# B. F. Affleck explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

A short poem celebrating the connection between poor road conditions and the future demand for Portland Cement, presented from the perspective of B. F. Affleck, president of the Universal Portland Cement Company.

## Themes in this chapter

### Work and Profession

The poem reflects a professional's perspective on how poor roads benefit the cement industry.

### Humor and Satire

The poem uses humor to invert the usual complaint about bad roads into a positive for business.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker of the poem, expressing a wry appreciation for bumpy roads.

## Key lines

> Bum roads don’t please me worth a cent, But they make quite a hit with this gent. Every jar, every bump, Every hollow or hump Means a future for Portland Cement.

I don't like rough roads at all, but they actually benefit me because each bump and pothole creates a need for more cement to repair them.

_The narrator explains the ironic advantage of poor road conditions for the cement business._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/b-f-affleck
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters