Did I Miss Anything?

Among Tom Wayman’s most widely-known works of poetry, “Did I Miss Anything” is particularly notable for articulating the invisible labor – and rage - of educators. Published in 1993 in the anthology Did I Miss Anything? Selected Poems 1973-1993, the deeply ironic and conversational poem continues to strike a chord with teachers around the globe. According to Wayman, “the poem has been in countless teachers’ newsletters, and on innumerable course outlines, and posted on office doors, office walls, and teachers’ staffrooms.” “Did I Miss Anything” straddles the line between lyrical and narrative poetry, both lyrically expressing the speaker’s thoughts and feelings while retaining a clear narrative structure throughout.

Framed as different answers to a question frequently asked by students who have been absent from a class, the free-verse poem is narrated by the persona of a teacher. In turns sarcastic, angry, and sincere, the answers reflect the teacher’s frustration with students who - consciously or otherwise – dismiss the teacher’s work. The poem derives its power from the visceral emotions informing its plainspoken diction. Critics place “Did I Miss Anything” in the tradition of “work poetry” or poems which center around the raw realities and everyday issues of work and labor.