Madam and the Rent Man
Madam and the Rent Man - meaning Summary
Standoff Over Survival and Dignity
A tense, economical scene in which a tenant («Madam») refuses to pay rent to an agent who insists on collection. She catalogs the landlord’s neglect—broken sink, rats, leaks—and rejects responsibility, while the rent man deflects blame as merely an agent. Their exchange ends in mutual displeasure and a standoff. The poem compresses poverty, dignity, and bureaucratic evasion, reflecting Hughes’s awareness of economic hardship and racialized housing injustice.
Read Complete AnalysesThe 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 Hades And 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!
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