Textuality » 4A Interacting
WHY IS THE POEM CALLED "WOMAN WORK"?
The poem names "woman work" because it is about tasks that women have to deal everyday with.
In the first stanza, organized into 14 lines, a tasks list is made and a complaint about doing them is underlined. As a matter of fact there are many anaphors: almost each line begins with I've got (gotta) or the definite article "the". Both emphasize effort perceived by the narrator (especially got and gotta, which underline the duty). Effort is also highlined by the infinite form throughout the first stanza and the use of the word "then". In addition there is no punctuation, as if the narrator would mark that she has not a break.
However the stanza consists of 7 rhyming couplet.
In the other three quatrains, the narrator refers to nature, as if she would underline the desire of freedom. Especially she makes a reference to fresh images as the rain, blow, snowflakes and the sunshine (when the sun goes down). To me, the aim is to underline the desire of cool down, as if it could regenerate herself. As a matter of fact the aim of these stanzas are to emphasize the wish of a rest.
In my opinion the poem reminds to the debate of what women have to do. In fact from ancient times women had to stay at home and look after house and children. Therefore this poem is such a protest against it and the aim is to ask for freedom.