“It’s A Woman’s World” is a poem about how woman should embrace their strengths. It’s a Woman’s World” focuses on issues of female identity and how the contributions of women have been overlooked. The speaker of Eavan Boland’s poem, seems to intend irony with the title of this poem, she is not saying this is a woman’s world, but rather speaks of the world from the woman’s point of view. Boland shows her views that women, who are placed in less harsh jobs than the opposite sex, are by no means less important or have easier lives.
Eavan Boland is telling woman by this poem to fight for equality, that men and woman have had it equally hard throughout history. In the first stanza of “It’s a Woman’s World,” Boland introduces the idea that women’s lives have remained largely unchanged throughout history. In the second stanza, Boland elaborates on the theme she established in the first stanza. She stresses that women’s lives have remained unchanged, although technological advances such as more powerful combustion and improved wheels have occurred.
Again in the third and fourth stanza, with the use of providing details from the traditionally female roles Boland continues to elaborate on the theme of how women’s lives have hardly changed. The “loaf” mentions indirectly to the daily chore of buying groceries for a family, while the “washing powder” and “wash” refer to the domestic chore of doing laundry. This theme through the first four stanza continues throughout the poem. Boland continues to focuses on the issues that through out all of history woman have played their roles in life, with as much work and effort as men have, and still things haven’t changed for them.
Yes woman can get other jobs outside the house, and may have more freedom then they once had, however Boland puts it as “ merely getting a breath of evening air”. woman are still seen as week, and house keepers. Leaving all that they have done and still do today overlooked. Boland set the poem in somewhat of a ironic tone with the title “It’s A Woman’s World”. The poem does not display the world belonging to a people who never change, who mark their lives by living outside of history, who calculate their failures as milestones, and who make excuses for remaining this way.
Yet the irony vanishes once we thoroughly look at where the speaker is coming from. the speaker is indeed referring to a woman’s world, but that world is from woman’s point of view in the world, not a world that is ran by woman. The first word of the poem, “Our,” shows the reader that the poem, as the poem’s title indicates is purely based on woman, as the speaker refers to woman as one. Boland’s view of females jobs through out history compared to the males job, have been equally difficult.
She seems to express in detail the aspects of the female role, and the outcome of so. In the line, “our windows moth our children to the flame of hearth not history,” portrays the strength and power of women. This quote demonstrates that woman are the ones that their children run to in need of refuge. This quote may also implied that women have an eternal flame for equality and the desire to overcome societal limitations. Boland also displays her views of such things when she lists off the female’s typical duties.
Boland explains that throughout history, women’s work has consisted of necessary but unmemorable daily responsibilities centered on food and cleaning. By using the word “left” twice in these stanzas, Boland emphasizes how forgettable these tasks are. Which can also show the reader reasons for female jobs to go unnoticed and forgotten, which in return puts them under a less demanding job then the males. Boland also highlights the economic aspect of the work by mentioning the cash register and the paid-for powder. By including these details, Boland could be suggesting women have not been paid for, for their labor.
In the end of the play the speaker in a seeming urgent tone says “she’s no fire-eater, just my frosty neighbor coming home,” this could be referring back to the wheel’s symbolism. Just as the wheel is circular and moves in a continuous cycle, if women do not make efforts to strive for equality, then they will also be like the frosty neighbor. Moreover, if women do not strive for equality, then they will find themselves trapped in a traditional and restricting society.
The poem “It’s A Woman’s World” written by Eavan Boland is telling woman that they should fight for equality between males and females, and that here is no reason men should be put ahead of a woman, whom have had it just as hard in life. Boland has pointed out in this poem how woman’s contributions have been overlooked. From the title of the poem a sense of irony is established, the poem is not about “A Woman’s World” but rather the woman in the world.
Boland throughout the poem explains the importance of the traditional female roles, and explains how the are just as necessary and demanding as the traditional male roles. By the end of the poem the point has been made that woman should strongly embrace their strengths.
