Barkat says
There’s a poem
in my keyboard, hiding
between the question mark
and the dollar
sign,
somewhere.
Glynn says
It lurks beneath
the keyboard, its heart
beating like a cursor.
L. L. Barkat says
space
space
space
space
Glynn says
Shift Space
Backspace
Insert
End
Num Lock
Caps Lock
Scroll Lock
Send
Escape
L. L. Barkat says
oh, that is perfect. I love “escape.” 🙂
Maureen Doallas says
Beat Work
A good cop never wants
to be taking
a code 7 at the scene,
needs his eye
for detail, a body
to put a finger on.
No house mouse,
a good cop wants to collar,
be a closer, stake out
truth from lie.
The right tactical
gear to ram
a bolted door, a warrant
to search and seize
keep a good cop in the bag,
not chasing lost time.
A good cop learns to know
a stalker’s MO,
track a snitch’s mate
and motive, probe
a person of interest
with a history
and time to give
up a statement.
Even when things go
sideways, a good cop
never goes down
not knowing where
the bright blue line’s
been drawn.
Glynn says
Maureen – you should be writing police procedurals! I love this!
JB Wood says
TS Elliott was a banker?! Shut up. I never knew that! I think I have one truly (overtly) “work/corporate” poem. The others may be more subversive? Love your idea here.
Glynn says
Jim – there are all kinds of subversives lurking in the corporate halls of power. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Donna says
she’s seussified
she’s mystified
it’s mommy time
all the time
can’t stop yawning
can’t stop fawning
it’s mommy time
all the time
wants a twinkie
(sigh…wants to stay slinky)
it’s mommy time
all the time
children swarming her
children disarming her
it’s mommy time
all the time
constantly meal making
then suddenly leave taking
it’s flying time
all the time
away
from
her
Glynn says
It’s flying time
all the time
buit the mommy time
is flying into
children’s hearts
Donna says
YES, Glynn. At least I sure hope so. Melding time, I suppose. I so miss my college boy. I miss the fawning and the meal making and the being disarmed… which is most often by something either profound or hilarious. I worried this sounded like a complaint… I wanted it to sound like the busiest rhymingest craziest whackiest most exhausting job I ever loved.
Maureen Doallas says
Dreaming of Cruellers
Coming home, smelling
like a donut is no perk,
and the public can get testy
when they come in looking
for a baker’s dozen and you
only got ten of a kind. Don’t
complain, you want to tell
them; or, maybe, go fly a kite.
Nobody’s an “employee”
at Dunkin’ Donuts. You get
hired, you become crew
at that chain, pull a shift, get
paid some hourly rate. It’s
cool. Unless you’ve just come
out of law school and want
to be representing the spillers
who try to drive and drink
hot all at the same time.
Working behind the counter,
Eli Manning told NY Daily News,
ain’t like throwin’ footballs
in season but, hey, keep your
priorities straight and you’ll go
places, so he claims. No doubt
Rob Gronkowski of New England
Patriots fame would agree. He’s
done time at the drive-thru,
serving straight up, signing
a few cups, calling it a blast.
Yeah, those endorsements, they
pay off for Dunkin’ Donuts, keep
the quarterbackers in line, too.
Did you know Dunkin’ Donuts
is now animal-friendly to pork
and eggs? Well, I can’t vouch for it
being gluten-free, but the cafe
au lait’s a starter on a cold morn.
________________________
My mother once worked at a Dunkin’ Donuts, and I can tell you, she smelled like the place by the time she got home. And the stuff about the quarterbacks? It’s true. They’ve got their own franchise going with DD.
Glynn says
I may be wrong, but I don’t think I could ever think of a doughnut place as “work.” I could never work there. Well, maybe for a day or two.
Thanks, Maureen!
Laurie Flanigan says
Underemployed
Unchallenged, undone wonder
if it will do
if I will do
the same
perpetuating work. This
new cycle keeps spewing
unremarkable
against my resume
against my psyche.
It’s outdoing itself
undoing me.