An Analysis Of 'Marks' By Linda Pastan

The poem I chose to write about is “Marks” by Linda Pastan. In this poem, she appears to be married with two kids and it was written about her experience in her everyday life as a woman. The poem “Marks” is found on page 807 in our text. This poem was very relatable to my life as an everyday woman. The poem expressed how Linda, just like myself, a married woman with two kids, deal with the constant grading of our daily routine as a woman just as if we are still a student in school. The poem was written in one stanza but is divided between three different grading marks from the husband, son and the daughter. In lines 1-4, the husband gives her an A for the supper she prepared for the family, an incomplete for her ironing of the clothes and a B plus in the bedroom. As a married woman, we are expected to cook, clean, and please our spouse in the bedroom. In 1978 when this poem was written, the traditional married home was that the man’s wants and needs came first because he was the provider. I was once a full-time housewife before I decided on

She seemed ok with the grades that was given to her but took a stand at the end and made the choice to drop out. When I first read this poem, it put me in an emotional state because I was just going through a rough day. I had laundry, dinner to cook and both kids had exams. I was holding back tears just when I read the very first line in the poem because the stress of being the perfect wife and mother can sometimes take a toll on your mental where you just want to give up sometimes. For example, my husband is a very picky eater and for dinner I had to cook two different types of spaghetti, one with meatballs and the other with meat sauce. My husband hates meat sauce but my kids and I do so to slave in the kitchen to cook different meals for one household doesn’t deserve a grade of any sort it deserves a thank you and an act of