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”: “Madam and The Rent Man” by Langston Hughes, a popular African American poet and social activist, is a highly interesting poem. It is unclear when the poem first appeared but later it appeared in the collection of his poems. It also appeared in an album by Margaret Walker released in 1975. The poem presents a situation where an agent demands rent from a lady who complains to him about the dilapidated condition of the house after which both agree to disagree.
- “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, then, points out that she would go away to Hades before paying the rent as the sink is broken, the water is not running, and that what she has been promised is not done. She also points to the back window, kitchen, cellar, and attic issues. When it comes to paying the rent, he wrangles with the lady and both of them come to the point that they agree if she does not pay and that both are not pleased with this situation. By the end, when both of them state that they are not pleased with this situation, they agree on it though they do not agree on any other thing.
- 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 usual greetings and final reconciliation are unusual in the circumstances where renting and payments are concerned, the lady does not entertain the rent man saying that she would not pay until he repairs certain things. Although the rent man does not agree and has already broken his promise, she states that she is also not pleased with behavior if he is not pleased with her action of non-payment. On this point, both of them agree that they know this point.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In “Madam and the Rent Man”
literary devices bring variety into simple poetic pieces. Hughes has 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 /e/ in “The rent man knocked” the sound of /o/ in “He said, Howdy-do?” and “Can I do for you”, and the sound of /e/ in “Kitchen floor squeaks.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /k/ “Kitchen floor squeaks” and 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. Langston Hughes has used imagery in this poem such as “Your rent is due”, “The sink is broke” and “Kitchen floor squeaks.”
- Personification: The poem shows the use of personifications of kitchen that squeaks 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.
