Essay Questions

What is the significance of her mother's smile in "Plenty?"

In "Plenty," Dixon remembers her mother's smile, and how "her lips stretched back and anchored down, in anger at some fault." This heavy smile was interpreted by the children as being a sign of "meanness," and Dixon later realized that it was actually the result of stress and poverty. The adult Dixon can empathize more with her mother, and realizes the reasons for her "meanness."

What do we learn about Dixon's childhood through her poetry?

Dixon's poetry is heavily inspired by her childhood. Through reading her poetry, we can gain an insight into her memories, both happy and sad.

Sometimes, Dixon writes about how she and her siblings struggled as children due to the poverty of her family; for example, in "My Mother's Dress," she writes about the memorable time her father bought her mother a brand new dress, which was unheard of.

However, Dixon also writes about her positive childhood memories, spending time with family, and enjoying small pleasures such as a delicious dessert cooked by her aunt, which she describes in "April Incense."

How does Dixon describe her mother's dress?

In the poem "My Mother's Dress," Dixon describes the beautiful new dress her father bought for her mother. She describes it as being a "vivid tangerine," with "pearl buttons at the throat and cuffs, like pips." This detailed description of the dress emphasizes the fact that the dress is ingrained in her memory, due to the novelty of the event.