The speaker of "Mushrooms" definitely seems to criticize her kind for being passive, but she also gives her kind credit for really sticking with it. The mushrooms and the women they most likely represent may take a lot of crap along the way, but still they are determined. No matter what stands in their way, they multiply and claim that one day, no matter what, they will claim what's theirs. These mushrooms won't be munched.
Questions About Perseverance
- What obstacles does the speaker say her kind has to persevere through?
- What aspects of herself and her kind serve as challenges to their perseverance?
- What's the ultimate goal here? Just what are these ladies persevering for?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Throughout the poem, the speaker contrasts her kind's inherent passivity with their determined perseverance to be treated as they deserve. 'Shroom solidarity, gang.
Silver lining alert: the perseverance of the speaker and her kind is made stronger by the difficulty of the obstacles they have to face.