A Mother's Authoritive Voice

Mary Barber explained why she wrote poems in the following way: "My Aim being chiefly to form the Minds of my Children." This may have been true but one could argue that Barber educates her audience about the value of the female mind as well; as her poems voice her private opinions of the status of women writers. Barber uses a letter, a form of writing expected of a mother, to convey these grievances against patriarchal prejudice. Barber uses the excuse of her son Con's education as a means of conveying her opinions. Educating her son about female potential and intellect is the best way she can ensure that women poets are accepted and valued in future. Barber's letter allowed her to escape her domestic world and enter the literary world.

By writing in her role as a mother, Barber is allowed the opportunity to assert an authoritive voice and gives her an opportunity to be heard and not pushed aside or ignored. Also, by using a letter or poem to "educate," Barber is afforded the opportunity to write social criticism rather than the usual motherly verses of sentiment.

Mary Barber wrote poems in her role as a mother. These gave her the opportunity to assert as least some form of authority (that of a mother) where she was (as a woman) pushed to one side and ignored. As a mother she was able to write at least social criticism rather than the expected saccharine sentiments expected of a (mere) mother writing `verse'.

Barbers use of a letter/poem is just as powerful as an essay and is a literary form that she can use without being called to task.