"What Work Is"

Understanding Capitalistic Ideologies: Interpreting What Work Is by Phillip Levine

           

The poem “What Work Is” by Phillip Levine is laden with capitalistic ideologies. In the poem, ‘we’ is representing the working class people. The poem is set in industrial city of USA where those people are shown to be queuing up for the work. And the speaker of the poem is trying to define what is work?.

We stand in the rain in a long line

       waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.   (1-2)

   

In these first two lines of first stanza , we can see how those people are waiting over there in the line for the work besides the uncertainties of employment. The Poem was written in the era of massive industrial production during 19^th century. They are waiting in a long line in front of Ford Highland Park which is currently known as Ford Highland Park Plant. Here in this poem, Ford Highland Park stands for Capitalism, because it is the true employer over there. Ford Highland Park was previously manufacturing company of biggest car company Ford in USA. The name of the company Ford is synonymous to cars all over the world. Similarly, cars are the part of the American Dream.

Although there could be the different may be better definition of work by superior class but speakers in the poem have defined work in very miserable way because they are governed by that sort of sociopolitical scenario.

“…This is about waiting,

shifting from one foot to another.

Feeling the light rain falling like mist

into your hair, blurring your vision

until you think you see your own brother

ahead of you, maybe ten places.”  (6-11)

While waiting in the line, people feel really tired and they keep on shifting one foot to another. People wait and wait though it’s raining outside. We may blur our vision and seek the help of the brother and in some cases we may not recognize our brothers as well. So, this stanza also clearly states that working class people are falling apart. They are the victim of  capitalism. We can see the sense of rugged individualism among them because they don’t have their own brother beside them. They just think that brothers are there in ten places ahead but they are the brother of other people. Speakers are struggling hard to get employed and there is the tough competition.

“…with the same sad slouch, the grin

that does not hide the stubbornness,

the sad refusal to give in to

rain, to the hours of wasted waiting,

to the knowledge that somewhere ahead

a man is waiting who will say, “No,

we’re not hiring today,”…”   (15-21)

Levine has used several dictions like grin, stubbornness etc which stand for capitalist and they will say ‘NO’ to people who are queuing over there.  People are in sad slouch and they are really tired. And a man is standing over there who won’t let them in instead of hours long waiting. And you lack the presence and love your brother or more precisely brotherhood. So, this lost brotherhood also stand for competition and rugged individualism. Then, speaker thinks of his brother who is trying to take rest after 8 hours long night duty in Cadillac. Cadillac is also a car company in USA.

Besides this, his brother is learning German language to sing with Wagner. Wagner’s full name is Richard Wagner and he is a singer in Germany. In this way, speaker and his brother are living up their American Dream. They are driven by American Dream. Though, his brother is working hard to earn his living, it’s told that he doesn’t know how to work. Workers are treated like commodities in the poem.

Thus, this poem is classist poem because poet is neutral while presenting working class people. Rather he has portrayed the very miserable condition of workers.