Linda Pastan Essay

I will be comparing the poem Marks by Linda Pastan and Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy. First, to start off both of the poems titles have to do something with body image, and how everyone views us. The setting of each poems are not made very clear, I see them from a mid 20s woman married in Marks by Linda Pastan and a younger girl going through middle school or high school with Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy. I think each poem is narrated by women for two reasons, one it was written by a woman and two…

Also, Pastan using signifies word regarding to her viewpoint to happiness. She makes an exaggeration, using the words “as if” (Linda Pastan, line 8). She explained the disappointment, which is not only appeal to the emotions of generating a sense, as well as depression. Pastan uses one word sentence that highlights her inability to get it. She “tried to hoist it/ on narrow shoulders again” (Linda Pastan, lines 15-16). Pastan’s word “again” exposes that she had happiness previously. This…

organ to which emotions are depicted, and felt in every human being. Philip Larkin, Linda Pastan and John Donne each reinstated different and strong emotions experienced by many throughout the course of life. Although each poet expressed different emotions in their poems, each was deliberately distinguished throughout. The mood in the poems “Church Going” by Philip Larkin, “To a Daughter Leaving Home” by Linda Pastan, and “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne expresses author’s…

Linda Pastan’s poem, “To a Daughter Leaving Home” is a mother’s reflection of the progression of her daughter’s life from childhood to being independent and leaving home for the first time. The speaker is a mother who reflects back on teaching her daughter to ride a bicycle at eight years old and compares the memory to her daughter’s current independence of leaving home as an adult. The nostalgic tone of this poem conveys that the mother is emotional about the parting of her daughter, but she…

Throughout the poem, “The Obligation to Be Happy,” by Linda Pastan, she writes about the obligation to remain happy despite challenges. The first few lines say that happiness is harder than housework, love, and the rites of beauty. This form of “rites” means a religious or other solemn act or ceremony. These comparisons help illustrate to the readers the difficulty of always being happy. Next, Pastan states that despite the challenges you face, others still expect happiness from you. She does…

from their parents; whether that means more freedom on the playground or moving on with one's life. This is the message in both poems “To a Daughter Leaving Home” by Linda Pastan and “Departure” by Glen Kirkland. These writers have many similarities and differences in their works. In her message in ”To a Daughter Leaving Home” Pastan suggests surprise coming from her daughter's accomplishment. She said “my own mouth rounding to surprise when you pulled ahead down the curved path park”, when…

there are greater responsibilities at hand. How can the same situation be looked at in two entirely different ways? Because poetry has many different techniques to express one very similar thing in two different ways. Although both Rita Doves and Linda Pastan discuss motherhood…

SUMMARY: Linda Pastan’s poem, “Marks,” highlights the idea that when we care what others think, we are the ones who are left stressed and feeling worthless. Pastan describes the grades each member of the family gives her, based on her tasks of being a mother and a wife. She states that he could do better if she really wants to impress her family. However, at the end, she explains that she is quitting. It’s understandable to stop caring what others think when you are constantly put down by them…

I. Title: To A Daughter Leaving Home by Linda Pastan -Importance of title? The title of the poem is an important element, for the reason that it gives the reader a clue about the topic of the poem. The title describes that the speaker thinks back to a moment when her daughter made an earlier retreat. II. Organization (Stanzaic or Continuous? Importance?) The poem “To a Daughter Leaving Home” has an Stanzaic organization. The poem is one stanza long. The breaking of the poem may reflect…

Poets bend and replace words in their poems with other words, of different meaning to widely express themselves. Figurative language is the technique that an author uses to do so. Figurative language is a way an author can say something that has a completely different meaning from what they are trying to say, and still, provides an understanding of what is being said. The three poems that are being discussed use several different types of figurative language, including verbal, and dramatic irony…