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This poem by Langston Hughes grew out of conditions in New York City’s Harlem in the 1930’s. In graphic terms it describes the escalation of anger and frustration that tenants experienced trying to get landlords to make basic repairs.
One of the best-known figures of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was inspired by his own time in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. The poem's speaker describes the experience of being a black tenant trying to get his white landlord to make basic, essential repairs to the property he's renting.
He’s trying to ruin the government And overturn the land! Landlord, landlord, These steps is broken down. When you come up yourself It’s a wonder you don’t fall down. Ten Bucks you say I owe you?
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‘The Ballad of the Landlord’ by Langston Hughes is a memorable piece about racism in New York during the 1940s. In the first lines of ‘The Ballad of the Landlord,’ the speaker begins by talking to his landlord. The second stanzaalso begins in the same way. He tells the man that his roof is leaking and that someone really needs to come to make repai...
Throughout this poem, the poet engages primarily with the theme of racism. The speaker, a black tenant, is well aware of the racism inherent in his society and isn’t exactly surprised when nothing is getting done in the way of repairs to his home. The white landlord, who knows he’s in a position of power concerning his job and the control his skin ...
‘The Ballad of the Landlord’ by Langston Hughes is a nine-stanza poem that is separated into uneven sets of lines. The first six stanzas all contain four lines, making them quatrains. The final stanzas are quite different, though. They are three tercets or sets of three lines. The first six stanzas follow the traditional rhyme scheme of a ballad. M...
Throughout this piece, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to: 1. Repetition: seen through the use of a refrain, “Landlord, landlord” in the first stanzas, as well as examples of anaphora. The latter can be seen with the use of “Ten Bucks you say” in stanza three and “You gonna” in stanza four. 2. Allit...
Stanzas One and Two
In the first stanzas of ‘The Ballad of the Landlord,’ the speaker, a black tenant, begins by addressing his landlord, a white man. He asks, politely, if the landlord remembers him informing him about a leak in the roof. He mentioned it a week ago, and nothing has been done to resolve the problem. He also tells the man that the “steps is broken down.” This is something, he warns, may end up being dangerous for the landlord himself. It’s a wonder. The speaker adds, “you don’t fall down.” Reader...
Stanzas Three and Four
The landlord responds to the tenant between the two stanzas. It appears the landlord told the tenant that he owes him “Ten Bucks.” This is something that immediately angers the tenant. He shouldn’t have to pay anything, especially if repairs aren’t being done. He starts to ask rhetorical questions, considering whether the landlord might threaten him with other loss, like his heat and furniture. Perhaps the landlord is willing to slowly dismantle the tenant’s life. It’s clear through the const...
Stanzas Five and Six
The next two stanzas, which are the final quatrains, are from the landlord’s perspective. He utilizes his position of power as a white man to call the police and have the tenant arrested for “trying to ruin the government/ And overturn the land!” This hyperbolicexplanation is an important part of the poem. If the Black man steps out of his role as a submissive tenant and questions the rule of the white landlord, then the “balance” of society is in danger, the speaker suggests. The landlord kn...
Readers who enjoyed ‘The Ballad of the Landlord’ should also consider reading some of Langston Hughes’ other best-known poems. For example: 1. ‘Beale Street Love’ – a short, powerful poem that speaks on the nature of love on Beale Street, an African American cultural hub. 2. ‘Dreams’ – is about the importance of never letting dreams go. 3. ‘Song Fo...
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The Ballad Of The Landlord. Landlord, landlord, My roof has sprung a leak. Don't you 'member I told you about it Way last week? Landlord, landlord, These steps is broken down. When you come up yourself It's a wonder you don't fall down. Ten Bucks you say I owe you? Ten Bucks you say is due?
Sep 5, 2023 · Langston Hughes's Ballad of the Landlord is a poem that depicts the struggle of the oppressed in the modern age. In the poem, the tenant asks his landlord to fix the...
The Ballad of the Landlord. Landlord, landlord, My roof has sprung a leak. Don’t you 'member I told you about it. Way last week? Landlord, landlord, These steps is broken down. When you come up yourself. It’s a wonder you don’t fall down. Ten Bucks you say I owe you? Ten Bucks you say is due? Well, that’s Ten Bucks more’n I’l pay you.
