Clean house Quote by Lorine Niedecker
““In the great snowfall before the bomb" In the great snowfall before the bomb colored yule tree lights windows, the only glow for contemplation along this road I worked the print shop right down among em the folk from whom all poetry flows and dreadfully much else. I was Blondie I carried my bundles of hog feeder price lists down by Larry the Lug, I'd never get anywhere because I'd never had suction, pull, you know, favor, drag, well-oiled protection. I heard their rehashed radio barbs— more barbarous among hirelings as higher-ups grow more corrupt. But what vitality! The women hold jobs— clean house, cook, raise children, bowl and go to church. What would they say if they knew I sit for two months on six lines of poetry?””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Great Snowfall” (unpublished manuscript), 1940
Amid wartime gloom, ordinary people find dignity in work, community, and creative expression.
In simple terms: People find dignity in work and art despite hardship.
Key Takeaway
Value everyday resilience and creativity.
Themes
war
community
art
resilience
gender roles
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- factory work
- family duties
- poetry writing
- church gatherings
Key Concepts
Humanism
Social Critique
Poetry
Questions to Reflect On
- How does art sustain people in crisis?
- What roles do women play in maintaining community?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize hardship without addressing systemic oppression.
