Mother, Washing Dishes
By Susan Meyers
She rarely made us do it—
we’d clear the table instead—so my sister and I teased
that some day we’d train our children right
and not end up like her, after every meal stuck
with red knuckles, a bleached rag to wipe and wring.
The one chore she spared us: gummy plates
in water greasy and swirling with sloughed peas,
globs of egg and gravy.
Or did she guard her place
at the window? Not wanting to give up the gloss
of the magnolia, the school traffic humming.
Sunset, finches at the feeder. First sightings
of the mail truck at the curb, just after noon,
delivering a note, a card, the least bit of news.
Summary of Mother, Washing Dishes
- Popularity of “Mother, Washing Dishes”: The poem ‘Mother, Washing Dishes’ was written by Susan Meyers, an American poet. It is an interesting piece about mother-daughter love and care. The poem first appeared in 2006 in her collection, Keep and Give Away. It was later reprinted by a journal and the Poetry Foundation. However, what truly makes the poem popular is its ability to express the unique bond between a daughter and her mother, as well as the loving care that a mother provides.
- “Mother, Washing Dishes” As a Representative of Familial Love: Susan Meyers opens the poem with the third person feminine gender used for her mother, saying she has never made them do anything at home. This is true regarding domestic chores that her mother used to take care of. In the past, both she and her sisters held the belief that, in the future, they would personally teach their own children to help them out, ensuring they wouldn’t experience the same fate as their mother, who performed kitchen chores without any coercion. Even if they used to offer her help, she did not let them wash the gummy plates having eggs and gravy in them, thinking it would be hard for them. Despite this, they also entertain the possibility that she might choose to stay near the window, captivated by the mesmerizing gloss of the magnolia, the lively school traffic, the stunning sunsets, and the familiar sight of the mail truck, along with other activities happening in that vicinity.
- Major Themes in “Mother, Washing Dishes”: Motherly love, self-reflection, and familial care are three major themes of this poem.The poet recalls she and her sister taking care of their mother. Yet she does not let them wash greasy dishes and does these chores herself. They are under the impression that she goes to great lengths to take care of them, to the point where they think she overexerts herself. They would not do the same thing when they would train their kids for the future, they think. However, when it comes to chores, they again think that there might be other reasons. As a result, they engage in self-reflection regarding their roles and the role of mothers, and how to address small concerns.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In Mother, Washing Dishes
literary devices bring attraction, beauty, and diversity in poetic language. Susan Meyers has also used some literary devices in this poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ and /e/ in “We’d clear the table instead – so my sister and I teased” the sound of /a/ in “The one chore she spared us; gummy plates”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ and /d/ in “we’d clear the table instead – so my sister and I teased” and the sound of /s/ and /t/ in “Sunset, finches at the feeder. First sightings.”
- 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,
Sunset, finches at the feeder. First sightings
of the mail truck at the curb, just after noon,
delivering a note, a card, the least bit of news.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “with red knuckles, a bleached rag to wipe and wring”, “globs of egg and gravvy” and “delivering a note, a card, the least bit of news”.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of different symbols of household work, such as dishwashing, gummy plates, gravy, and knuckles to point out the tiresome work that a mother does.
- Simile: The poem shows the use of a simile such as “and not end up like her”.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Mother, Washing Dishes
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows the use of modern jargon of domestic chores to show daughters’ concern for their mother. The tone is serious and quizzical.
- Free Verse: The poem is a free verse poem, as it does not follow any rhyming pattern.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The poem is a single stanza poem, having fourteen verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Mother, Washing Dishes” are appropriate to quote about the significance of a relationship.
The one chore she spared us: gummy plates
in water greasy and swirling with sloughed peas,
globs of egg and gravy.