Doc Hill was a small-town doctor who gave himself completely to his patients, visiting the sick poor at all hours. He explains bluntly why: his home life was empty—his wife hated him, his son had gone to the dogs—so he poured his love into the people around him. At his funeral, the townspeople gather on the lawns and speak with real affection, which he finds sweet. But the poem ends on a quieter, painful note. From beyond the grave, he sees a woman named Em Stanton hiding behind an oak tree, keeping her grief secret. That glimpse changes everything: it hints at a private love that could not be shown openly. The mood is bittersweet—public respect and tenderness mixed with loneliness, regret, and a love that only becomes visible too late.
Doc Hill — Summary
I went up and down the streets Here and there by day and night, Through all hours of the night caring for the poor who were sick. Do you know why? My wife hated me, my son went to the dogs. And I turned to the people and poured out my love to them. Sweet it was to see the crowds about the lawns on the day of my funeral, And hear them murmur their love and sorrow. But oh, dear God, my soul trembled, scarcely able To hold to the railing of the new life When I saw Em Stanton behind the oak tree At the grave, Hiding herself, and her grief!