"Marks," Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan was Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1991 until 1995. In addition to being a mother and wife, she also writes poetry covering topics such as "family life, domesticity, motherhood, the female experience, aging, death, loss and the fear of loss, as well as the fragility of life and relationships."

My husband gives me an A
for last night's supper,
an incomplete for my ironing,
a B plus in bed.
My son says I am average,
an average mother, but if
I put my mind to it
I could improve.
My daughter believes
in Pass/Fail and tells me
I pass.  Wait 'til they learn
I'm dropping out.

Linda Pastan's "Marks" tells the story of a mother who is never able to fully satisfy her family. Each member of her family uses a different grading system or set of "marks" for evaluating the mother's performance. Her husband gives her letter grades, her son ranks her, and her daughter either passes or fails her. However, the ambiguity of the title also suggests that the "marks" may be much more than grades, and perhaps evidence of the mother's mental and emotional suffering.
In addition to the metaphor of marks as grades, the author also uses an extended metaphor to convey the frustration and exhaustion experienced by housewives and students alike. The poem lists the many household duties the woman's family expects of her, such as cooking and cleaning. Similarly, students often sit in boring classes with unhappy and unfair teachers who expect their students to get good grades while still participating in other activities and doing hours of homework every night. Both in school and at home we're held to standards that are too high. Though we may recognize that "if (we) put (our) minds to it (we) could improve," there comes a point when we find ourselves asking "what's the point?" Eventually these "marks," whether emotional, mental, or physical, become too much, and so like the mother in the poem, we "drop out." Only then do people recognize our hard work and accomplishments and discuss our worth and value.