Dressing My Daughters

Speaker #1: "Dressing My Daughters" by Mark Jarman
This poem isn't in the Norton...you can find it HERE =)

The speaker of this poem is the father of two young daughters. In writing the poem from the point of view of a father, we get an amusing feeling. This father seems to be overwhelmed in the situation he is in, having to dress his daughters for church on Sunday. He speaks quite freely and therefore makes a connection with the reader. As a daughter, I know how difficult it can be for a father to dress his daughters in their Sunday clothes; it isn't easy. However, this father doesn't seem annoyed, he appears more amused and reflective. Instead of dwelling on his daughters' bickering, he recalls his own past and how he acted just as they do.

After reading this poem for the first time, I read a biography on the author. I found that he likes to write in narrative style because he thinks it allows more people to connect with is writing. I agree. In choosing to have the speaker, the father, speak naturally as if he is speaking his memories aloud, gives deeper meaning to the poem. Also, it allows for more people to understand what he is saying. People don't want to have to go through each line of a poem to discover what the speaker is saying. Mark Jarman gives this father a natural, laid back way of speaking and that leads to a further understanding of the poem.