15+ Must-Read Working Poems

(15 to start, 20+ to explore)

Poems about working delve into the daily struggles, triumphs, and monotony of labor. They paint vivid pictures of various occupations, from factory workers to farmers, highlighting the dignity and resilience of those who toil to sustain themselves and their families.

These verses explore the complexities of work-life, societal expectations, and the pursuit of meaning in one’s occupation.

Poems about working often evoke a sense of camaraderie among workers, celebrating their contributions to society and advocating for fair treatment and acknowledgment of their efforts.

Poems about Working Visual Representation

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"> 89/100

Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper

by Martín Espada

‘Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper’ contrasts two forms of labor and encourages the reader to consider the relationship between them.

Perhaps above all, this poem explores and critiques perceptions regarding the value of different kinds of work. The unseen, thankless, and dangerous work undertaken by working-class people goes unrewarded and underappreciated, especially when compared to a career like a lawyer.

At sixteen, I worked after high school hours

at a printing plant

that manufactured legal pads:

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"> 85/100

Tractor

by Ted Hughes

‘Tractor’ by Ted Hughes is a powerful poem that represents and narrates the fight and victory of machinery with rich assertion and proper lexical equipment used.

The poem depicts the topic of mechanical objectification which portrays the attempt of the speaker to restart the stalled machine. The culmination of sweating and the feelings of chaos, stress, and even fear that are felt during this strenuous activity can be identified as characteristics of manual work. Hughes movingly captures the speaker’s attempts at the work, making the readers think about the definition and role of jobs in people’s lives and their becoming.

The tractor stands frozen - an agony

To think of. All night

Snow packed its open entrails. Now a head-pincering gale,

A spill of molten ice, smoking snow

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"> 80/100

What Work Is

by Philip Levine

‘What Work Is’ by Philip Levine attempts to reconcile the speaker’s perceptions of what work is versus the tormenting experience of waiting for it.

Another central topic of Levine's poem is work and describing the experience of those hoping for employment in the automobile industry in the latter half of the 20th century. The poem hones in on the way workers are exploited for their desperation for work and the cruel way they have to endure being arbitrarily turned away.

We stand in the rain in a long line

waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.

You know what work is—if you’re

old enough to read this you know what

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"> 76/100

An Hour With Thee

by Sir Walter Scott

‘An Hour With Thee’ by Sir Walter Scott is a poem about the speaker’s appreciation for spending time with an unnamed character. Despite his difficult life, an hour with this person can make his situation tolerable.

'An Hour With Thee' by Sir Walter Scott contains undertones of enslavement, as the speaker describes the intense field work that he does during the hot summer days. While his work is difficult and demeaning, he still has hope and courage when he thinks of spending time with his loved one.

An hour with thee! When earliest day

Dapples with gold the eastern gray,

Oh, what can frame my mind to bear

The toil and turmoil, cark and care,

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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 act of working dominates the poem, with the children’s labor portrayed as both skilled and relentless. Their craft transcends mundane effort, becoming an intricate contribution to tradition and spirituality. Through vivid descriptions, the poem elevates their work to an almost sacred act, reflecting the interplay between labor and purpose.

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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"> 68/100

Lorry

by Al Hafiz Sanusi

‘Lorry’ by Al Hafiz Sanusi depicts the ways that change can improve lives but also complicate and damage them. The poet uses the poem to discuss the need for better transportation standards for migrant workers.

Working is a central part of the poem. The speaker's father has spent his life working as a lorry driver. The poem highlights the value and difficulty of this work. It calls for better recognition and conditions for workers. The theme underscores the dignity and importance of labor.

The day will come

when you who have helped to build our nation

will finally

get to sit back

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I Hear America Singing

by Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman’s poetic prose, ‘I hear America Singing’, free-flows with vibrancy, energy, and sheer respect for working class members of America.

This topic is the center of the poem. Whitman writes with clear admiration for workers of all kinds, describing their actions with care and pride. From the boatman to the young wife, each person is praised for what they do. Work is shown not just as labor but as something joyful and important. Since the entire poem revolves around work and its meaning, this is without a doubt the most fitting and clearly presented topic.

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

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The Forge

by Seamus Heaney

‘The Forge’ elevates blacksmithing to a sacred act, blending the physical and spiritual in a vivid, non-traditional sonnet form.

‘The Forge’ is entirely built around the act of working with metal. The blacksmith’s labor is shown in detail, from the sound of the anvil to the cooling of hot iron in water. The poem gives value to physical work and the quiet skill it requires. Every motion is treated with care and attention. While it does not romanticize the job, it honors the steady rhythm of someone who has spent a lifetime shaping things by hand.

All I know is a door into the dark.

Outside, old axles and iron hoops rusting;

Inside, the hammered anvil’s short-pitched ring,

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Marked With D

by Tony Harrison

‘Marked With D’ by Tony Harrison is a sad poem about mortality and the ways in which human lives are valued.

The baker's position as a member of the working class is something that the latter half of the poem touches on. Since he wasn't a well-known member of society, the poet indicates that few people are going to remember him. This is something the poet feels regretful about.

When the chilled dough of his flesh went in an oven

not unlike those he fuelled all his life,

I thought of his cataracts ablaze with Heaven

#10

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Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes

by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes’ by Lawrence Ferlinghetti explores wealth and class differences in the United States.

The poem gives clear attention to people who work hard jobs that often go unnoticed. The garbage collectors have been working since before sunrise, doing physical labor while the rest of the city wakes up. Their work is essential, but they are rarely given recognition or comfort. The poem asks readers to think about how workers are treated and valued. It reminds us how invisible and overlooked working people can be in today’s society.

At the stoplight waiting for the light

nine a.m. downtown San Francisco

a bright yellow garbage truck

with two garbagemen in red plastic blazers

#11

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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.

Working is at the heart of the poem, portrayed through the speaker’s own labor and the work done by previous generations. The repeated chorus mirrors the rhythm of physical effort, resembling the call-and-response of a work song. While the tasks are demanding, the speaker finds value in them when they are done freely rather than under oppression. The poem captures the endurance, skill, and pride that can be part of labor when it is tied to choice and self-worth.

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

#12

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The Housewife

by Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman

‘The Housewife’ by Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman describes the day to day life of a housewife and the circular, unchanging elements of that life.

Although she does not have a job in the traditional sense, the speaker’s whole life is filled with work. She plans, organizes, and takes care of endless details. She even compares her role to a trade, despite never being trained. Her work is unpaid and often unnoticed, but it takes up all her energy. The poem shows that work can happen inside the home, and that it can be just as tiring and demanding.

Here is the House to hold me — cradle of all the race;

Here is my lord and my love, here are my children dear —

Here is the House enclosing, the dear-loved dwelling place;

Why should I ever weary for aught that I find not here?

#13

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Pleasures

by Denise Levertov

Denise Levertov’s ‘Pleasures’ celebrates the beauty hidden within everyday objects, inviting readers to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.

This poem addresses the topic of working through the act of discovering hidden beauty. The speaker's attention to detail and their deliberate actions of pulling out squid bones or laying out gull feathers on a draining board imply a sense of purpose and engagement. The poem suggests that the act of exploring and appreciating the hidden aspects of the world can be seen as a form of meaningful work.

I like to find

what's not found

at once, but lies

within something of another nature,

#14

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Monologue

by Hone Tuwhare

‘Monologue’ by Hone Tuwhare is a contemporary poem about the difficulties workers face when looking for a job and how temporary those jobs can be.

Working, and finding work, are key parts of this contemporary poem. The speaker has a job in a factory that he appreciates and wants to keep but that he knows likely on its last legs. He feels he, and others, are going to be fired soon to reduce costs.

I like working near a door. I like to have my work-bench

close by, with a locker handy.

#15

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The Red Wheelbarrow

by William Carlos Williams

‘The Red Wheelbarrow’ by William Carlos Williams is a short modernist poem depicting a red wheelbarrow glazed with rain.

The presence of the red wheelbarrow in the poem and the poet's allusions to what it's used for suggesting that it's part of a day's hard work. Someone uses it to complete hard tasks, like moving heavy objects outside. It's a simple object but one that's quite important.

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

Home » Collection » Poems about Working

15+ Must-Read Working Poems

(15 to start, 20+ to explore)

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15+ Must-Read Working Poems

(15 to start, 20+ to explore)

by Martín Espada

by Ted Hughes

by Philip Levine

by Sir Walter Scott

by Carol Rumens

by Al Hafiz Sanusi

by Walt Whitman

by Seamus Heaney

by Tony Harrison

by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

by Maya Angelou

by Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman

by Denise Levertov

by Hone Tuwhare

by William Carlos Williams

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