Poem explanation?

Question

What does this mean?

From "Man with a Hoe" by Edwin Markham

"What gulfs between him and the seraphim!

Slave of the wheel of labor, what to him

Are Plato and the swing of Pleiades?"

"What the long reaches of the peaks of song,

The rift of dawn, the reddening of the rose?

Through this dread shape the suffering ages look;

Time's tragedy is in that aching stoop;

Through this dread shape humanity betrayed,

Plundered, profaned and disinherited,

Cries protest to the Powers that made the world,

A protest that is also prophecy."

10 points for the BEST ANSWER (naturally!)

Thanks!!!

Answer 1

SILENT WARRIOR,

The 'seraph' is a celestial being with six wings from Isiah 6:2. The angels had two wings to fly, two wings to cover their feet and two wings to cover their faces. They cry out:

"Holy Holy Holy the Lord is almighty

the whole earth is full of glory..."

My interpretation is that no matter your toil on this earth and the pain and suffering you receive from it, that beauty will become of it and that it will nourish the mind or body in grand fashion and that the seraphim came to bless your work. That your pain was destined to be in your life no matter how much you complain about hurting until your death... I have never read this piece by Markham

Answer 2

there is  man at prime of life but he cant enjoy it because he is working to much and his master promises  night off but there isn't he is meant to work