The Death of the Hired Man

[jenk]

It's a poem by Robert Frost, and the source of 'Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.'

I read the full poem for the first time today, and these passages stood out to me.

He hates to see a boy the fool of books.
Poor Silas, so concerned for other folk,
And nothing to look backward to with pride,
And nothing to look forward to with hope,
So now and never any different.'

And nothing to look backward to with pride / And nothing to look forward to with hope

God, that's lonely.

Silas is what he is -- we wouldn't mind him--
But just the kind that kinsfolk can't abide.
He never did a thing so very bad.
He don't know why he isn't quite as good
As anyone.

It's just...ow. This reminds me of Certain Women: "Look, Em, you're bright. And Billy's not. That's something you can't understand. I mean, it's simply not possible for highly intelligent people to understand people who are not." There are times when understanding isn't enough, when differences are too huge. And it's hard.