The one that started it.
By Reine25
@Lucky15 (37346)
Philippines
September 22, 2017 7:03am CST
Felt it, then inspired.
When I was in high school, we are asked to look for a poem that we "feel" and interpret it on our own words.
Into the our school library we check books where we can see an "inspiring" piece.
It didn't took me that long to find one, or maybe poems is not really my "type", just wrote it down for compliance.
While reading the poem, I felt what was written there, that even until now I still feel that every time I read the poem.
It is about slavery and hopelessness, unfairness.
The poem is "the man with the hoe" by Edwin Markham.
It was the start of liking poems.
Do you have that thing called, "the one that started it"?
Here are few lines of the poem:
"Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans
Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground,
The emptiness of ages in his face,
And on his back the burden of the world.
Who made him dead to rapture and despair,
A thing that grieves not and that never hopes."
12 people like this
13 responses
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@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
22 Sep 17
it's a sad poem. i looked it up to learn more about it. per wikipedia: "It portrays the labor of much of humanity using the symbolism of a laborer leaning upon his hoe, burdened by his work, but receiving little rest or reward. It has been called "the battle-cry of the next thousand years" and translated into 37 languages."
i guess it represents the common working man, which most people around the world are.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48997)
• United States
22 Sep 17
I love poetry, but have not seen this poem before.
3 people like this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
22 Sep 17
Oh, I also remember those lines, and also loved it! Yes, I also started composing some poetic lines in high school.
2 people like this
@mildredtabitha (16053)
• Nairobi, Kenya
23 Sep 17
I used to recite poems in high-school and primary school :)
1 person likes this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
23 Sep 17
@mildredtabitha You did? wow! English and Tagalog only ;/
1 person likes this
@mildredtabitha (16053)
• Nairobi, Kenya
23 Sep 17
@Lucky15 I used to recite poems in English, French and Swahili. What about you?
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
23 Sep 17
First time I've heard of this poem. Will look up the rest of it online.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
24 Sep 17
i can memorize the first 2 lines only. hahaha! but i like that piece of poetry.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
24 Sep 17
@Lucky15 no, but we were required to memorize the first stanza of "mi ultimo adios", "the tree", and the Spanish prayers of "Padre Nuestro" and "Dios de Salve Maria".
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