Madam and the Rent Man
The rent man knocked.
He said, Howdy-do?
I said, What
Can I do for you?
He said, You know
Your rent is due.I said, Listen,
Before I’d pay
I’d go to HadesAnd rot away!
The sink is broke,
The water don’t run,
And you ain’t done a thing
You promised to’ve done.Back window’s cracked,
Kitchen floor squeaks,
There’s rats in the cellar,And the attic leaks.
He said, Madam,
It’s not up to me.
I’m just the agent,
Don’t you see?I said, Naturally,
You pass the buck.
If it’s money you want
You’re out of luck.He said, Madam,
I ain’t pleased!
I said, Neither am I.
So we agrees!
Summary of Madam and the Rent Man
- Popularity of “Madam and the Rent Man”: The poem ‘Madam and The Rent Man’ was written by Langston Hughes, a popular African American poet and social activist. The poem’s initial appearance remains uncertain; it later surfaced in a compilation of his works. It also appeared in an album by Margaret Walker released in 1975. In the poem, an agent requests for rent from a lady who expresses discontent about the poor state of her home, resulting in a disagreement between the two parties.
- “Madam and the Rent Man” As a Representative of Reconciliation: The poet presents such a situation in which a lady rents a room. However, when the agent comes to demand the rent after greetings, she clearly says that the dilapidated condition of the house does not make her pay her rent. She points out that she would rather go to Hades than pay the rent due to the broken sink, the non-functional water, and the unfulfilled promises that have been made to her. In addition, she highlights concerns with the windows at the back, kitchen, cellar, and attic. For settling rent, he engages in a conflict with the landlady, and they eventually settle on a solution that leaves both parties discontent, with the landlady being excused from payment. At the conclusion, both parties acknowledge their dissatisfaction with the situation and subsequently reach a consensus, despite their lack of agreement on other matters.
- Major Themes in “Madam and the Rent Man”: Injustice in renting, untoward situations in negotiations, and reconciliation are three major themes of the poem. Although it is uncommon to exchange pleasantries and settle disputes at the end of a rental agreement, particularly in matters related to payments, the woman refuses to interact with the rent collector and insists on repairs being made before payment. The rent man broke his promise, but she’s also unhappy if he doesn’t approve of her not paying. On this point, both of them agree that they know this point.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In Madam and the Rent Man
The use of literary devices brings variety to simplistic poetic pieces. Langston Hughes also used some literary devices in this poem, whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ and the sound of /oo/ in “He said, Howdy-do? I said, What Can I do for you?”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ and /s/ in “There’s rats in the cellar”.
- Colloquialism: The poem shows the use of colloquialism, such as
The sink is broke,
The water don’t run,
And you ain’t done a thing
You promised to’ve done.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
The sink is broke,
The water don’t run,
And you ain’t done a thing
You promised to’ve done.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Your rent is due”, “The sink is broke” and “Kitchen floor squeaks.”
- Personification: The poem shows the use of personifications of the kitchen that squeak as if it has life and emotions of its own.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of symbols of construction such as window, floor, and cellar to show the dilapidated condition of the house.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Madam and the Rent Man
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows the use of informal and colloquial diction. However, it is tone is not only ironic but also very serious at the end.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem shows a beautiful rhyme scheme of ABABAB in the first stanza and it continues in the poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The poem has four stanzas, with the first having six verses and the rest four verses each.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Madam and The Rent Man” are appropriate to quote when having a room or building on rent.
The sink is broke,
The water don’t run,
And you ain’t done a thing
You promised to’ve done.
