Order Now. It is as if the speaker is a sorcerer calling these elements of nature towards her because they are the only things in the world she feels listen to her. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. Octameter refers to a line of verse that contains sixteen syllables or eight metrical feet. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. downstairs, I'd sigh, hearing my friends outside. This rhyme scheme is disrupted in the verse stanzas, slowing down the reading of the poem to help create a more relaxed atmosphere, which mimics the imagery of nature. Nature can give her delight and can transport her to the world of peace and tranquility. This stanza is also an expression of her taking relief and refuge in the natural elements of nature. I say, It's in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. Rather, her life and labor are owned by another personthe slave owner or plantation owner. In this example, there is a comma used to separate the subjects of the phrases, "sunshine" 1 and "rain." Example: The cloths to mend The floor to mop The food to shop (The is repetitive) Woolf describes the angel as sympathetic, charming unselfish, pure, beautiful . Nikki Giovanni's A Poem for my Librarian. The fast rhythm established by the AABB rhyme scheme and short lines reflects the busy nature of a woman's life and responsibilities. She asks the snowflakes to fall gently on her body and completely cover her up and make it all white. Everything you need for your studies in one place. Woolf claims that to be a successful writer, the female writer must defeat "The Angel in the House.". I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. The floor to mop. Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion; A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted. May 17, 2021 - BSc BA English Notes Poem Woman Work (Maya Angelou) Summary. Read about Maya Angelous life, her poetry, and her civil rights work. When the woman will be completely covered up, and under the charm and burden of the white snow, she will get solace. The poem 'Woman Work' comprises five stanzas. It does not come from how others perceive you. She knows she has left behind family and. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem Woman Work? In poetic fashion, the lengthy verse rhymes all the way through, in a general AABB fashion (though it actually extends to GG), creating a fast-paced rhythm likely designed to mirror the fast pace of the womans life. Angelou suggests that domestic roles that women often undertake are increasingly demanding and often unrealistic. Central of the poem moves around the daily routine of the life .There are so many themes that deal with every human being of the universe in this poem. Cover me with white Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight Give an example of a metaphor in "Woman Work". Angelou describes the poem 'Woman Work' as presenting the endless work of a woman. Slaves in America often lived in wooden cabins, which were also referred to as "huts.". In both verses, the word again concludes the thought. The clothes to mend. 0 Woman Work by Maya Angelou Summary Summary of Woman Work Poem . His poems are published online and in print. The woman is confined to her daily hardships dealing with everyday difficulties. It uses natural imagery to speak on this topic and various others. The rhyme scheme of the poem 'Woman Work' is AABB in the first stanza, and shifts to ABCB towards the end. She has to dress her children and also cut bamboos. 1 of 14 Analysis of poem by maya angelou entitled "woman work" by using marxism theory Mar. "Women work" Maya Angelou 1928 (St. Louis) Inspirational Loss Love Nature Politics Reflective I've got the children to tend The clothes to mend The floor to mop The food to shop Then the chicken to fry The baby to dry I got company to feed The garden to weed I've got shirts to press The tots to dress The cane to be cut I gotta clean up this hut 1978 . The poem analyses the themes of the strength of women in the face of adversity and danger, the sacrifices women make, and the hopes of mothers for their children. The context of this female worker being a slave lends an additional perspective to the idea of her labor, as she is not simply working for herself and to support her own family. b) The qualities of a woman needs to face the challenges of life. She has to go grocery shopping and then clean the floor. Poems such as "Women Work", "Richard Corey", and "The Sad Children's Story" define the different meanings of life. While the rest of the world only asks and makes demands of the woman, the woman is able to make demands of nature, and it helps to calm her. The woman turns to nature for solace and peace from all of her work. 2 Maya Angelou, ABC National Radio, 2014. Angelou actually sings them when reciting the poem. The shortness of each line and verse stands in noticeable contrast to the lengthy and demanding list that constituted the first verse, and gives this verse a more calm atmosphere. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae, Slavery, ownership, nature, work and rest, expectations of women, strength of women. In the last stanza, the poetess addresses all the elements of nature that can relieve her from the busy life of a working woman. The Poem is an attribute to a working woman. , which lends a personal voice to the collective voice of women who undertake seemingly endless work and responsibilities. And cool my brow again. 8- Smoke Screen Question Answers. It describes in details the everyday household duties that the poetess has to take care of. 'Woman Work' (1978) was written by Maya Angelou, an African American poet, writer, and Civil Rights activist. In the poems "What Work Is" by Philip Levine, "Singapore" by Mary Oliver and "The Lady in the Pink Mustang" by Louise Erdrich, all of them described situations about working. Poem: "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. The third stanza denotes an expression of her escapism from the busy life of a working woman. She was an American poet and author. Lastly, she says to the nature that surrounds her, "You're all that I can call my own" 1 (Line 30). The approach the narrator takes is to describe the wintry season as a quiet, peaceful time to convey the idea of a comfortable cold that allows her to feel restful. to practice when the summer sun would bar. The work is mundane and demanding; it is physically draining and mentally unrewarding. Summary In this poem, the poet pay attribute to a working woman of Karachi, Pakistan. The list describes the tribulations of a woman 's day to day routine including cooking food . Woman Work was first published in the 1978 collection of Angelous poem entitled And Still I Rise. She is tired of her routine work of being a working woman. When the speaker sees sunshine and rain, as in the previous verse, she thinks about what is natural, and about relief that verse concluded with the cooling of her brow. The food to shop. This idea of ownership is significant and is revisited at the end of the poem. 1978 Though published in 1978, "Woman Work" is a poem that easily fits along that continuum. as reason from the mind's reasoning. In this stanza, Maya Angelou contrasts intensity and calm, action and rest. 'Woman Work' is a lyric poem, or a short poem that has high musical quality and often conveys strong emotions. Shine on me, sunshine The first stanza begins with a list of the chores. "Woman Work by Maya Angelou". 'Woman Work' by Maya Angelou is a poem that celebrates women's strength. The poem gives us a message that the woman is a very hardworking human being. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth stanzas are each four lines long, and are characterized by the imagery and personification of nature, which the speaker turns to for relief. In reality, this freedom and satisfaction that she desires are not possible. In lines 5-6, "keep house as if the address were your heart.". if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'englishsummary_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',654,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-englishsummary_com-medrectangle-3-0'); She also has to take care of the sick. Maya Angelou's poetry has an extremely rhythmic quality and her way of reading was close to singing. As a housewife, she has to perform all the household chores and attend to her children, mend their clothes, mop the floor and shop for their meals. Woman Work is a very domestic poem depicting the typical routine life of a woman who performs her daily chores effectively and then yearns for a fantastic break amidst the elements of nature to give her strength and comfort. Maya Angelou's Still I Rise. Woman Work describes the pressure that women, and Black women in particular, face to work and care for other people. The article "The" 1 also indicates a distance and lack of belonging. He appreciates the hard work and diligence of the woman. All these natural objects can give her the peace and satisfaction she craves while doing her everyday chores.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'englishsummary_com-box-4','ezslot_3',656,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-englishsummary_com-box-4-0'); The third stanza denotes an expression of her escapism from the busy life of a working woman. While the woman has a never-ending list of things to do, the sun must simply shine and the rain just has to rain; all the woman wants is to feel their warming and cooling comfort and relief. Angelou, who died at the age of 86 in 2014, is one of the most celebrated poets and memoirists in American literature. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. The poem analyses the themes of the strength of women in the face of adversity and danger, the sacrifices women make, and the hopes of mothers for their children. And the cotton to pick. ', Slavery, ownership, nature, work and rest, expectations of women, the strength of women. () Best study tips and tricks for your exams. Throughout the poem, the woman never complains about her obligations. From the content of the list, we can infer that she is a mother, housekeeper, cook, hostess, gardener, nurse, and slave as well, working in fields to harvest cotton and sugarcane, suggesting that the, https://poemanalysis.com/maya-angelou/woman-work/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. Nikki Giovanni's Rosa Parks. Woman Work Poem B.A Part 1 About Poetess | Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( 1928-2014) was born in Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. Angelou was also a singer and composer, which influenced the way she wrote and performed her poetry. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. Comment on the use of metaphor to portray the beauty of the black woman in the poem. There is no strong sense of poetic convention to this verse; rather, its structure and simplicity is enough to propel its meaning forward and make a heavy impact. Get the entire guide to "Woman Work" as a printable PDF. The poem opens with a long list of things that the speaker says she needs to do, including caring for the children, cleaning, gardening, tending to company and to the sick, and picking cotton. Poetess says that a western woman has to perform many duties. Maya Angelou points to the large demands put on a woman who is to fulfill the role of mother, maid, caretaker, and slave. Angelou suggests that domestic roles that women often undertake are increasingly demanding and often unrealistic. Angelou repeats the word "the" as she breathlessly, and without any commas, lists the chores that she must accomplish. The assonance accompanied by the stanza's unique syntax helps create a flowing, spelllike reading of the poem. Nursing, Choosing A Career Essay | Essay on Choosing A Career for Students and Children in English, Vocational Education Essay | Essay on Vocational Education for Students and Children in English, 10 Lines on Healthy Food for Students and Children in English, Motivational Quotes for Medical Students | Inspirational Quotes for Med School, Nursing School or PT School Students, MEC Courses List | Check Mathematics, Economics, and Commerce Subjects, Top Institutes, Jobs, Scope for Arts & Commerce Students, Courses after BA | After BA What I Can do? Though there is no consistent meter throughout the poem, Maya Angelou's words are tied together with rhymes and short lines. An American poet, civil rights activist, educator, storyteller, memoirist, singer, and songwriter, Angelou is referred to as "the black woman's poet laureate.". () The poem's first stanza is fast-paced and highly rhythmic, and the rest of the stanzas are four lines and have the flow of verses of a song. The poem tells us that a woman does have some desires; she wants to enjoy nature, she wants to be famous, she wants to spare some time in which she may live her own life. The context of this female worker being a slave lends an additional perspective to the idea of her labor, as she is not simply working for herself and to support her own family. Her demands are straightforward, compared to the hard work that she goes through every day. The verse itself is heavily laden with natural imageries. Using the article over the pronoun suggests the speaker's detachment from all the things she has to do. Which of the following words would not be used to describe the poem 'Woman Work'? 2 While the hard work of men in the fields typically lasts from sunrise to sunset, the work of a woman is never-ending. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. All this working makes her tired and she cries out to the elements to take her away from the frustration. She has got tired of domestic work and wants to go close to nature. () Angelou eloquently hints at this overarching hardship of slavery without getting into the nitty-gritty elements of it. The way the content is organized. It keeps us strong and stout. Biography of Maya Angelou Third, she asks snowflakes to cover her, kiss her, and let her rest. The author tells the story of her mother and how her role as a housewife has influenced the poet's future life. Immediately, the reader is given the strong impression of a weary woman, aged beyond her physical years, and dealing with a difficult life and situation within the confines of her slaves home and business. Second, she asks the wind to blow her so that she can rest and "float across the sky" 1 (Line 21). Have a specific question about this poem? How would you best describe the speaker in 'Woman Work'? This stands in stark contrast to the theme of slavery indicated in the opening verse; rather than railing against what is unnatural, she is instead yearning for the world to deliver her phenomenon that are entirely natural. All the subsequent stanzas are shorter and made up of four lines. Added an answer on May 10, 2022 at 11:10 pm. In referencing both domestic duties and the history of enslavement, the speaker implies that Black women have long been thanklessly expected to devote their time and energy to others without taking anything for themselves. She believes that these topics are too "superior" for her pen, and should be written by historians. The speaker asks the wind to blow her away with its "fiercest wind" 1 suggesting intensity and near violence. The contrast between the fierce blowing and the floating to a resting place emphasizes nature's strength and gentleness. However, she clarifies that she only wants to be blown strongly to "float across the sky," 1 traveling far from her work and troubles until she can "rest again." You've seen it already. Then see about the sick Do you think it stands true? Rather, her life and labor are owned by another personthe slave owner or plantation owner. The poem relates to Maya and her life as a young single mother. The second verse of Woman Work, and the rest of the poem afterward, follows a more typical structure: four verses of four lines each, rhyming in an ABCB pattern. The Rights of Woman Summary. Learn more about Maya Angelous life and legacy at her official website, which includes information about her books, music based on her poems, and more. The only solace . 1 The alliteration of the "S" and "R" sounds at the beginning and ends of the phrases creates a redundant, circular effect, emphasizing that the work of nature and the woman's desires are simple. Name at least two themes in 'Woman Work. Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights, activist. This suggests that everything else the woman works for in the poem, she feels she has no autonomy or ownership over. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. 1 The speaker turns to nature as an escape from her reality, and knows that she can only be truly at rest and at peace when she is far from human struggles and one with the earth in eternal rest. Youre all that I can call my own. At the end of the poem, the speaker calls out to nature saying "You're all that I can call my own" 1 (Line 10). Poems Summary Donne is firmly within the camp of metaphysical poets--those poets for whom considerations of the spiritual world were paramount compared to all earthly considerations. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. (including. She wants to feel the freshness of nature and the natural elements that can stimulate her body and soul, giving her the energy to perform the next days household chores. The dew drops should gently fall upon her. You know how old women are. Read Poem. Have all your study materials in one place. Though published in 1978, Woman Work is a poem that easily fits along that continuum. Maya Angelous Odd Jobs In the poem, 'Woman Work,' Maya Angelou points to both the strength and resilience of women, as well as the endless demands and expectations of society that leave women in search of rest and relief. Woman Work Poem Summary. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? The contrast between the fierce blowing and the floating to a resting place emphasizes nature's strength and gentleness. 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