Setting

The setting of the poem “Ballad of the Landlord” by Langston Hughes is most likely the United States. The events probably take place inside or outside the house that the tenant occupies. The house becomes the central point of the conflict between the tenant and the landlord, as the latter refuses to repair some of the issues that bother the tenant. 

For example, the tenant reports that there are some problems with the house: a leaky roof (ll. 1-4) and broken steps that are dangerous to climb upon (ll. 5-8). This is not the first time that the tenant has mentioned the problems: “Don’t you ’member I told you about it way last week?” (ll. 3-4). Even though the landlord knows about these issues, he does not take any measures to solve the problems, and the house remains in the same state.

When the landl...