EXPLORING THE ELEMENTS OF MARXISM IN THE POEM THE MAN WITH THE HOE BY EDWIN MARKHAM

Abstract

This study provides a Marxist analysis of Edwin Markham's 1899 poem "The Man with the Hoe," inspired by Jean-François Millet's 1860-1862 painting. Through close textual reading, this paper examines how the poem critiques capitalist exploitation of the laboring class, revealing core Marxist concepts including class struggle, worker alienation, and surplus value extraction. The analysis demonstrates how Markham's imagery—particularly the laborer's stooped posture and extinguished consciousness—embodies Marx's theories of dehumanization under capitalism. The poem functions as both documentation and prophetic warning, holding the bourgeoisie accountable for systematically stripping workers of their humanity while predicting inevitable proletarian revolution. Despite the poem's historical significance and widespread impact, comprehensive Marxist analyses remain limited in contemporary scholarship. This study addresses this gap by connecting Markham's rhetoric and imagery to specific concepts in Marx's theory, offering a unique perspective on how nineteenth-century American poetry engaged with social critique and demonstrating the poem's enduring relevance as a call for economic justice and class resistance.