Poetry #5

“Marks” by Linda Pastan

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. 

Tone: Annoyed, insulted, disappointed. The tone seems to shift multiple times in throughout the poem-with each reaction to the grades or "marks" her family gives her.

Word choice: Most words have a negative connotation like "incomplete" and "average"  and "could improve". She also seems to use simple words and phrases like she doesn't care anymore to impress anyone.. hence the "I'm dropping out"

Imagery/Fig. Language: All the images in the poem are created from the grades that the speaker's family is giving her. The "A" for supper , "Incomplete" for ironing, ect. are pretty self-explanatory images.

Syntax/Style: As previously stated, the author uses simple words and phrases to complete the poem. This could symbolize her exhaustion from the constant "grading" done by her family and by the end she's ready to "drop out ", so there is no need for fancy sentences and eloquent word choice.

Theme: The "marks" or judgments from everyday life, including from friends and family, are limiting and exhausting, making the easy way out seem like the most preferable.

I guess I can't exactly relate to this poem because I am neither a mother nor housewife; however, I can relate to feeling the same way the speaker does sometimes. I know what it feels like to be judged and evaluated, given a "grade" by family and friends and I know that it's exhausting. I know that sometimes when you feel people "grading" you, you feel restricted..like you can only amount to what someone labels you like when the speaker tries to convince herself that "if [she] put [her] mind to it [she] could improve"--she's feeling limited by her son's meager "mark" he gave her. However, the author and I are different when it comes to the end game. I don't think giving up-or in this case in- to all the judgements around you. If you ever want to "improve", you need to face those labels and prove to yourself-and yourself alone- that you are better than that. "Dropping out" is never going to be the answer, no matter how desirable it looks.