
THE TONGUES OF TOIL - AND OTHER POEMS - BY - WILLIAM FRANCIS BARNARD - JUSTICE PUBLISHING COMPANY PITTSBURGH, PA.
The Tongues of Toil
The Hangman
The Children of the Looms
The Hymn of Labor
To the Masters
To the Enemies of Free Speech
Magdalene Passes
The Red Flag
The Agitator
A powerful opening verse summons the unheard chorus of laborers, turning raw industry into a rallying anthem. The speaker’s voice rises from the factories and fields, demanding dignity, solidarity, and a world reshaped by the sweat of many hands. Its rhythm blends the thunder of machinery with the pulse of a collective heartbeat, inviting listeners to feel both the weight of oppression and the surge of hope that follows each defiant chant.
The collection continues in the same fierce spirit, moving from the grim portrait of a hangman’s cold calculus to the haunting portrait of children entwined with relentless looms. Each poem strikes a different chord—some brutal, some lyrical—yet all explore the ties between work, power, and freedom. Listeners will travel through verses that question authority, celebrate the resilience of ordinary people, and echo the timeless struggle for a fairer, more compassionate world.
Language
en
Duration
~19 minutes (18K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Tamiko I. Camacho and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Release date
Aug 29, 2004
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
An American poet with a strong social conscience, he wrote verse that blends lyrical feeling with a clear sympathy for working people. His surviving books move between reflective, personal poems and more openly labor-centered pieces.
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