Wife (Ada Limón poem) Essay Questions

Why does Limón include a quote from a "famous feminist"? What purpose does the quote serve?

Limón quotes from Judy Brady's "I Want a Wife" because it allows her poem to connect to a broader feminist tradition, rather than existing in isolation. Brady's quote injects dark ironic humor into the poem, satirizing the expectations men have for their wives, and it leads into the following sentence likening wives to maids. Because Limón writes in a long lineage of women and feminist writers, her poem gains strength and relevance from quoting an older writer, as if to say, "this isn't just my problem, it's our problem." Delving into Brady's essay itself also reveals more of the thematic resonances between it and "Wife": Brady writes about wanting a wife to support her while she goes back to school to become financially independent. It is likely that Limón relates particularly with this desire, since she has forged the unusual career path for herself of being a full-time poet. By quoting Brady, the speaker of "Wife" laments the reality that this career independence is often seen as incompatible with wifehood.

Why does Limón address the poem to her lover? How would the poem be different if he did not appear in it, or was referred to in the third person?

By introducing the second person "you," Limón ends the poem on a much more intimate level than she began it. Over its course the poem shifts from a broader tone of social commentary to the vulnerability of addressing a beloved husband directly. The speaker invites him to join her in the process of navigating the sexist double standards that swirl around our society's conception of marriage, so that she does not undertake it alone. This choice also renders the speaker more vulnerable to her audience of readers, reminding us of the value of this vulnerability and emotional honesty.