Precis:"Domestic Work, 1937"

In “Domestic Work, 1937”, Natasha Trethewey claims through a hopeful tone that although life might be dark at times, there is always hope. She creates this idea through usage of tenses and a key simile. In the first stanza, Trethewey uses past tense words, including “cleaned”, “stared down”, and more. However, in the next three stanzas, she uses present tense words, such as “dancing”, “washes”, and “clapping”. This shift helps Trethewey reach her goal. The past tense connotes the hardship of the past. The week was hard for the lady, but the past is in the past. However, the present holds much promise. This idea is captured in the last line of poem when the lady “beats time on the rugs”. It says how dust came up like “dandelion spores”, and each spore is like “a wish for something better”. The dandelion spores spread out and expand just like dreams and hopes do. This simile captures how the woman wants more for her life and hopes for “something better”. Through this simile and a tense switch, Natasha Trethewey describes how there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.