Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | ||||||||
"What's That Smell in the Kitchen" is a poem by Marge Piercy, first published in her collection "The Moon Is Always Female" in 1980. The poem is a feminist critique of the traditional gender roles that relegate women to domestic work. Explanation: The poem begins with a speaker noticing a foul smell emanating from the kitchen. The speaker finds her husband reading the paper and her son watching TV while she is expected to cook, clean, and take care of everything else. She sarcastically asks her husband if he wants her to sing while she works and her son if he wants her to be his servant. The speaker is exasperated by the lack of appreciation for her hard work, and she wonders what would happen if she just left everything and let her family fend for themselves. Poetic Elements:
Conclusion: "What's That Smell in the Kitchen" is a powerful poem that addresses issues of gender roles, domestic labor, and women's frustration with their societal expectations. The poem is an excellent example of how poetry can be used to critique social norms and challenge cultural assumptions. Poem Snippet: "I smell something burning. I smell something rotten. But I'll act as if I haven't, if I haven't then it's not happening if I can't smell it, it's not real, so I'll just boil more vegetables or throw another pot roast in the oven or make a little nectar for the hummingbirds." Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#47) by MARVIN BELL THE COMPOSER'S WINTER DREAM by NORMAN DUBIE THE JOY OF COOKING by EDWARD FIELD THE EBONY CHICKERING by DORIANNE LAUX SAINT PASCAL BAYLON / SAN PASCUAL BAILON by PAT MORA MY UNCLE'S FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE |
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