Early in the Morning

“Early in the Morning” explores themes of home life and domesticity. The poem focuses on three small events: the preparation of breakfast, the mother’s combing and styling of her hair, and the undoing of the hair in the evening. These events are relayed as daily routines which the mother and the father participate in. These routines reveal the supportive functioning of the family as a unit and suggest the coherence of familial roles as essential to a harmonious home life.

Before the day begins, the mother is already getting ready for her specific tasks. The effort the poem takes to relay the process of the mother’s hair routine suggests that she cannot complete her other tasks without first readying herself. This moment of self-care reveals the mother attends to herself first before she takes on the responsibilities of the household. This shows that she values her role as caregiver while also valuing her own wellness. Her second task of the day is to prepare the family breakfast. The meal consists of rice or some other grain and sliced vegetables. It reveals cultural preference—it is not a traditional American breakfast with bacon, pancakes or cinnamon rolls. Health is of obvious concern, as the