T- The tone of the piece is matter of fact and sarcastic. She views the idea of being graded as a mother and a wife as ridiculous and not worth her time or effort. This is clear by her matter of fact method of stating her grades as well as her assertion that she's "dropping out".
W- She uses very loaded words in depicting the grading system. Words like "average" and "pass/fail" emphasize the emotional detachment of a grading system inside the family. Also her word choices continue the extended metaphor of school.
I- The only detail in this poem is the specification of certain activities. It refers specifically to her ironing, cooking, and bedroom activities.
S- Pastan repeatedly uses enjambment. She also uses caesura in the line before last. Both emphasize the matter of fact nature with which she portrays her marks. Caesura is used when she states that she passed. The statement isn't qualified it is just stated. In addition the enjambment makes the poem more fluid.
T- This poem depicts household inequality and the objectification of the maternal figure. The mother's value lays not in whom she is or her membership in the family, but rather in a direct correlation to her performance in the household.
This poem exposes the unfair gender roles of the household. Mothers are valued because of how they work and the things they do. My connection to this poem comes in a few ways. I could relate because my mom much like this mother is responsible for most of the cooking and cleaning in our household. That being said we don't grade her on her performance and we often put in a helping hand. In addition I'm currently going through a leadership program that required me to conduct a deficiency interview in which I sat down and someone made me aware of some of my personal character flaws. My main flaw was pride, something I've always struggled with. This often manifests itself in how I establish personal value. I link my value as a person to my performance as an athlete, student, son, and friend.
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