of informal diction is effective in comparing the differences of the lifestyles led byhousewives versus the lifestyles led by other women. The last line of the poem (“Wait ‘til theylearn I’m dropping out.”) leads the reader to assume that she has evaluated her lifestyle, and hasdecided to change it. The fact that she is “dropping out” could have a variety of meanings. Shecould decide to seek employment and start her own career, or she could be making a more radicalchange, such as leaving her family altogether to start a life of her own. There is even a possibilitythat she may remain a housewife, but change the way she caters to her family. Despite all of thepossibilities, Pastan’s true intention is to convey to the reader her speaker’s plans of makingchanges in her life to satisfy herself, not anyone else. “Marks” is an unusual poem not because of its subject matter, but because of the way itaddresses its subject matter. Pastan’s use of metaphors to develop comparisons of her speaker’sfamily relations to school grades is effective in showing the speaker’s attitude of indifference. Theuse of informal diction is helpful in establishing the dull, ordinary tone of the poem, and alsofurther develops the character of the speaker. This poem presents readers with ordinarycircumstances, yet it gives them a different way of viewing them. It suggests that maybe a gradeof A should be given for effort more often....
