“Woman Work”

1. By: Maya Angelou “Woman Work”

2. Diction The author is straight forward and uses words such as “mop,” “weed,” “press” and “tend” to display all the work the woman has to do. The diction is also informal.

3. Images There is a strong use of imagery in the poem. “Floor to mop,” “tots to dress” and “cotton to pick” allow the reader to imagine the chores which have to be done. This appeals to sight. “Rain on me” and “blow me from here with your fiercest wind” appeal to touch and the reader can feel the rain and the wind.

4. Details The author includes many details about nature. “Cover me with white” and “shine on me” suggest that nature is the speaker’s escape. The last line of the poem is “You’re all that I can call my own.” In this line, the speaker is referring to nature. Nature is her escape and in a world with few women’s rights, nature is one of the few things she can own.

5. Language The language is informal with slight slang in “I got” and “’Til.” There is use of personification in “snowflakes cover me with white cold icy kisses.” Also, the many aspects of nature symbolize the woman’s escape from her work.

6. Sentence Structure The sentences are short and choppy. In the first stanza, every line represents another chore. There is a shift after the first stanza from chores to nature.