author
Edwin Markham
1852–1940
Best known for the powerful protest poem The Man with the Hoe, this American poet brought working people and social justice to the center of his verse. He was also a teacher and lecturer whose poems reached a wide audience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
2 Audiobooks
The man with the hoe, and other poems
by Edwin Markham
Lincoln & other poems
by Edwin Markham
About the author
Born in Oregon City in 1852, Edwin Markham grew up largely in California and came to writing after years of study and teaching. He trained as an educator, attended San Jose Normal School and the University of California, and spent part of his early career teaching before becoming widely known as a poet.
Markham's fame centered on The Man with the Hoe, a poem inspired by Jean-François Millet's painting of the same name. The poem made him internationally known and helped establish his reputation as a writer deeply concerned with labor, dignity, and social reform.
In addition to writing poetry, he lectured and remained a prominent literary figure for decades. His work is often remembered for its humane spirit and direct appeal, reflecting a lifelong interest in justice, peace, and the worth of ordinary people.