C Stevens
07/09/2010
Professor Kierath
English 102.212
Analysis of Rita Dove’s, “Daystar”

“Daystar” by Rita Dove is an expressive poem, which centers on the main character, a young mother and wife, who internally struggles with her burdensome, daily duties, which creates a lack of freedom in her world. Dove’s choice of words lets the reader empathize with her confined life. In this poem, irony exists for the mere fact that from birth to adulthood the female population is brought up to feel fulfilled by simply becoming a wife and mother; however, this poem describes the monotonous duties and the joyless bond that can be between husband and wife.
As the poem opens, Dove begins with a metaphor that entertains the idea of
In other words, we are raised to become a docile, subservient woman just so we can possibly lose ourselves and our dreams. I feel as thought, unfortunately, many young woman use the power of a man to live a comfortable life, however, they do not realize that it can be a huge price to pay. Conclusively, I feel as though the author put forth a grand amount of effort and put together a beautifully written poem that may inspire many woman for years to come.

"DOVE, Rita." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO. Web. 9 July 2010. Sources

"DOVE, Rita." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO. Web. 9 July 2010.

"DOVE, Rita, full name Rita Frances Dove (1952– ), American poet, who in 1993 became the first African-American, as well as the youngest-ever, poet laureate of the United States, a post she held until 1995."

Walsh, William. "ISN'T REALITY MAGIC? AN INTERVIEW WITH RITA DOVE." Kenyon Review 16.3 (1994): 142-154. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 9 July 2010.

"RITA Dove was born in 1952 in Akron, Ohio, and holds a B.A. from Miami University and an M.F.A. from Iowa Writers' Workshop."

Pereira, Malin. "'When the pear blossoms / cast their pale faces on / the darker face of the earth': Miscegenation, the Primal Scene, and the Incest Motif if Rita Dove's Work." African American Review 36.2 (2002): 195. Academic Search