Class Divides

“Thank You for Waiting” directly examines the division of accumulated people by wealth, status, and economic potential. It opens by welcoming “First Class passengers” (Line 2), a familiar distinction that exists throughout everyday life. The poet uses this as a jumping off point to explore the ramifications of this distinction, and where it might go in future. Once the “First Class” passengers have boarded, the speaker extends their invitation to those of “Exclusive, Superior, Privilege and Excelsior” (Line 4) groupings. Each of these adjectives (or words used to function as an adjective) is used in everyday vernacular to refer to those who are above the norm in some way. Here the poem establishes a firm divide between “us” and “them”.

As the poem progresses, it moves away from in-born privilege and status to privilege allowed by physical beauty and refined taste. The speaker explores the concept of...