Her washing ended with the day, Yet lived she at its close, And passed the long, long night away In darning ragged hose. But when the sun in all its state Illumed the Eastern skies, She passed about the kitchen grate And went to making pies.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A working woman finishes her daily chores but continues her labor through the night and starts anew at dawn.
- In plain terms
- She worked all day, stayed up sewing at night, and started cooking again in the morning.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize the relentless cycle of labor often endured by working-class women.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What tasks consume your night?
- How do you see work in your life?
Another view
The poem romanticizes the hardship without explicitly criticizing the system.
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