# Lines explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by James McIntyre.

## 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters/lines
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters