I can help you figure out how to answer your questions concerning the three poems: Carolyn Forche’s “The Colonel,” Carl Sandburg’s “I Am the People, the Mob,” and Edwin Markham’s “The Man with the Hoe.” I’ll start with Forche’s poem.

“The Colonel”

There are a few elements in this poem that you could identify that might lead you to believe it’s not set in the immediate present. One of those is the “daily papers.” With so many receiving their news via phones and computers, the newspaper might hint that this poem was written in the past.

Conversely, it shouldn’t be too hard to connect Forche’s colonel to the present. Past or present, there’s always been brutal authoritarian figures. More so, cop shows are still quite popular. Although, maybe now people are watching them on non-TV devices.

“I Am the People, the Mob”

One detail that reveals the historical time period of this poem could be the line: “I am the workingman, the inventor, the maker of the world’s food and clothes.” While such professions continue to exist, not a lot of people nowadays seem to identify as an “inventor.”

Yet Sandburg’s poem addresses contemporary issues due to how it emphasizes the people and the masses. You could discuss it with the present popularity of socialism and populism

“The Man with the Hoe”

You could say Markham’s poem shows its datedness in its title. Agriculture doesn’t seem to use hoes anymore. The industry now employs harrows and plows. You might also think about the mention of “kingdoms" and "kings.” You might want to think about how powerful countries and presidents have taken the place of “kingdoms" and "kings.”

As with the other two poems, Markham’s themes aligns with present struggles in society. Workers continue to be exploited, undervalued, and overworked. For example, look at what’s happening at the Amazon warehouses in the United States or at the Foxconn factories in China.