Woman Work by Maya Angelou
REFERENCE: These lines have been taken from, “Woman Work” written by “Maya Angelou.”
CONTEXT: In this poem, the poetess tells that a house wife is always busy in performing the domestic chores. She is exhausted by this dull and drab routine of life. She desires to enjoy the company of nature.
EXPLANATION:Actually, the poem depicts before us a situation which is applicable to all the women all over the world. In these lines, the poetess says that after performing the duties of bathing her children, cooking food and serving her family and guests as well, cleaning her hut, washing the clothes of her family and cutting the weeds from the garden, a woman is exhausted by the dull and drab routine of life. She thinks that she is a machine and not a human being. She needs energy to remove her boredom. She calls the elements of nature to be her companions to refresh her mind and soul so that she may get some energy and refresh herself to perform the duties of next day. It shows her belief in the healing and soothing power of nature because she has so many choices to get energy. She can enjoy the company of her friends, watch some movie, listen some song but she rejects all these and desires to be the part of nature. Wordsworth too believes: “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.”