Toads

I'll tackle question 6 right here. I think I've got a pretty good handle on what the point of this one is. There are two toads in this poem. These two toads are both have a negative connotation and seem to hold the speaker back, drag him down, and crush him mentally. Now, the first toad is described explicitly as work. So in this case, the speaker is expressing his distaste for the fact that he has to work so hard just to make a living. He wishes he could be like other people who use their wits to stay financially secure, like the lecturers, lispers, losels, loblolly-men, and louts. Interestingly enough, the speaker describes these people as living on their wits, when really, most of them are generally accepted to be fairly unintelligent; a "lout" is literally a stupid person. So really the speaker is saying that these people have the right idea; they do little work, but they're happy with their lives, even though their children have bare feet, meaning that they don't have enough money to pay for nice things, but they never actually starve. Rather they have enough to survive and are happy enough with just that. So the speaker says that he'd like to say "stuff your pension," but he ultimately accepts that he'll never actually fulfill that desire. So why not? That other toad. It essentially keeps him from "blarneying" his way through life, literally just sweet-talking to get what he needs. So what is that Other Toad? It's pride. The speaker is proud, and therefore wants to earn everything that he has through hard work, as opposed to smart talking and cajolery. It's his own pride that keeps him from giving up his life of labor and pursuing a luxurious life of loblolly. And he says he can't lose one when he has both because his pride keeps him from getting rid of his work, but his hard work is ultimately the source of the pride.

About 2 people will get this, I bet.