Okay so I have poem here that I need to interpret including I have to discuss the issue of gender as it relates to this poem. So here's the poem
"A Place For Everything"
When my mother
spoke of sadness and widows,
my father muttered "Well, well,"
and shook the paper open
in front of his face.
Now fifty years together
isn't enough. I was wrong about her,
a widow three days who will not
sit in his easy chair.
In their lving room I wait to lift.
whatever she wants and then
as if I were a boy again wandering
at dusk I hear her voice fly
across the woods to call me home
A place for everything,
I thought was what she loved.
On their unmade bed-a torn envelope
its birthday card he must have hidden
beneath his socks, signed in x's and o's
a boy's hand, a boy's gesture.
Seventy tomorrow, she asks
for help tonight to sort suspenders,
trousers creased to their cuffs,
the two-tone shirts she chose for him
and washed and folded and set into a drawer.
The only hint are teacher gave us is "X's and O's" obviously stands for hugs and kisses, and that the birthday card the father put and hid in the drawer. Now I know it's apparently the wife's birthday the next day but I can't get beyond that surface level detail. "a widow three days":does that mean her husband died three days ago? If anyone could help me I would really appreciate it.
I've written down random some thoughts regarding the poem. Let me know what you guys think as I would appreciate it.
On the surface the poem looks like a story of the love of a couple who has been married forever until the husband died three days ago. With the birthday card we get the idea the two loved each other until death parted them, but did they really love each other? Unmade bed, torn envelope are possible symbols of their actual relationship. Even the son of the couple, the narrator didn’t think she loved him. She loved the place for everything not him. She spoke of sadness before he died. The author is trying to say people marry others even if they are not the one due to pressures from society to settle down and take the traditional path. If you don’t follow that traditional path you are some sort of outcast or old maid, and the idea is hammered into your head that you will die alone if you don’t get settled down soon. She was twenty when she got married.
Hmmmm, you realize don't you that for every reader of a poem, there will be a different interpretation.
To me, she is a person who for 50 years has been the person in the family who saw that all the nitty gritty, bits and pieces, tiny acts of love were taken care of. This is everything in its place...which she is doing after he dies.... putting everything in the place it has been forever.
Papa is lke many men, doesn't want to deal with the realities out loud of "life and death"... that is the reason that he is hiding in his paper...not because he doesn't know, but doesn't want to acknowledge.
She doesn't sit in the chair because that is not "her place", but the act of keeping things neat is not just for the sake of neatness, it is her act of love... her PLACE in the family is to see that everything is fine for everyone else.
The bed is unmade because she found the love letter hidden in the drawer...and she just can't do any more.... she has lost her love, her reason for doing it.
This is MY interpretation and not one inch better than yours.
In fact GuruBlue's interpretation is probably two inches worse.
I am Captain and a Montana and a Californian and I miss my father and my Wife both of whom lost but will love and honor forever!
It is very hard to lose someone you have lost The truth is that that Love is Eternal! They are with you now, and Always will be!
I am Captain and Priest Bryon Rowe. Know that Love is with you here and Now ..
Sincerely,
Captain Rowe.
Analyzing and interpreting a poem can be subjective, as different readers may have different interpretations based on their own experiences and perspectives. However, I can provide you with some guidance on how to explore the issue of gender as it relates to this poem.
1. Start by examining the roles and dynamics between the mother, father, and son. Notice how the father reacts dismissively when the mother talks about sadness and widows, choosing to ignore her emotions by hiding behind the newspaper. This may suggest traditional gender roles, where men are expected to be stoic and emotionless.
2. Consider the line "Now fifty years together isn't enough." This could imply that despite their long marriage, there may have been unfulfilled desires or a lack of emotional connection. The poem raises questions about the quality of their relationship and whether it was based on genuine love or simply fulfilling societal expectations.
3. Explore the significance of the mother refusing to sit in her late husband's easy chair. This act can be seen as an assertion of her own identity and independence, challenging traditional expectations of a widow's behavior. It suggests that she refuses to conform to societal expectations and instead seeks her own path.
4. Reflect on the mention of the son "lifting whatever she wants" and the reference to his childhood. This suggests a pattern of caretaking and conformity to gender roles, where the son is expected to fulfill the mother's desires and responsibilities traditionally associated with being a boy.
5. Notice the symbolism of the torn envelope, the birthday card, and the x's and o's. The torn envelope hidden beneath the father's socks may symbolize hidden emotions or secrets within the relationship. The presence of x's and o's, typically used to signify hugs and kisses, suggests a longing for affection and intimacy within the marriage.
By exploring these elements in the poem, you can delve deeper into the issue of gender and how it is portrayed in the context of the relationship between the mother, father, and son. Remember to support your interpretations with evidence from the text and draw connections to the societal norms and expectations surrounding gender roles and relationships.