15+ Remarkable Poems about Hard Workers

(15 to start, 60+ to explore)

Poems about hard workers celebrate the dedication, perseverance, and contributions of those who consistently try to achieve their goals and make a positive impact. These poems remind us of the strength of the human spirit and the potential for growth, transformation, and triumph, even in the face of adversity.

Furthermore, these poems pay homage to the unsung heroes, the individuals who diligently contribute to their communities and society. They acknowledge the laborers, the caregivers, the teachers, and the countless others who work behind the scenes, often without recognition.

Poems about Hard Workers Visual Representation

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To be of use

by Marge Piercy

Celebrating the beauty of diligence, Marge Piercy’s ‘To be of use’ draws powerful metaphors between humans and enduring animals.

This poem is an almost perfect representation of hard workers. The poem’s admiration for those who “pull like water buffalo” and “strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward” elevates laborers to a near-heroic status. It highlights the resilience and dedication required to keep pushing forward, making it one of the best poems to capture the spirit of people who find purpose in hard, essential work.

The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

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Grandfather

by Derek Mahon

‘Grandfather’ offers a moving and memorable portrayal of a man who pushes back against his old age right up to the end.

Mahon’s grandfather symbolizes the strength and integrity of manual labor. The poet highlights the dignity of his grandfather’s work, elevating it to a symbol of resilience and purpose in the face of life’s challenges. It also captures the ways in which hard workers do not change their ways and remain steadfast right until the end.

They brought him in on a stretcher from the world,

Wounded but humorous; and he soon recovered.

Boiler-rooms, row upon row of gantries rolled

Away to reveal the landscape of a childhood

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Slowly The Black Earth Gains

by George Santayana

‘Slowly The Black Earth Gains’ by George Santayana is a poem that expresses great admiration for the persevering toil of a farmer.

Speaking of hard work, one of the poem's defining images is that of the ploughman and their oxen covering the hills in furrows. The vast extent of this work, coupled with its arduous intensity, attempts to communicate to the reader the realities of farming in the countryside. However, it also greatly idolizes and celebrates the ploughman's commitment.

Slowly the black earth gains upon the yellow,

And the caked hill-side is ribbed soft with furrows.

Turn now again, with voice and staff, my ploughman,

Guiding thy oxen.

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An Extraordinary Morning

by Philip Levine

‘An Extraordinary Morning’ by Philip Levine is a moving poem that exalts and admires the brotherly love shared between two laborers enjoying being off the clock.

Philip Levine's poems often feature people whose occupation would best be defined as hard labor. Their exact occupations might be ambiguous, though it's still clear the work these two men do is physically draining, as it's left them both tired and covered in the grime of their toils. Despite this, the speaker marvels at them and appears to echo their celebratory mood.

Two young men—you just might call them boys—

waiting for the Woodward streetcar to get

them downtown. Yes, they’re tired, they’re also

dirty, and happy. Happy because they’ve

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Working

by Tony Harrison

‘Working’ by Tony Harrison is a powerful poem about the terrible working conditions suffered by two different types of workers. The first half of the poem focuses on mining and the second half focuses on a line worker in a factory.

The main focus of this poem is on those who work in incredibly hard conditions and have to endure risks to their physical and mental health. The speaker indicates that these workers deserve better and should be treated with more respect.

Among stooped getters, grimy, knacker-bare,

head down thrusting a 3 cwt corf

turned your crown bald, your golden hair

chafed fluffy first and then scuffed off,

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A Peasant

by Ronald Stuart Thomas

‘A Peasant’ was written in 1942. The poem presents an emblematic character of Thomas’s poetry called Iago Prytherch.

Iago Prytherch emerges as an archetype of hard workers. The poem doesn't romanticize his labor but presents it in all its grueling reality. Yet, through this unvarnished portrayal, it imbues his work with a sense of dignity and purpose. The verses challenge readers to recognize the valor in persistent, unglamorous toil, redefining our understanding of heroism.

Iago Prytherch his name, though, be it allowed,

Just an ordinary man of the bald Welsh hills,

Who pens a few sheep in a gap of cloud.

Docking mangels, chipping the green skin

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Night Mail

by W.H. Auden

W.H. Auden’s ‘Night Mail,’ written for the UK postal service, presents its significance and dedication to fulfilling society’s needs.

The poem depicts postal workers as hard workers whose efforts are integral in connecting humans distanced by geography. The night mail train's journey, fraught with challenges like steep gradients and harsh weather, indicates the dedication, hard work, and efficiency of postal workers. It shows how their hard work ensures the smooth mechanism of postal services, which fulfills society's significant need for communication.

This is the night mail crossing the Border,

Bringing the cheque and the postal order,

Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,

The shop at the corner, the girl next door.

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Carpet-weavers, Morocco

by Carol Rumens

‘Carpet-weavers, Morocco’ is a challenging poem which explores issues such as child labour as well as examining the myriad origins of beauty.

The children embody the concept of hard work, with their disciplined precision likened to modern distractions like television. Their tireless efforts highlight their role in a larger cultural and economic system. The poem honors their labor while subtly questioning the implications of such early responsibility on their young lives.

The children are at the loom of another world.

Their braids are oiled and black, their dresses bright.

Their assorted heights would make a melodious chime.

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Chicago

by Carl Sandburg

‘Chicago’ written by Carl Sandburg is a poem of admiration and self-defense. It was published in his collection ‘Chicago Poems.’

Sandburg presents Chicago as a city built and kept alive by hardworking people. From butchers to freight handlers, the poem shows the many jobs that power the city’s growth. The workers are not romanticized, but they are respected for their strength and effort. These workers become symbols of pride and endurance. The poem gives voice to the laborers, showing how their everyday work creates the rhythm, identity, and power of a growing industrial city.

Hog Butcher for the World,

Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,

Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;

Stormy, husky, brawling,

#10

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One More Round

by Maya Angelou

‘One More Round’ features a never-ending cycle of hard work, which draws on African American history throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

The poem presents hard workers as people who commit themselves fully to their tasks despite difficulty and exhaustion. The speaker’s parents serve as examples, working tirelessly without complaint. This dedication is shown as both a necessity and a source of pride, representing the strength needed to endure challenging conditions. The poem honors those who face daily demands with persistence, emphasizing that such effort gains even greater meaning when it is done by choice and with self-respect.

There ain't no pay beneath the sun

As sweet as rest when a job's well done.

I was born to work up to my grave

#11

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As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days

by Walt Whitman

‘As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days’ by Walt Whitman offers a timeless examination of the poet’s purpose in a world that is constantly changing due to forces that only appear more tangible than poetry.

A topic that's addressed in Walt Whitman's poem is their love of hard workers. Initially, this sentiment is draped generally around all of humanity, with particular focus given to the United States. But near the end of the poem, the speaker mentions "the divine average," a phrase that appears elsewhere in Whitman's poetry and represents their reverence for the common man.

As I walk these broad majestic days of peace,

(For the war, the struggle of blood finish'd, wherein, O terrific Ideal,

Against vast odds erewhile having gloriously won,

Now thou stridest on, yet perhaps in time toward denser wars,

#12

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Loving Someone You Can't Have

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Farmhand

by James K. Baxter

‘Farmhand’ by James K. Baxter describes the lack of confidence a farmhand has regarding his appearance and relationship prospects.

Calloused hands and sunburnt skin stand at the poem’s center. The farmhand moves “effortless and strong” through harvest, forking stooks with practiced ease. His body speaks of early mornings and long days under the sun. That physical grit becomes a language of its own: proof that honest labor carries its own pride. Readers sense the muscle memory in each line, understanding how work can heal and define a person beyond any dance hall dream.

You will see him light a cigarette At the hall door careless, leaning his back Against the wall, or telling some new joke To a friend, or looking out into the secret night.

#13

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Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year

by Thornton Burgess

‘Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year’ by Thornton W. Burgess joyfully captures the essence of gratitude and the anticipation of the holiday season.

This poem lauds hard workers through its portrayal of diligent efforts leading to abundance. The speaker's daily toil in gathering provisions symbolizes industriousness. The poem celebrates the fruits of hard work, emphasizing that the well-stocked storehouse is a testament to the speaker's labor. It conveys the theme that diligence and dedication result in a prosperous and contented life.

Thanksgiving comes but once a year,

But when it comes it brings good cheer.

For in my storehouse on this day

Are piles of good things hid away.

#14

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For a’ That and a’ That

by Robert Burns

‘For a’ That and a’ That’ by Robert Burns describes man’s true worth as not being defined by wealth, position, or possessions.

The speaker praises the poor's hard work over the rich's social status. When the speaker asserts, 'For a' that, an' a' that / Our toils obscure, an' a' that; / The rank is but the guinea's stamp; / The man's the gowd for a' that,' they suggest that hard work is the accurate measure of a person's worth, overshadowing external symbols of rank.

Is there, for honest poverty,

That hings his head, an' a' that?

The coward slave, we pass him by,

We dare be poor for a' that!

#15

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The Camel’s Hump

by Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Camel’s Hump’ is a fun poem on the repercussions of lethargy and inactivity. Humorously, we may grow a “Cameelious hump” if we feel like “we haven’t enough to do.”

The poem contrasts the consequences of laziness with the rewards of hard work. The camel’s hump symbolizes the discomfort and trouble that come from not contributing. It shows that working hard and being active are important to prevent problems and to be a part of the community.

The Camel's hump is an ugly lump

Which well you may see at the Zoo;

But uglier yet is the hump we get

From having too little to do.

Home » Collection » Poems about Hard Workers

15+ Remarkable Poems about Hard Workers

(15 to start, 60+ to explore)

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15+ Remarkable Poems about Hard Workers

(15 to start, 60+ to explore)

by Marge Piercy

by Derek Mahon

by George Santayana

by Philip Levine

by Tony Harrison

by Ronald Stuart Thomas

by W.H. Auden

by Carol Rumens

by Carl Sandburg

by Maya Angelou

by Walt Whitman

by James K. Baxter

by Thornton Burgess

by Robert Burns

by Rudyard Kipling

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