Anna Laetitia Barbauld's "Washing-Day": A Detailed Guide
The Poem: Washing-Day
---and their voice,
Turning again towards childish treble, pipes
And whistles in its sound. ---
The Muses are turned gossips; they have lost
The buskined step, and clear high-sounding phrase,
Language of gods. Come then, domestic Muse,
In slipshod measure loosely prattling on
Of farm or orchard, pleasant curds and cream,
Or drowning flies, or shoe lost in the mire
By little whimpering boy, with rueful face;
Come, Muse, and sing the dreaded Washing-Day.
Ye who beneath the yoke of wedlock bend,
With bowed soul, full well ye ken the day
Which week, smooth sliding after week, brings on
Too soon;—for to that day nor peace belongs
Nor comfort;—ere the first gray streak of dawn,
The red-armed washers come and chase repose.
Nor pleasant smile, nor quaint device of mirth,
E'er visited that day: the very cat,
From the wet kitchen scared and reeking hearth,
Visits the parlour,—an unwonted guest.
The silent breakfast-meal is soon dispatched;
Uninterrupted, save by anxious looks
Cast at the lowering sky, if sky should lower.
From that last evil, O preserve us, heavens!
For should the skies pour down, adieu to all
Remains of quiet: then expect to hear
Of sad disasters,—dirt and gravel stains
Hard to efface, and loaded lines at once
Snapped short,—and linen-horse by dog thrown down,
And all the petty miseries of life.
Saints have been calm while stretched upon the rack,
And Guatimozin smiled on burning coals;
But never yet did housewife notable
Greet with a smile a rainy washing-day.
—But grant the welkin fair, require not thou
Who call'st thyself perchance the master there,
Or study swept, or nicely dusted coat,
Or usual 'tendance;—ask not, indiscreet,
Thy stockings mended, though the yawning rents
Gape wide as Erebus; nor hope to find
Some snug recess impervious: shouldst thou try
The 'customed garden walks, thine eye shall rue
The budding fragrance of thy tender shrubs,
Myrtle or rose, all crushed beneath the weight
Of coarse checked apron,—with impatient hand
Twitched off when showers impend: or crossing lines
Shall mar thy musings, as the wet cold sheet
Flaps in thy face abrupt. Woe to the friend
Whose evil stars have urged him forth to claim
On such a day the hospitable rites!
Looks, blank at best, and stinted courtesy,
Shall he receive. Vainly he feeds his hopes
With dinner of roast chicken, savoury pie,
Or tart or pudding:—pudding he nor tart
That day shall eat; nor, though the husband try,
Mending what can't be helped, to kindle mirth
From cheer deficient, shall his consort's brow
Clear up propitious:—the unlucky guest
In silence dines, and early slinks away.
I well remember, when a child, the awe
This day struck into me; for then the maids,
I scarce knew why, looked cross, and drove me from them:
Nor soft caress could I obtain, nor hope
Usual indulgencies; jelly or creams,
Relic of costly suppers, and set by
For me their petted one; or buttered toast,
When butter was forbid; or thrilling tale
Of ghost or witch, or murder—so I went
And sheltered me beside the parlour fire:
There my dear grandmother, eldest of forms,
Tended the little ones, and watched from harm,
Anxiously fond, though oft her spectacles
With elfin cunning hid, and oft the pins
Drawn from her ravelled stocking, might have soured
One less indulgent.—
At intervals my mother's voice was heard,
Urging dispatch: briskly the work went on,
All hands employed to wash, to rinse, to wring,
To fold, and starch, and clap, and iron, and plait.
Then would I sit me down, and ponder much
Why washings were. Sometimes through hollow bowl
Of pipe amused we blew, and sent aloft
The floating bubbles; little dreaming then
To see, Mongolfier, thy silken ball
Ride buoyant through the clouds—so near approach
The sports of children and the toils of men.
Earth, air, and sky, and ocean, hath its bubbles,
And verse is one of them—this most of all.
Detailed Summary
Part 1: Invocation and the Dreaded Day (Lines 1-30)
The poem opens with a mock-heroic invocation to the Muse. Barbauld, however, says that the traditional Muses have become mere gossips, so she calls on a new "domestic Muse" to sing of "the dreaded Washing-Day." She then describes the atmosphere of the house. The day brings neither peace nor comfort. Before dawn, the "red-armed washers" arrive and disrupt any chance of rest. The atmosphere is so tense that even the cat is scared away from the kitchen, and breakfast is eaten in silence, broken only by anxious glances at the sky. Rain is the greatest threat, as it would lead to a catalogue of disasters: dirt that won't come out, snapped clotheslines, and a toppled "linen-horse" (a drying rack). The speaker even jokes that while martyrs have smiled through torture, no notable housewife has ever greeted a rainy washing-day with a smile.
Part 2: The 'Master' and the Unlucky Guest (Lines 31-58)
The speaker now directly addresses the "master" of the house, warning him not to expect any of his usual comforts. There will be no clean study or coat, his torn stockings won't be mended, and he won't find a quiet spot in the garden—the women's coarse aprons will have crushed his plants, and a wet sheet will "flap in thy face abrupt." Similarly, any friend who chooses to visit on this day is doomed. He will be met with "blank" looks and "stinted courtesy." His hopes for a good dinner are dashed, as the overwhelming stress leaves the mistress of the house unable to produce a pleasant meal or conversation. The guest eats in silence and "early slinks away."
Part 3: A Child's Perspective (Lines 59-86)
The poem shifts to a more personal and reflective tone. The speaker remembers the "awe" of the day as a child. She recalls being confused by the maids' anger and her own deprivation of treats and attention. To escape the chaos, she would take refuge by the parlor fire with her grandmother, who would "watch from harm" and tolerate the child's mischievous games. The child's innocence and playfulness are further emphasized when she describes blowing bubbles through a pipe and pondering the fundamental question: "Why washings were." The poem then makes a final, transcendent leap. The child's simple bubbles are directly linked to the hot-air balloon of the Montgolfier brothers, a marvel of human invention. The poem concludes with the idea that everything has its "bubbles" (fanciful creations), and poetry—this very verse—is one of them, and perhaps the most important.
Analysis and Themes
1. Elevating the Domestic: A "Woman's Georgic"
In the 18th century, epic poetry was concerned with heroes, gods, and grand national themes. By writing a poem about laundry, Barbauld was making a radical statement: the domestic work of women is a subject worthy of serious poetic treatment. This approach is described as a "woman's georgic" [citation:1][citation:5]. A georgic is a poem about rural or agricultural labor. By alluding to this classical form and using elevated, epic language (mock-heroic style), Barbauld forces her reader to take the monumental labor of a "washing day" seriously, placing it on par with the more celebrated "toils of men" [citation:1][citation:2].
2. The Invisibility and Importance of Women's Labor
A central theme is the chaotic, demanding nature of women's work that often goes unnoticed by the men in their lives. The poem vividly describes the hard manual labor: women are up before dawn, their arms are red from the water, and they must constantly work to "wash, to rinse, to wring, / To fold, and starch, and clap, and iron, and plait." The poem also shows how this work is a mental burden. The women's anxiety over the weather and the constant threat of disaster adds to the pressure, a form of "affective labor" [citation:1]. Barbauld "makes women’s work visible" [citation:1], demonstrating that it is a skill, a form of labor, and an important part of running a household.
3. Satire of Male Complacency
The poem uses satire to critique the men who are oblivious to this world of work. The "master" expects his study to be swept, his coat dusted, and his stockings mended [citation:2][citation:4]. His attempts to find solace in the garden are met with the ultimate rebuke: a wet sheet in his face. The "master" is portrayed as an impediment rather than a help, and the poet humorously warns him not to be "indiscreet" by asking for anything [citation:2]. Similarly, the "unwonted" friend who expects "hospitable rites" is made to feel unwelcome and "slinks away" like a scolded cat. This humorously inverts the standard domestic hierarchy, showing that on washing-day, the women's work and their control over the house are absolute.
4. The Shifting Perspective: From Chaos to Wonder
The poem's structure is key to its meaning. It moves from the high drama of a mock-epic battle with dirt and chaos, through satirical social commentary, to a quiet, reflective ending seen through a child's eyes. This shift in perspective allows Barbauld to explore different ways of seeing the world. The child's perspective is one of innocent wonder, connecting the domestic and the sublime. In this way, the poem is not just an observation of domestic life but a meditation on the nature of imagination and creative work.
5. The "Bubble": An Image for Art and Imagination
The "floating bubbles" are a powerful symbol. They link the innocent play of a child to the grand, public achievement of the Montgolfier balloon, a groundbreaking invention of the time [citation:1][citation:2]. By making this connection, Barbauld suggests that imagination and creative thought can arise from anywhere—even the humble setting of a washing day. The final lines declare that "verse is one of them," suggesting that her own poetry is a "bubble" of creativity that, while seemingly fragile and fleeting, has the power to elevate and inspire, just like the "silken ball" of the balloon. This conclusion celebrates the power of art to transform and make sense of everyday life.
Tone
The tone of "Washing-Day" is multifaceted and changes throughout the poem, creating a rich and complex reading experience.
- Ironic and Mock-Heroic: The poem begins with an ironic, elevated tone. By invoking the Muse to sing of laundry, Barbauld sets up a contrast between the grand, classical tradition of epic poetry and the mundane reality of domestic work, creating humor and deflating male poetic pretensions.
- Exasperated and Anxious: The tone becomes one of exasperated anxiety as the poem describes the chaos of the day itself. The lines about the "lowering sky," the list of potential disasters, and the plea to the heavens create a palpable sense of stress and dread.
- Satirical and Humorous: In addressing the "master" and the unlucky guest, the tone is satirical. Barbauld uses humor to critique the obliviousness of men, painting a picture of domestic life where women hold the real power and men are merely nuisances.
- Nostalgic and Reflective: The final section of the poem is nostalgic and reflective. The tone becomes softer and more personal as the speaker recalls her childhood, creating a sense of comfort and safety.
- Wondrous and Transcendent: The conclusion of the poem adopts a tone of quiet wonder as the speaker's thoughts move from the bubble to the balloon to the nature of verse itself. The final lines are reflective, profound, and ultimately optimistic about the power of imagination.
Meter and Form
The poem is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. This means each line has ten syllables that follow a pattern of unstressed and stressed beats (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM). The primary effect of blank verse is that it creates a conversational and natural rhythm, allowing the poem to sound like a thoughtful monologue. However, it is also the meter associated with the grand, epic poetry of Milton and Shakespeare [citation:2]. This dual nature is perfect for Barbauld's purpose: it allows the poem to flow naturally while also reminding the reader of the high literary tradition she is borrowing from and subverting.
Key Poetic Devices
1. Mock-Heroic Style
This is the poem's central device. Barbauld deliberately uses the elevated language and formal structure of classical epic poetry to write about a mundane subject [citation:1][citation:2]. She invokes the "Muse," refers to Classical figures (Erebus, the Greek underworld), and uses grand words like "welkin" (sky). This contrast is humorous, but it also serves to elevate the importance of women's work by presenting it in the language of a serious, public literary genre.
2. Hyperbole
Barbauld uses exaggeration for humorous and dramatic effect. For instance, she compares the holes in the master's stockings to the entrance of Hell ("Gape wide as Erebus") and jokes that martyrs on the rack were calmer than a housewife facing a rainy washing-day [citation:2]. This hyperbole emphasizes the very real stress of the day while also making the poem funny.
3. Imagery
The poem is full of vivid, sensory images that bring the chaotic scene to life.
- Visual: "the first gray streak of dawn," "the red-armed washers," "the wet cold sheet / Flaps in thy face abrupt."
- Auditory: "the clap of iron," "the mother's voice... urging dispatch."
- Tactile: "the weight / Of coarse checked apron," "the pins / Drawn from her ravelled stocking."
4. Contrast
The poem is built on powerful contrasts, such as the "sports of children" vs. the "toils of men," the chaos of the house vs. the peace sought in the garden, and the grand "silken ball" of the balloon vs. the humble "floating bubble." The most significant contrast, however, is between the epic, masculine tradition of poetry and the mundane, feminine domestic realm—a contrast Barbauld collapses through her mock-heroic approach.
5. Enjambment
Enjambment is when a sentence or phrase runs over the end of a line of verse. Barbauld uses it frequently, which gives the poem a conversational, flowing quality [citation:2]. For example, in the opening section, thoughts about the "disasters" of the day run seamlessly from one line to the next, mirroring the relentless nature of the work being described.
6. Extended Metaphor (Conceit)
The poem can be read as an extended metaphor that compares a domestic chore to an epic battle. The "foe" is the dirt, the weather is a capricious antagonist, and the women are the soldiers in a war to get the laundry clean. This central metaphor is sustained throughout the first two parts of the poem, adding to its ironic humor.
What the Poem Means: The Final Lines
The poem concludes with a profound statement on the nature of creation:
Earth, air, and sky, and ocean, hath its bubbles,
And verse is one of them—this most of all.
The "bubble" is a symbol of something that is beautiful, fragile, transient, and seemingly aimless. Through this image, Barbauld is making a powerful claim about art itself. She acknowledges that her poem is a "bubble," a product of fancy and imagination. But by placing it alongside the realms of "earth, air, and sky, and ocean," she elevates it. She suggests that a poem, even one about laundry, has a place in the grand scheme of human endeavor and is, in a way, "this most of all." It is a celebration of the power of the creative imagination to transform the mundane into something that is important, beautiful, and lasting. The poem suggests that a woman's domestic "toils" can be the very source of profound poetic inspiration.
Why This Poem Matters
"Washing-Day" remains an important poem because it is a precursor to the feminist arguments that would become central in later centuries. Barbauld demonstrates that the "personal" and the domestic are political subjects deserving of intellectual scrutiny. She uses humor, irony, and formal poetic skill to critique the social structures that made women's work invisible.
Furthermore, the poem's celebration of the imagination in the midst of drudgery is a deeply Romantic idea. It suggests that creativity is not confined to grand gestures or privileged positions but can emerge from the most ordinary circumstances. "Washing-Day" is a reminder that great art can come from anywhere and that the work of women is not just a chore but a subject of profound human significance.
Sources
The following sources were consulted in compiling this guide.
Scholarly Articles and Books
- Shin, Kyung-sook. "Rewriting Georgic: Anna Letitia Barbauld's 'Washing-Day'." Journal of English Language and Literature, vol. 56, no. 5, 2010, pp. 947-971. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001517591 [citation:1][citation:5]
- Lenaghan, Steve. "Carefully read the poem 'Washing Day' by Anna Laetitia Barbauld." Marked by Teachers. https://www.markedbyteachers.com/university-degree/linguistics-classics-and-related-subjects/carefully-read-the-poem-washing-day-by-anna-laetitia-barbauld-write-an-essay-of-not-more-than-1500-words-in-which-you-analyse-the-poem-and-comment-on-th
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