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Metaphors and Their Meanings
In the poem “Marks” by Linda Pastan, the speaker resents the way she is treated by the members of her family. Linda feels dissatisfied because she does not feel that her family respects her enough as a mother. Linda wrote the poem ”Marks,” whose main theme was the metaphor of school grades. The poem does a great job of showing Linda’s true feelings, as well as the possible idea of her dropping out.
I think that Linda chose this metaphor to describe her family because she feels that her family is judging and grading her performance at home. According to the poem, Linda does not feel appreciated by her family. Instead she feels like she is a servant or a maid to them. The quote, “My husband gives me an A for last night’s supper, an incomplete for my ironing, a B+ in bed.” (Pastan) makes Linda feel like she is just being used for her services, and not loved for being a wonderful wife. The remark by her son has enough power to make any parent feel discouraged. The quote, “My son says I am an average mother, but if I put my mind to it I can improve,” (Pastan) can really upset parents, especially when they try their hardest to provide the best for their children. All the criticism that Linda faces causes her to want to stop being a mother. I think the reason she is saying this at the end of the poem is because she wants her family to realize how vital she is to the family, and that the jobs Linda does are jobs no one else can do. The metaphor used is an excellent way to put her thoughts into writing. It is effective because it shows the lack of care by her family.
Metaphors, when used appropriately, are a great way to spice up a paper or essay. Metaphors provide that descriptive edge that many papers lack, and they keep the reader focused and interested. Metaphors take a particular item or topic, and compare that item or topic to something completely different. For exam...