In “Daystar” the mother Doves describes struggles to get anytime alone because when she is not watching over her children, her husband wants her attention. Dove states “…Later/ that night when Thomas rolled over/ and lurched into her, she would open her eyes/ and think of the place that was hers…” (Daystar 16-19). This line describes how she has a hard time enjoying activities such as sex or simply spending time with her husband because she is focused on having time to herself and finding her quiet place. Even though teaching her how to ride the bike may have made the mother uneasy in “To a Daughter Leaving Home”, she knows her daughter was safe and is happy. Pastan …show more content…
Doves uses a complaining tone when talking about the mother in “Daystar”. This tone supports the mood of the woman being unhappy with how motherhood is treating her. Dove states “but she saw diapers steaming on the line, / a doll slumped behind the door.” (Daystar 2-3). This line from the poem is an instance of how the mother should feel about her surroundings. She describes all of the unpleasant things she sees, the she will have to clean up eventually, which displays a complaining type of tone. However, in “To a Daughter Leaving Home” the tone of the poem is much more different. Pastan uses an admiring tone to describe the mood of the narrative she shares about her daughter. Pastan