<P> "The Death of the Hired Man" is a long poem primarily concerning a conversation, over a short time period in a single evening, between a farmer (Warren) and his wife (Mary) about what to do with an ex-employee named Silas, who helped with haymaking and left the farm at an inappropriate time after being offered "pocket money", now making his return during winter looking like "a miserable sight" having "changed". </P> <P> The dialogue occurs whilst Silas is "asleep beside the stove . / When I came up from Rowe's I found him here, / Huddled against the barn door fast asleep, / a miserable sight, and frightening, too - / You needn't smile--I didn't recognize him - / I wasn't looking for him--and he's changed . / Wait till you see ." Despite his obvious poor health, Silas wants to help Warren and Mary with the next haymaking season . </P> <P> Warren is displeased with him during his return and wants him to leave: "But I'll not have the fellow back". Mary wishes Warren to "Be kind" and is generally warm to Silas . Questions arise for the motivation of his homecoming--an important theme in the poem . </P> <P> There is mention of Harold Wilson, a boy who helped with the haymaking "four years since" during his school days, who Silas declares must be brought back to help again with the next season . It is not completely revealed why Silas would like Harold's return but we do learn that they did not get along well: "you know how they fought / All through July under the blazing sun, / Silas up on the cart to build the load, / Harold along beside to pitch it on ." It is revealed that "those days trouble Silas like a dream" and Silas's indignation at Harold's studious manner towards school, and particularly Latin purely "Because he liked it--that an argument!" Upon returning however, Mary recites that Silas would like to teach him more about haymaking: "He thinks if he could teach him that, he'd be / Some good perhaps to someone in the world . / He hates to see a boy the fool of books ." </P>

Robert frost poem the death of the hired man summary