# Eugene Byfield explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

A brief poetic tribute to Eugene Byfield, manager of the Sherman Hotel in Chicago, highlighting his skill at polo and the ironic comparison between the dangers of the sport and the challenges of managing the hotel.

## Themes in this chapter

### Work and Profession

The poem contrasts the rough sport of polo with the demanding job of managing a hotel.

## Character check-ins

### Eugene Byfield

Manager of Hotel Sherman, Chicago, known for playing polo.

## Key lines

> Gene Byfield plays polo quite well, And polo is rougher than hell, More dang'rous, they say, Than fighting your way To the desk at the Sherman Hotel.

Eugene Byfield is skilled at polo, a sport considered more dangerous than the struggle to reach the front desk of the Sherman Hotel.

_The poem humorously exaggerates the difficulty of hotel management._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/eugene-byfield
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters