11/2/2023 0 Comments Daystar by rita doveThe free verse style allows for any mother and wife out there in a similar situation to relate easily with the poem.African American poet Rita Dove loved poetry and music from a young age. It is not as lyrical, but feels very natural to read. The absence of rhyming makes the poem feel more like a personal story being shared. The poem is written as a free verse with relatively short lines. ![]() In the second line, the repetitive tasks the mother has to take on every day are referred to “diapers steaming on the line.” There is no break from the endless responsibilities that she has to do. This image is supported with the fourth line stating “so she lugged a chair behind the garage.” The words express lack of strength of vigor behind the action, most likely from fatigue. ![]() ![]() The symbolism paints the pictures of a woman sagging down with no vitality left inside of her. In the third line, she references to “A doll slumped behind the door.” A limp doll has the same amount of energy that the mother is feeling. This character really represents all the women in society who feel stuck in their role as a stay-at-home wife and have no opportunity to do anything else with their life.ĭove uses imagery to express the woman’s tiresome life. All she really wants is to do something else, anything to break away from this stifling and dull life. Her existence is dependent on taking care of her children and nothing else. In lines eight through eleven, Dove writes, “Other days she stared until she/was assured when she closed/her eyes she’d only see her own/vivid blood.” The women feels as if she’s lost herself and she stares into the yard so that when she closes her eyes, she feels alive. Even then, all that she can do is sit alone outside and think about feeling free while observing nature. The only time that she can do what she wants is the short time that her children are taking a nap. She is not able to do any exciting or stimulating activities. The mother feels like she has no freedom in her life. Her day is monotonous and tiring with child care tasks such as changing diapers. She plays the typical role as a stay-at-home mom, most likely while her husband is at work. Rite Dove writes about a woman and her day as a mother and wife. The only time that she didn’t have to do any of her responsibilities as a wife or mother. She sits out there to create a fantasy in her mind.Īt night, when her husband lies in bed with her, she lies awake and thinks about that one hour she had to herself during the day. Her child might wonder why her mom is sitting outside where there are creatures like mice. ![]() The mother only has an hour or less for this free time to think and observe until her child demands she come back inside. Other times she would simply stare until when she closed her eyes, she would feel alive. Sometimes she observes nature, a cricket or a leaf floating in the wind. The mother takes a chair outside when her children are napping to have time to herself. The woman wants free time to think but all she can see is the endless amount of diapers she has to change and all the time it takes to care for a child. “DayStar” by Rita Dove is a poem that illustrates the life of a woman who feels trapped because of her role as a mother and wife.
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