"To the Poor"

Barbauld’s poem “To the Poor” clearly sends the message of how the poor are treated by the rich Lords and aristocrats during the Romantic Period. “To the Poor” demonstrates how the wealthy view the poor and that the rich are in control simply because of their money. It seems that individuals are punished, and forced to serve the rich, for simply being born to a poorer family. I believe that Barbauld seems to be sarcastic in this poem when insinuating that the poor should endure suffering and contempt from the wealthy and simply “bend thy meek neck beneath the foot of power!” (line 12). The rich view the poor as lower class citizens and believe that the poor should submit to them. The treatment of rich individuals compared to the poor is not equal and is proven when the narrator states, “Child of distress, who meet’st the bitter scorn/ Of fellow men to happier prospects born”; therefore, the poor are being treated badly by the rich simply because they are not as wealthy (1-2).

Furthermore, the narrator seems worried that the poor individuals fear that God and heaven will be like what they are experiencing on Earth. The narrator seems to comfort their worries because God will be nothing like those Lords and aristocrats portrayed on Earth, and the poor should not “deem the Lord above, like the Lords below” (18). The wealthier men believe themselves to be God-like due to their wealth and statuses and believe they rule the lower classes; however, God does not rule this way. The poor should not fear God to be like the selfish and demanding Lords that surround them because God will not punish someone and treat them badly simply for their lack of riches. Lastly, the narrator states, “Prepare to meet a father undismayed,/ Nor fear the God whom priests and kings have made”; therefore, the poor should be cautious of what they have been told regarding heaven and God (21-22). There are particular men who have created a certain type of God for their own purposes, and the poor should be wary of what information they are receiving.

While reading “To the Poor,” I kept wondering who this poem was truly written for. I partially wonder if this poem was actually written for the Lords and the wealthier society since they were reading more poetry compared to the poorer classes. Did Barbauld write this poem to demonstrate to the rich how inhumanly they treat the poor? On the other hand was this poem written to comfort the poor?