"Marks" by Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan is an American poet of Jewish heritage. After settling down with her family, she was encourage to return to her love of poetry. As a result, she has produced famous works that center on marriage, relationships, family and the "anxieties that exist under the surface of everyday life."

"Marks" by Linda Pastan

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.

Pastan's poem is about a wife and mother who is constantly graded and criticized on everything she does.  Pastan utilizes an extended metaphor in order to convey her message. The mother does everything her family asks of her and yet she still falls short of their high, almost unreachable expectations. Pastan compares the mother's life to the life of a student in which she is graded on everything she does. The woman is obviously irritated by the constant grading of her daily activities. In a sense she becomes a student who has to "learn" but if she has to learn she also has the right to "drop out." 
Reading Pastan's poem through a feminist lens, we realize she makes a valid point. Her metaphor becomes the center of her social commentary.  They, in a sense, take her everyday duties for granted. Considering Paston's common theme of anxieties of everyday life, it is clear to see she is commenting on the tough life of a mother and wife. This woman has enough stress in her life and does not need the added stress of "passing" her husband's and children's "classes." Due to the lack of recognition, she gets the idea of dropping out or leaving the family all together. This would show her family all they take for granted and would persuade them to be less harsh in their grading of her or perhaps stop their grading all together. On the whole, Paston's message is on the lack of respect women get. She believes they are disrespected, to the point where their every action is graded, and are not treated as equal to men. Notice her children don't grade their father or that she doesn't mention her husband's grade in bed. While Paston's poem was written in 1978, it resembles many of the ideas the feminist movement of today works towards.