To a Daughter Leaving Home

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1998

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

"Fast Break" by Edward Hirsch (1986)

Written within a few years of “To a Daughter Leaving Home”, Edward Hirsch’s “Fast Break” addresses some of the same themes, including physical movement, memory, and loss. While Hirsch’s poem adopts a more formal structure, the poem also relies on diction, enjambment, and metaphor to create the sense of immediacy in a recollected narrative.

"Hurry" by Marie Howe (2008)

Marie Howe’s “Hurry” is another short narrative touching on the themes of time, memory, death, and the bond between mother and daughter. The speaker of this poem harks forward, rather than back, imagining the inevitable separation between parent and child. The poem also features close detail of daily life, finding emotional resonance in common images.

"The Fear of Oneself" by Sharon Olds (1980)

This poem’s speaker, also a mother reflecting on her parental role, serves as a counterpoint to the speaker in “To a Daughter Leaving Home” as she defines the limits of self-sacrifice. The poem’s informal language and casual narrative bear similarities to Pastan’s work, but the overall effect of the poem is more sinister.

"My Obituary" by Linda Pastan (2019)

In a more recent poem, Linda Pastan recounts being asked about her poem “To a Daughter Leaving Home”.

"Cut" by Sylvia Plath (1962)

Sylvia Plath’s “Cut” describes a minor kitchen accident, transforming what might have been a forgotten moment in an ordinary day into a broader metaphor for female power, anxiety, and the ever-present threat of annihilation. The short, enjambed lines unified with internal sound provide for a structural comparison as well as a thematic one.

Further Literary Resources

"The Looming Dark: An Interview with Linda Pastan" by Alex Dueben (2016)

In this short interview conducted at the release of Pastan’s 14th book, Insomnia, Pastan discusses what she considers to be her “voice,” the tone and themes she has practiced since her first book. She also describes her writing process and some of her influences, as well as a bit of her personal history.

"Poetry Moment: Linda Pastan and Letting Go" by Susan Thornton Hobby (2020)

This short article includes a video of Pastan herself reading her poem “Elegy.” Hobby contextualizes the 1988 poem within Pastan’s work, but also as a poem with current cultural resonance. Some of the same themes and techniques in “To a Daughter Leaving Home” are discussed here as well.

"The Imperfect Paradise: Review" by Ben Howard (1989)

Ben Howard’s review of Pastan’s 1989 work The Imperfect Paradise in Poetry focuses on the way Pastan uses ordinary detail to illuminate stories from the Biblical book of Genesis and the classical epic The Odyssey.

"Potomac Home’s ‘Magical’ Setting Inspired a Poet Laureate" by Kathy Orton (2018)

This Lifestyle piece from Washington Post features an interview with the poet and photographs of her Maryland home.

Linda Pastan: The Extraordinary Power of the Ordinary by Kyle Potvin (2013)

This detailed study of Pastan’s career includes excerpts from interviews and correspondence between the author and the poet. The article discusses critical reception and context across Pastan’s career, along with useful biographical information.

"Jewish Identity Over the Life Cycle: Poems by Maxine Kumin and Linda Pastan" by Lois Elinoff Rubin (2010)

This article carefully situates Linda Pastan as a poet who draws on history, cultural experience, and other works of art in the process of creating a unified personal narrative.