The poem reads like a set of directions, starting with seemingly unremarkable tasks and progressively getting into a deep criticism of the expectations put on women. Boland questions accepted ideas of beauty, criticizes unfair dynamics in partnerships, and exhorts women to pursue happiness and love in accordance with their own standards.

Advice to Women Poem Summary 

Lines 1-5: The poem commences with a call to action, instructing women to engage in seemingly routine activities such as applying lipstick and washing their hair. Boland introduces these everyday actions with a sense of urgency, setting the stage for a deeper examination of societal pressures related to women’s appearance.

Lines 6-12: A critical tone emerges as Boland challenges traditional notions of beauty. The poet discourages women from shining excessively or wearing their foreheads “worn out with prayer,” hinting at the societal burden of maintaining unrealistic physical standards and conforming to established norms.Advice to Women Poem Summary by Eunice de Souza

Lines 13-18: Boland advocates for a rejection of traditional expectations and a resistance against being defined solely by external appearances. The mention of makeup and prayer as potentially constraining elements suggests a broader critique of societal norms that confine women to superficial roles.

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Lines 19-26: The consequences of conforming to societal expectations are explored. Boland suggests that the use of deodorants and beauty potions serves as a superficial attempt to conceal the true self. The poet implies that such remedies are inadequate for masking internal complexities and struggles.

Lines 27-33: Boland encourages women to resist the notion that they must be fragrant and scented to be valued. The mention of scent and perfume alludes to the commodification of women’s bodies and the societal expectation that women should prioritize their appeal to others.

Lines 34-42: Authenticity and self-assertion take center stage as Boland advises women to reject self-objectification. The metaphorical phrase “swallow mirrors like sleeping pills” underscores the need to abandon self-scrutiny and reject societal expectations that distort self-perception.

Lines 43-50: Boland challenges unequal dynamics in relationships, urging women not to love those who harbor animosity towards them. This confronts harmful relationship patterns where women may be expected to endure mistreatment, advocating for women to resist societal pressures that perpetuate such inequalities.Advice to Women Poem Summary by Eunice de Souza

Lines 51-59: The poem emphasizes self-worth and independence by discouraging women from waiting at home for their partners. Boland challenges the passive role often assigned to women in relationships, asserting that women should not sacrifice their own aspirations for societal expectations.

Lines 60-68: Boland encourages women to seek love free from submission and societal constructs. The phrase “rub into your scalp a love / that shows things exactly as they are” encourages women to embrace love that is honest, egalitarian, and unencumbered by societal expectations.

Lines 69-74: The poem concludes with a resounding call for women’s autonomy. Boland urges women to walk in the garden, symbolizing liberation and independence, and to look up at the stars. This imagery encourages women to embrace a life beyond societal expectations, symbolizing the pursuit of fulfillment on their own terms.Advice to Women Poem Summary by Eunice de Souza

Advice to Women Poem