Degas’s Laundresses: Key Quotes

Introduction and Overview of the Poem

“In another life / our daughters would be taking this washing in.” – The opening lines introduce the main theme of the poem, the speaker’s parallels with the women in Degas’s painting, and also the role of gender in society. The phrase “In another life” suggests either wishful thinking or fantasising about a different world or time.

“You have to admire/ these women.” – The use of the word ‘admire’ denotes respect, indicating that the speaker sees dignity in their work, despite the harsh conditions and constant grind.
“Laundresses / whose names, also, have faded.” – This quote suggests the faceless, thankless nature of the work done by these women. They are faded or forgotten in history, despite their indispensible role in society. The repetition of the word ‘also’ refers to the faded clothes that the laundresses wash, which cleverly links the women’s plight with their work.

“The ordinary, / its pigment harsh with realism.” – Here, Boland contrasts the harsh physical conditions of the laundresses’ work with the beauty of the realistic style in which Degas presents it.

“Weary of the civility / in things made well.” – Here, the phrase ‘things made well’ could be interpreted as a reference to the expectation of women to look after the household duties with perfection, bearing the kind of the invisible labour that goes unrecognised and unappreciated.

“The colours and crescents / still alive in the hand.” – These lines could suggest the arts, culture and creative expression, and are a poignant commentary on being a woman artist who must continue the domestic drudgery. The ‘colours and crescents’ can refer to the complexity of womanhood, with the femininity and creativity represented by the colours contrasted with the harsh reality and constraints depicted by the crescents.