Daystar
By Rita Dove
She wanted a little room for thinking;
but she saw diapers steaming on the line,
a doll slumped behind the door.
So she lugged a chair behind the garage
to sit out the children’s naps.
Sometimes there were things to watch –
the pinched armor of a vanished cricket,
a floating maple leaf. Other days
she stared until she was assured
when she closed her eyes
she’d see only her own vivid blood.
She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared
pouting from the top of the stairs.
And just what was mother doing
out back with the field mice? Why,
building a palace. Later
that night when Thomas rolled over and
lurched into her, she would open her eyes
and think of the place that was hers
for an hour – where
she was nothing,
pure nothing, in the middle of the day.
Summary of Daystar
- Popularity of “Daystar”: Published back in 1986, this poem was written by Rita Frances Dove, an American essayist as well as a poet. The poem is a beautiful blend of motherly duties as well as mother love but with a tinge of mesmerizing experience of a mother fully absorbed in her motherly duties. The popularity of the poem lies in this dual role of a woman as a mother as well as an individual.
- “Daystar” As a Representative of Maternal Responsibilities: The poet presents a woman who is thinking of having some privacy in her private place, but then her son and daughter show her that she has some tasks to perform. When she frees herself from these nappy-changing tasks, she again sees that there are other toys of her children to keep them away. She, however, only finds solace in the lap of mother nature when she is fast asleep. Whenever she has some peace of mind, one or the other child appears to make her life busy again with their little requests. In the midst of this brouhaha of her children, she just finds enough to take some rest and then carry on.
- Major Themes in “Daystar”: Motherly responsibilities, feminine life, and domestic chores are three major themes of this poem. The poet presents a woman who is always busy tending to her children and vying to have some private space. Even when she does not tend to her children, she is always thinking about her femininity is now out of space and having no individuality. In fact, these domestic chores related to siblings such as Liza and Thomas sap the entire energy of mothers, yet it is here that motherhood lies. That is why mothers lose their femininity and individuality for collectivity.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Daystar
Rita Dove used various literary devices to fill the intended meanings into her simple language. Some of the major literary devices used here are as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “but she saw diapers steaming on the line” and the sound of /o/ in “she’d see only her own vivid blood.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /w/ in “what was.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ in “she stared until she was assured” and the sound of /s and t/ in “Sometimes there were things to watch.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared;
pouting from the top of the stairs. - Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. Rita shows the use of irony when she tells the lady that “she was nothing” and “pure nothing” which defies the real logic of presenting the role of a mother as it seems ironic.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “She wanted a little room for thinking”, “but she saw diapers steaming on the line” and “Sometimes there were things to watch.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. Rita Dove used the metaphor of a little room for privacy.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols like diapers and naps for dirty jobs of taking care of the siblings to point out the uncomforting life.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Daystar
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: It means the use of language and tone of the poetic output. The poem shows real poetic and formal language with a dreary and straightforward tone.
- Free Verse: The poem shows the use of free verse as it does not have any rhyme or rhythmic pattern.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are five stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about parental work.
She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared
pouting from the top of the stairs.
And just what was mother doing
out back with the field mice? Why,