Poetry · Chapter
Lines explained
A poem advocating for a refuge for the honest poor in Oxford County, expressing shame at the past practice of jailing or forcing them to beg, and envisioning a farm where they will be safe from cold and hunger.
What happens
A poem advocating for a refuge for the honest poor in Oxford County, expressing shame at the past practice of jailing or forcing them to beg, and envisioning a farm where they will be safe from cold and hunger.
Themes in this chapter
Moral Lessons and Domestic Virtue
The poem promotes a moral imperative to care for the honest poor, framing it as a domestic and community virtue.
Key passages
“Disgrace no more we will bewail, That honest poor are sent to jail Or allowed to beg from door to door, When they are old, sick and footsore;”
We will no longer lament the disgrace of honest poor people being jailed or forced to beg when they are elderly, ill, and weary.
Expresses a shift from shame to action regarding the mistreatment of the poor.
“They will have retuge on the farm, Where cold and hunger will not harm.”
They will find shelter on the farm, where they will be protected from cold and starvation.
Envisions a farm as a safe haven for the poor.