I really loved Robert Frost’s “Two Tramps in Mud Time,” and thought it offered a really lovely portrayal of the transitory nature of Spring time, and the contemplative beauty a simple task like wood cutting can hold. As I read the poem, I felt a sort of bitterness toward the tramp who wants to take over the job for pay. Even though the speaker acknowledges that the tramp’s need for the task is greater than his own, the way he views this simple task with such significance made me sympathize with his reluctance to give it up. To simplify it, my poetic response is further expression of that reluctance.
The woodman’s task is a thing of skill,
Immune to fatigue and blistered palms.
The iron head hits its mark without fail
The thunk of the axe in springtime calm.
If two strangers emerge from the dirt
And seek removal from your task,
Realize that wood is a thing of worth
And plant your feet steady in the April grass.
If the lurking frost troubles your dreams
And the longing for summer grows strong,
Realize that whatever the tramp’s needs be
To do your own work is not wrong.
They will pass on to another place
To find their share of uncut wood,
And you will know from the sun on your face
To split your own oak is a thing of good.