- What was it about Duck's poem that annoyed her so much?
- How is her attitude toward her lot in life similar to or different from that of the other working class writers we discussed on Wednesday?
- What overarching issues, themes, ideas shape her poem as a whole? (If you have time to look over Duck's poem at greater length, how does she structure her poem differently from his?)
- How does this poem expand your "big picture" of later C18 literature?
Deadline: Friday (4/1), 1pm.
3 comments:
At the beginning of the poem it is clear that Duck has annoyed her because of his very of women, women laborers, and the poor. It seems that she comments on Duke by alluding that he should not look down on women laborers and the poor because he was once in the same position. I like how she takes a stand for women and what they are capable of doing.
This becomes clear, when she describes all the tasks that women are able to complete in the field and in the home. She seems to be content about her status and what she does therefore it questions why Duke would be so concerned with this subject.
This poem expands my idea of 18th century literature because it has taught me that women writers actually were thoughtful and had good opinions of themselves and what they were capable of. After reading her work I have definitely come to like her as a writer.
This poem seems to expand my "big picture" of the later 18th century literature because it shows a view of working class women that are praised of the work they are doing. It does not look down on them because they are women rather than men, and Collier seems to be putting women on the same level as men because they are able to do work in the fields that men have done in the past. When she comments on the time and effort she puts into making hay, it seems to me that she is saying "hey look at what we can do; we're just as good as you."
To me, I see a version of the working class writer that does not criticize women in any way. It also does not seem to make the implication, as other works do, that women are up for grabs to simply be slept with. She seem to be putting a good name to women and praising them for the necessary work they perform to survive.
I agree with Bianca and Westyn that the poem exemplifies or portrays women who were apart of the working class with a sense of respect. The picture even describes how hard a woman works even while off the clock. In other words, her job is not done but continued as she has to care for her going household which usually consist of fulfilling household chores and tending to the children. I believe that as a result, women during this period were definitely the epitome of what a working class writer really was. Yes they had to struggle with the mild criticism of working outside the home but they had other matters to focus on outside the workplace and this poem serves as a positive acknowledgement of their everyday contributions for the greater good of their respective societies.
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