One Woman's Feelings about the Past

This poem tells us how one woman felt about history. The writer and title are unknown. Read it and see if you agree:

Our history has been
stolen from us.
Our heroes died in
childbirth, from
peritonitis
overwork
oppression
from bottled up rage.
Our geniuses were
never taught to
read or write.
We must find our
past adequate
to our ambitions.
We must create a
future adequate
to our needs.

Words to Know

rage - anger
geniuses - people with special abilities
peritonitis - an infection of the lining of the abdomen
oppression - when a person or group of people is treated unfairly or with cruelty
adequate - good enough
ambitions - our hopes and dreams for our lives
create - to make

What Do You Think?

1. What is this poem saying?

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2. How does the writer feel? Why does she feel this way?

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3. Why didn't women get as much education as men in the past?

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Try writing this poem in your own words and give it a title.
Here is how one woman rewrote the poem in her own words:

The Feelings of Me
by Isabelle Munroe

My future was stolen from me.
My mother died from cancer to save us.
I died inside because I never got what I wanted.
By the time I was seven,
My chances were taken away from me.
I was taken out of school to do housework
My family used me for a slave
I was taken to look after my sister's children
just like a mother.
I lost my hope
I thought I was nothing
I was never taught to read or write
I am fighting for my self
I am fighting for people that can't read
I am fighting for a future.

What Do You Think?
Talk and write about these questions:

1. What was the difference between the opportunities that were offered to women and men in the past? How did this make their lives different?

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2. How would history have looked if women had been offered the same opportunities as men? How would things be different for us today?

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