To A Daughter Leaving Home Analysis

Linda Pastan and Sharon Olds are two of the most influential contemporary writers. They write about personal experiences as well as topics that are going on in society today. Pastan focus more on marriage, parenting, and grief she is interested in the anxieties that exist under the surface of everyday life (Foundation). As for Olds her poetry is remarkable for its candor, eroticism, and its power to move (Foundation). Olds takes a path with her writings that not too many authors would take. She utilizes a strong voice to speak on topics of the abusive behavior she was getting at home. Both bring a strong voice to the poetry world recollecting some of their most vivid memories. Pastan gave up writing to have more time and concentrate on

Pastan writes more about family life. In her poem “To A Daughter Leaving Home” she talks about teaching her daughter how to ride a bike. She is reflecting on memories she had with her daughter. Pastan is letting her audience know how difficult it can be for a daughter to leave home. And how it’s hard for a parent to let go. Olds talks about family life as well she talks a lot about the abuse she went through as a child and her relationship with her father. In the poem “The Victims” Olds is talking about how she is excited that her father has left. She is glad that her mother divorced him, “When mother divorced you, we were glad, she took it and took it in silence” (Poemhunter). In this poem Olds seems to be excited that her father has lost his job as well,” We were tickled to think of your office taken away, your secretaries taken away, your lunches with three double bourbons, your pencils, your reams of paper” (Poemhunter). From this the audience, would get that Olds father was abusive referencing the bourbons whenever he drinks. Pastan and Olds both get emotional in their poems about personal experiences. The audience can connect with them on an emotional level as well has any type of family

Olds has a lot of poems that talks a lot about intimacy as well as vulgar language. Olds takes a path that not too many writers will take. In the poem titled “Satan Says”, “Say shit, say death, say fuck the father, Satan says, down my ear” (Foundation), Olds lets you that she is outspoken in her work as well as not afraid to use certain words. As for Pastan she is more conservative with her work. She is a keen observer who recognizes the realities of life: illness, aging, disappointment, fear and, yes, death (mezzocammin). In Pastan’s poems she talks a lot about motherhood as well as the marriage. In the Poem, “The Obligation to Be Happy”, Pastan is speaking of not being happy with life at that time. “Happiness. I try to hoist it on my narrow shoulders again- a knapsack heavy with gold coins” (Foundation), in this line she is referencing all she wants is happiness. She hides her feelings so others won’t see. She is carrying too much on her where it is weighing her down. She can only bare so much. Unlike Olds, Pastan seems to bring out a lot of sadness and depression in her writings. In this poem, the speaker is hiding their feelings, and not telling how they feel deep down inside. When it comes to Olds she tells how she feels, readers can feel the rage in her writings more than what is in Pastan’s writings. In Pastan’s writings, readers feel more compassion as they are