Suburban Sonnet Summary

A woman practices a type of musical composition called a fugue. However, she acknowledges that no one will appreciate it or notice if it is performed well. As she practices, her chattering children begin to fight. She calms them, but in the meantime a pot boils over on the stove. She cleans the pot, feeling nauseous and noticing that her veins are sore and aching. She reflects on the time that she performed her music for Arthur Rubinstein, a renowned pianist. However, Rubinstein “yawned” at her performance. The children notice a dead mouse caught in a mousetrap and become afraid. She comforts them and wraps the mouse in a piece of paper from a magazine with the words, “Tasty dishes from stale bread.”