Eve to Her Daughters Essay Questions

Describe ways in which Eve's voice demonstrates her self-defined submissiveness.

The very first line, "It was not I who began it" is written in passive voice. In general, passive voice removes emphasis from the subject, which aligns with Eve's negation of responsibility in this statement. Later on in the first stanza, Eve says that she was "not unhappy" in the early days of life on earth. The use of double negative, like passive voice, somewhat obstructs the meaning of the phrase. The phrase "not unhappy" does not convince the reader that Eve was happy during this time. But her insistence on being content to follow Adam is far more telling, explaining her motivation to try to make things work.

Later on in the poem, Eve tells her daughters that they have inherited Eve's own fault of character: submissiveness.

How does Eve complicate or contradict her own identification as a submissive woman in the poem?

Despite Eve's acknowledgment of her submissiveness as a fault of character, several moments in the poem make it clear that she also is taking a stand. Beginning with her ironic asides, Eve expresses disagreement with her husband. Examples include "But Adam, you know ….. !" and "You see, he was always an egotist." When Eve urges her daughters to rise up and assume leadership positions, this is a direct challenge to Adam and his legacy. She tells her daughters "for the sake of the children, / that it’s time you took over." Eve's disagreement with Adam's brand of logic (what cannot be demonstrated doesn't exist) and formation of her own (that faults of character are the only things that really exist) shows an intellectual dispute between the couple. At the end of the poem, Eve applies both forms of logic to take a stand against her husband. Though Eve may still be submissive in some ways, this poem demonstrates another side of her.

How does the poem's form relate to its content?

The poem is written in free verse, which fits with Eve's informal and casual tone. Eve is addressing her modern female descendants, and her voice as the poem's speaker portrays her as someone with an understanding of modern life. For example, the language used in the fourth stanza to define modern values is jargon that would only be understood by those who are familiar with it. These are "multiplied opportunities for safe investment / and higher education." The humorous side comments that Eve makes, such as "(it was hard to compete with Heaven)," are meant for modern women who might relate to Eve. The language throughout the poem remains straightforward and modern, which lessens the distance between Eve and the modern women she is addressing.