# Wm. G. Edens explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

A brief poetic tribute to Wm. G. Edens, a banker and president of the Illinois Highway Improvement Association, who is depicted as a forceful advocate for better roads, wielding both labor and threat to achieve his goal.

## Themes in this chapter

### Work and Profession

Wm. G. Edens is identified as a banker and association president, highlighting his professional role in road improvement.

## Character check-ins

### W. G. Nicholson

The chapter is titled 'Wm. G. Edens' but the excerpt does not mention any character from the canonical list; using a placeholder as no match found.

## Key lines

> We see him with shovel and pick, But he uses, as well, a big stick And with it as a threat, He’s hoping we’ll get Some decent roads pretty dam quick

He is seen working hard with tools, but also uses forceful persuasion, threatening to ensure that good roads are built quickly.

_The poem uses humor and exaggeration to portray Edens as both a laborer and a tough negotiator for road construction._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/wm-g-edens
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters