'The Routine Things Around The House' by Stephen Dunn
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When Mother died
I thought: now I'll have a death poem.
That was unforgivable.
Yet I've since forgiven myself
as sons are able to do
who've been loved by their mothers.
I stared into the coffin
knowing how long she'd live,
how many lifetimes there are
in the sweet revisions of memory.
It's hard to know exactly
how we ease ourselves back from sadness,
but I remembered when I was twelve,
1951, before the world
unbuttoned its blouse.
I had asked my mother (I was trembling)
If I could see her breasts
and she took me into her room
without embarrassment or coyness
and I stared at them,
afraid to ask for more.
Now, years later, someone tells me
Cancers who've never had mother love
are doomed and I, a Cancer
feel blessed again. What luck
to have had a mother
who showed me her breasts
when girls my age were developing
their separate countries,
what luck
she didn't doom me
with too much or too little.
Had I asked to touch,
Perhaps to suck them,
What would she have done?
Mother, dead woman
Who I think permits me
to love women easily
this poem
is dedicated to where
we stopped, to the incompleteness
that was sufficient
and to how you buttoned up,
began doing the routine things
around the house.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Routine Things Around The House: A Literary Criticism
Oh, what a beautiful poem! Stephen Dunn's "The Routine Things Around The House" is a masterpiece of modern poetry. The poem, published in 1989, is a meditative piece on the mundane routine of everyday life. The speaker of the poem is an observer, watching the various activities and movements of the people around him, while reflecting on his own life.
The Form
The poem has a free-verse structure, with no fixed rhyme scheme or meter. The lines are mostly short, with a few long ones scattered throughout. The language is simple and direct, with no arcane or obscure words. The poem is divided into six stanzas, each one describing a different aspect of the routine of daily life.
The Themes
At its core, "The Routine Things Around The House" is a poem about the beauty and meaning of everyday life. The speaker contemplates the simple actions of the people around him - the woman washing the dishes, the man mowing the lawn, the children playing in the yard - and finds in them a deeper significance. These actions, though mundane, are what make life worth living. They are the small moments of joy that we often overlook in our pursuit of bigger and more exciting things.
The poem also touches on the theme of mortality. The speaker is aware that life is fleeting and that these simple moments will not last forever. He reflects on his own mortality and the fact that one day he too will be gone. This awareness adds a sense of urgency to his contemplation of the routine things around the house.
The Imagery
One of the most striking features of the poem is its vivid imagery. Dunn uses precise and evocative language to create images that stay with the reader long after the poem is finished. For example, in the first stanza, he describes the woman washing dishes:
She has taken her glasses off and risen from the chair where she has been sitting bent over the crossword puzzle.
This simple image of a woman taking off her glasses and rising from her chair is so vivid that it brings the entire scene to life. We can imagine the woman standing at the sink, the water running, the sound of dishes clinking.
Dunn also uses imagery to create a sense of contrast between the routine activities of daily life and the larger world outside. In the fourth stanza, he writes:
Meanwhile, halfway around the world, someone is kissing hello, someone is kissing good-bye, someone is thinking of someone else who is thousands of miles away, someone is closing his eyes and feeling the sun on his face.
These lines create a sense of distance between the routine activities of daily life and the larger world outside. While someone is closing their eyes and feeling the sun on their face, someone else is thinking of someone thousands of miles away. The contrast between these two images is striking and adds depth to the poem.
The Tone
The tone of the poem is contemplative and reflective. The speaker is not judging or criticizing the routine activities of daily life, but rather observing them with a sense of wonder and appreciation. There is a sense of nostalgia in the poem, as if the speaker is looking back on his life with a sense of longing for the simplicity of the past.
The Interpretation
"The Routine Things Around The House" is a poem that celebrates the beauty and meaning of everyday life. It reminds us that even the most mundane activities can be imbued with a sense of joy and significance. The poem also reminds us of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.
At its heart, the poem is a call to mindfulness. It encourages us to pay attention to the small moments of joy in our lives and to appreciate them fully. It reminds us that life is not just about achieving big goals and pursuing grand ambitions, but also about finding meaning and happiness in the routine things around the house.
The Conclusion
Stephen Dunn's "The Routine Things Around The House" is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that celebrates the beauty of everyday life. Its vivid imagery, contemplative tone, and powerful themes make it a timeless masterpiece of modern poetry. Read it, and let it remind you to appreciate the simple joys of life.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Routine Things Around The House: A Poem That Celebrates the Mundane
Stephen Dunn's poem, The Routine Things Around The House, is a beautiful ode to the mundane. It celebrates the everyday tasks that we often take for granted, such as washing dishes, folding laundry, and sweeping the floor. In this 2000-word analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand why it has become a classic in contemporary poetry.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the routine tasks that they perform around the house. They start with washing dishes, a task that is often seen as a chore. However, the speaker finds beauty in the simplicity of the task, stating that "the plates glide in and out of the soapy water." This imagery creates a sense of ease and fluidity, as if the speaker is in a state of meditation while performing the task.
The next task the speaker describes is folding laundry. Again, this is a task that is often seen as a chore, but the speaker finds joy in the process. They describe the "satisfaction of crisp linens" and the "smell of detergent and bleach." These sensory details create a vivid image of the task, making it seem almost luxurious.
As the poem progresses, the speaker moves on to sweeping the floor. This task is often seen as the most mundane of all, but the speaker finds beauty in the act of sweeping. They describe the "swoosh of the broom" and the "dust rising like smoke." These images create a sense of movement and energy, making the task seem almost dance-like.
Throughout the poem, the speaker uses repetition to emphasize the routine nature of these tasks. They repeat the phrase "I like" several times, creating a sense of familiarity and comfort. This repetition also emphasizes the importance of these tasks in the speaker's life. They are not just chores, but rather a part of the speaker's daily routine that brings them joy and satisfaction.
The poem also explores the idea of mindfulness. The speaker is fully present in the moment, focusing on the task at hand and finding beauty in the simplicity of it. This is evident in lines such as "I like the whooshing sound of water" and "I like the hiss of the iron." These sensory details show that the speaker is fully engaged in the task, and is finding pleasure in the process rather than just trying to get it done.
Another theme that is explored in the poem is the idea of finding beauty in the ordinary. The speaker finds joy in the routine tasks that many people overlook or take for granted. They see the beauty in the simplicity of these tasks, and find satisfaction in the act of completing them. This is evident in lines such as "I like the feel of things" and "I like the ordinariness of the task." These lines show that the speaker is not looking for excitement or novelty, but rather finds beauty in the everyday.
The language used in the poem is simple and straightforward, which adds to the sense of familiarity and comfort. The speaker uses everyday language to describe the tasks, making them seem more relatable. This language also emphasizes the idea that these tasks are not complicated or difficult, but rather simple and easy to accomplish.
The imagery used in the poem is also simple and straightforward, but it is effective in creating a sense of movement and energy. The images of plates gliding in and out of soapy water, the swoosh of the broom, and the hiss of the iron create a sense of motion and activity. This imagery also emphasizes the idea that these tasks are not static or boring, but rather dynamic and engaging.
In conclusion, The Routine Things Around The House is a beautiful poem that celebrates the mundane. It explores the themes of mindfulness, finding beauty in the ordinary, and the importance of routine in our lives. The language and imagery used in the poem are simple and straightforward, but they are effective in creating a sense of familiarity and comfort. This poem reminds us that even the most routine tasks can bring us joy and satisfaction if we approach them with mindfulness and appreciation.
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