In her poem Women, Louise Bogan characterizes women by highlighting their distinctions from men. Though she does not directly compare women to men, Bogan uses the characteristics of men to describe the qualities women do not posses. In her description, women are presented as helpless, weak, and unreasonable compared to the description of men.
Bogan illustrates this comparison in the first stanza by implying that men are wild or spontaneous—referring to their instinct to take action—while women are characterized as reserved. This reserved nature is represented by the idea of being constrained by rationality. “They are provident instead, / Content in the tight hot cell of their hearts / To eat dusty bread” (lines 2-4). Women are described as provident, interpreted as being sensible and planning ahead, one the more positive aspects of women. The next line downplays this providence by implying that women are constrained by reference to the “hot cell” and irrational from “[eating] dusty bread” in order to remain provident. This differs from the idea that women were constrained by society, but it applies here because women are acting according to the standards set by society in attempting to appear rational.
The unattractive qualities of women are further emphasized in the third stanza where women are characterized as making the wrong judgment call and being hesitant. The fifth and sixth stanzas describe them as too sensitive and illogical. Throughout the poem, the negative aspects of women are highlighted, while the characteristics presented as their opposites—seen in men—are more appealing.
They cannot think of so many crops to a field
Or of clean wood cleft by an axe.
Their love is an eager meaningless
Too tense, or too lax. (13-16)
In this stanza, men’s characteristics are illustrated as useful, while women have nothing of use to offer; even their love is projected improperly. The last two lines of the poem illustrates this idea that women are useless, “As like as, not when they take life over the door-sills / They should let it go by” (19-20). This poem sends the message that women are useless and they have nothing to offer. Societal views of women at this time are present throughout the poem, as women were seen as illogical and emotion driven.
I’m not sure if this poem can be read as satirical, because the speaker really emphasizes the idea that women are weak and unreasonable. In comparison, though there isn’t a direct reference to men, the poem offers descriptions of their useful qualities in order to future degrade women. The speaker seems to be a male voice. I find this insult to women interesting since the author is a female.
You pick up on an interesting tension here. One imagines that this poem is satirical, or perhaps critical of women’s complacency in light of the roles they are allowed in a patriarchal society. What’s most interesting, though, is that she doesn’t do much to signal this satirical edge–she plays it very evenly and convincingly.