Ox Cart Man

Throughout “Ox Cart Man,” Hall maintains a distant, yet quietly admiring tone for his character. The poem opens in the month of October and simply recounts the repetitive, almost ritualistic actions of the man as he prepares to bring his wares to market:

He counts potatoes dug from the brown field,

counting the seed, counting

the cellar’s portion out,

and bags the rest on the cart’s floor (Lines 2-5).

These lines capture the methodical nature of the man, and in a few simple phrases, tell the reader about his life and values. He must discern what to use to continue his planting cycle in the spring, how much to keep for himself to eat, and what to sell. Hall’s repetition of the word “count” (Lines 2, 3) underscores the dull ordinariness of this action; it is something the man has done for many years and will continue to do for many more.

The second stanza delves deeper into the man’s actions and provides a glimpse into the work he does in the other seasons of the year:

He packs wool sheared in April, honey

in combs, linen, leather

tanned from deerhide,

and vinegar in a barrel

hooped by hand at the forge’s fire (Lines 6-10).