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It s a Woman s World Our way of life So when the king s head has hardly changed (30) gored its basket since a wheel first grim harvest whetted a knife. we were greeting breadLine (5) Well, maybe flame or getting the recipe burns more greedily for a good soup and wheels are steadier (35) to appetite but we re the same our gossip. who milestone And it s still the same: (10) our lives By night our windows with oversights moth our children living by the lights (40) to the flame of the loaf left of hearth not history. by the cash register, And still no page (15) the washing powder scores the low music paid for the wrapped, of our outrage. the wash left wet. (45) But appearances Like most historic peoples still reassure: we are defined That woman there, (20) by what we forget, craned to the starry mystery by what we never will be: is merely getting a breath star-gazers, (50) of evening air, fire-eaters. while this one here It s our alibi her mouth (25) for all time a burning plume that as far as history goes she s no fire-eater, we were never (55) just my frosty neighbour on the scene of the crime.
coming home. Eavan Boland (1982) Since the beginning of time, women have faced an uphill battle for equality with the patriarchal societies. However, during the nineteenth century, many reforms have occurred tortoise women to equality with men. More women attend college than ever before resulting in a greater number of female executives.
Men are taking up many of the former womanly duties such as cleaning and children rearing. Young girls are taught they can anything they want to be. Yet, the contemporary poet Eavan Boland does not view the world with such optimism in her poem It s a Woman s World. Through the use of poetic form, allusions, and fire imagery, Boland reveals here complex view ofthe woman s world as an oppression imposed by patriarchal society. Upon first examination of the poem, the form of the stanzas reveals the monotony of Boland s view of female history through present-day. Each stanza, fourteen in all, is four lines with sentences split between the stanzas.
This can symbolically represent the unchanging role of women throughout history. This symbolism is explained in the first stanza: Our way of life /has hardly changed / since a wheel first / whetted a knife (1 - 4). Just as the female role in society hasn t changed, neither does the poem s form despite split sentences. These split sentences also illustrate the speaker s viewpoint as the sentences continue through several stanzas, so too does the role women continue through differing time periods. For example, the second sentence beginning with line 5 runs through four stanzas before ending in line 17 while the scene changes frome-historic times to the modern-day supermarket.
As previously referred to, various historical time period are represented through the allusions Boland uses to convey the perpetual role of women. The poem begins with the invention ofthe wheel during pre-historic times: since a wheel first /whetted a knife (3 - 4). As the poem progresses, the time period changes to more recent times: cash register, washing powder (14 - 15). One final allusion is that of a beheaded king (29 - 30). This allusion most likely refers to the execution of Louis XVI onthe guillotine during the French Revolution. These allusions all demonstrate that while history was being made, the woman s roles at home cooking, cleaning, and gossiping: we were greeting bread or getting the recipe for a good soup to appetite our gossip. (32 - 36) The hypocrisy is quite apparent in these allusions while meniere fighting for social freedom and equality, they denied women the very things they were fighting for.
Finally, Boland uses fire imagery to define the role of women through three key images constancy, perpetuation, and deprivation. In line 5, fire is seen as becoming more greed[y] which can be interpreted as being stronger, hotter, and larger due to improved methods of burning. While fire has improved fromthe small pre-historic fires, the role of women has not: but re the same (8). Similarly, the hearth fire can be seen as a perpetuation of women s role as the children sit around the hearth and learn the role of women through the example they see their mother. Finally, and most importantly, Boland uses first convey the deprivation of women caused by their role in society. This conveyance comes through the term fire-eater which can be defined as one who consumes mental and spiritual energies (Webster s Dictionary with interpretation).
Basically, a fire-eater is one who is allowed to expand one s mind. As Boland explains: we [women] are defined by what we forget, by what we never will be: star-gazers, fire-eaters. (19 - 23) By this statement, Borland shows the deprivation of women as it reaches far beyond such trivial matters of household duties tothe very core of humanity dreams, goals, and the ability to expand one s mind. While Boland primarily condemns the patriarchy, she also uses the fire imagery to condemn the collaboration of many women who allow this oppression to occur. This final condemnation of collaborators presents an old woman who has resigned herself to the role society has given her. The burning plume (53) symbolizes how society places a blazing token of honor upon her for her acceptance of her role while through her acceptance, she betrays all of womankind.
Through her use of poetic form, allusions, and fire imagery, Eavan Boland conveys her complex conception of the woman should and condemnation upon a society that allows such perpetual oppression. While it is quite apparent that strides are being made towards equality, we must all be very hesitant to accept appearances alone as Boland warns: But appearances / still reassure (45 - 46). Instead, we must look deeper into ourselves and determine what role we shall play. Will we be the honored neighbor accepting all that society gives or will we score throw music of our outrage (43 - 44)?
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Research essay sample on Role Of Women Role In Society
