How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Women have no wilderness in them,
They are provident instead, (1-2)
This is a pretty typical stereotype about women: they just aren't cut out for kicking up their heels. Instead, they're cautious about life. One could easily argue that women have to be more cautious, because it's historically been harder for them than men to live independently. All the same, the speaker doesn't seem to think this is a good thing, putting the ladies on blast right from the start.
Quote #2
They do not see cattle cropping red winter grass,
They do not hear
Snow water going down under culverts
Shallow and clear. (5-8)
Somehow, this strikes us as an even sadder failure than a lack of "wilderness." Our speaker claims that women just aren't up to noticing the world around them. And yet, the fact that Bogan wrote this poem shows the very opposite. Are we meant to read these lines as sarcastic?
Quote #3
They wait, when they should turn to journeys,
They stiffen, when they should bend. (9-10)
Just like a teacher in a first yoga class, the speaker is telling women that their moves are all wrong. When they should be skipping down the open road, they sit around and wait. And when they should go along to get along, they decide to put their foot down. All these moves are wrong, according to our speaker, and apparently all women make these mistakes. Does she convince you that this is the case?