Poetry Sunday: To the Indifferent Women

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a prominent American feminist, sociologist and writer of the late 19th and early 20th century. She wrote poetry, nonfiction, and short stories, the most famous of which, The Yellow Wallpaper, is the story of a woman who suffers from mental illness and is locked in a room by her husband, supposedly for the sake of her health. The room featured a revolting yellow wallpaper with which the woman became obsessed. The story was based in part on Gilman's own experience with a bout of severe postpartum depression. 

I found this poem of hers last week on a poetry website that celebrated women poets in honor of Women's History Month. I found it very meaningful for the times in which we live, particularly that third stanza:

The one first duty of all human life 

Is to promote the progress of the world 

In righteousness, in wisdom, truth and love; 

And you ignore it, hidden in your homes, 

Content to keep them in uncertain peace, 

Content to leave all else without your care. 

Let us not be indifferent women. Instead let us "Unite to raise the standard of the world."

To The Indifferent Women

by Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman

Related Poem Content Details

A Sestina

You who are happy in a thousand homes, 

Or overworked therein, to a dumb peace; 

Whose souls are wholly centered in the life 

Of that small group you personally love; 

Who told you that you need not know or care 

About the sin and sorrow of the world? 

Do you believe the sorrow of the world 

Does not concern you in your little homes? — 

That you are licensed to avoid the care 

And toil for human progress, human peace, 

And the enlargement of our power of love 

Until it covers every field of life? 

The one first duty of all human life 

Is to promote the progress of the world 

In righteousness, in wisdom, truth and love; 

And you ignore it, hidden in your homes, 

Content to keep them in uncertain peace, 

Content to leave all else without your care. 

Yet you are mothers! And a mother's care 

Is the first step toward friendly human life. 

Life where all nations in untroubled peace 

Unite to raise the standard of the world 

And make the happiness we seek in homes 

Spread everywhere in strong and fruitful love. 

You are content to keep that mighty love 

In its first steps forever; the crude care 

Of animals for mate and young and homes, 

Instead of pouring it abroad in life, 

Its mighty current feeding all the world 

Till every human child can grow in peace. 

You cannot keep your small domestic peace 

Your little pool of undeveloped love, 

While the neglected, starved, unmothered world 

Struggles and fights for lack of mother's care, 

And its tempestuous, bitter, broken life 

Beats in upon you in your selfish homes. 

We all may have our homes in joy and peace 

When woman's life, in its rich power of love 

Is joined with man's to care for all the world.