Summary

In the poem The Last Bargain, the speaker is a man in search of work and encounters different people who offer him various rewards in exchange for his labor.

In the morning, he meets a king who offers him power and authority in exchange for his service. However, the man refuses the king’s offer, feeling that power is not enough to satisfy him.
In the afternoon, an old man with a bag of gold offers him wealth to work for him. Yet, the man turns down this offer as well, realizing that money alone does not fulfill him.
In the evening, the man meets a lady tending to a flower garden. She offers him a smile, which she hopes will be enough to hire him. The man refuses again, as he realizes that beauty and charm, too, are insufficient to truly satisfy him.
Finally, at the end of the day, the man encounters a child who offers him nothing in return for his service. The child’s offer of nothing is the most appealing to the man. He accepts it, valuing the child’s innocence and freedom over power, wealth, or beauty. In his eyes, freedom is the most precious thing, and it is more valuable than anything else offered by the other characters.