FARMER. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This short dramatic fragment features a dialogue where one character warns another that a third party is accusing them of murder — specifically, trampling a man named Goodell to death in a fit of rage over a wage dispute.
The poem
He said you did it out of spite to him For taking part against you in the quarrel You had with your John Gloyd about his wages. He says you murdered Goodell; that you trampled Upon his body till he breathed no more. And so beware of him; that's my advice! [Exit.
This short dramatic fragment features a dialogue where one character warns another that a third party is accusing them of murder — specifically, trampling a man named Goodell to death in a fit of rage over a wage dispute. The tone feels more like a scene from a play than a lyric poem, concluding with a stage direction ("Exit"). After delivering the accusation, the speaker walks away, leaving the accused to ponder the warning.
Line-by-line
He said you did it out of spite to him / For taking part against you in the quarrel
You had with your John Gloyd about his wages.
He says you murdered Goodell; that you trampled / Upon his body till he breathed no more.
And so beware of him; that's my advice! / [Exit.
Tone & mood
The tone is urgent and conspiratorial. The speaker isn’t an authority figure; they’re sharing risky information, almost like gossip, but with serious consequences. The language is blunt ("that's my advice!") and has a working-class, straightforward vibe. Beneath this straightforward delivery lies a sense of threat and social danger.
Symbols & metaphors
- The wage dispute — The dispute about John Gloyd's wages highlights the ongoing economic struggles in rural life. What starts as a disagreement over money can quickly escalate into violence, illustrating how even minor injustices can lead to major consequences.
- Trampling — The act of trampling — a term linked to livestock and farming — connects the violence to the agricultural environment the characters live in. It also hints at rage that extends beyond just one strike, suggesting a pattern of ongoing, intentional brutality.
- The Exit — The stage direction serves as a symbol: the informant gives the warning and then disappears, leaving the accused alone. It highlights how rapidly community support can vanish once an accusation is made.
Historical context
Longfellow is best known for his lengthy narrative poems like *Evangeline* and *The Song of Hiawatha*, but he also ventured into drama, notably with his verse play *New England Tragedies* (1868), which explores themes of Puritan-era justice and community violence. This fragment seems to be a piece of dramatic verse — a speech from a larger theatrical or narrative context. It feels grounded in rural New England, where land disputes, labor issues, and wage conflicts were frequent sources of tension in the 18th and 19th centuries. Longfellow had a keen interest in American history and the moral lives of everyday people, which is evident in this fragment: the characters are farmers and laborers, not traditional heroes, and the crime suggested is driven by passion and spite rather than grand evil. The straightforward, unembellished language is typical of his dramatic writing style.
FAQ
It's a piece of dramatic verse — poetry intended for characters to perform on stage. The stage direction '[Exit.' at the end indicates that it's from a theatrical work. Longfellow created several verse dramas, and this seems to be a scene from one of those.
The text avoids naming either character directly. The speaker seems to be passing on a warning — probably a neighbor or someone familiar. They're talking to an individual who has been accused of murder, but the accused doesn't say anything in this part.
John Gloyd is identified as the individual involved in the initial wage dispute. He is not the murder victim; that role belongs to Goodell. Gloyd is the one whose decision to take a side in the argument allegedly provoked the accused's violent reaction.
Goodell is the alleged murder victim. He reportedly took a stance against the accused in the conflict with John Gloyd, and it's claimed that the protagonist killed him for this reason. Other than that, this fragment reveals little else about him.
The '[Exit.' stage direction indicates the speaker walks off right after delivering the warning. This choice is dramatically powerful — the informant drops a bombshell and then vanishes, leaving the accused to handle it on their own. It also keeps the speaker distanced from the accusation, suggesting they want to avoid any further involvement.
The speaker is cautioning the accused to be wary of the individual making the accusation — the 'he' who is telling the story about the murder. This person poses a threat, likely because they could lead to legal or social repercussions for the accused.
The title situates the drama within a particular social setting — rural, agricultural, and working-class. The violence and wage disputes become clearer when viewed through this lens. It also indicates that Longfellow cares about the moral complexities of everyday people, rather than just focusing on historical or mythological characters.
The fragment leaves us in the dark. All we get are second-hand accounts — 'he said,' 'he says.' The accused remains silent, never confirming or denying anything. Longfellow keeps the question of guilt wide open, which adds to the fragment's dramatic intrigue.