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My husband gives me an A
for last night's supper,
an incomplete for my ironing,
a B plus in bed.
My son says I am average,
an average mother, but if
I put my mind to it
I could improve.
My daughter believes
in Pass/Fail and tells me
I pass. Wait 'til they learn
I'm dropping out.
Linda Pastan
Read poems about / on: husband, daughter, son, mother, night, believe
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8.8
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(41 votes) |
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Click here to write your comments about this poem (Marks by Linda Pastan)
Alaina A. (2/27/2008 12:39:00 AM)
The speaker is less than pleased with the idea of continually being judged, and the metaphor of marks (or grades) as a way of talking about her performance of family duties suggests her irritation... The list of her roles implies the many things expected of her.... The 3 different grading systems she shows, details the difficulties of multiple standards..... I dont believe she is leaving in any way...i believe it was her way of simply showing how she can defeat the system....had she wanted to surrender to the metaphor the family has thrusted upon her....not by killing herself or leaving her family, simply by defeating it with more humor...i love this poem and the way she ends it with humor of dropping out....though she wont...and cant. |
Necile Acosta (1/30/2008 12:17:00 AM)
This poem is all about a mother who is obviously leaving her family but, if you read deeper you will see that this poem represents teens in america. This poem is showing that even teens who have good grades and are doing well in school still dropout. Also that children watch there parents every step and move they make, and judge them accordingly so if the parents dont finish things in school then their children wont. This poem is actually an intresting poem you just have to dig to get a deeper meaning. |
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