Sadie And Maud Poem by Gwendolyn Brooks

Sadie And Maud

Rating: 4.2


Maud went to college.
Sadie stayed home.
Sadie scraped life
With a fine toothed comb.

She didn't leave a tangle in
Her comb found every strand.
Sadie was one of the livingest chicks
In all the land.

Sadie bore two babies
Under her maiden name.
Maud and Ma and Papa
Nearly died of shame.

When Sadie said her last so-long
Her girls struck out from home.
(Sadie left as heritage
Her fine-toothed comb.)

Maud, who went to college,
Is a thin brown mouse.
She is living all alone
In this old house.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Erica Paliuca 11 November 2007

In Gwendolyn Brooks poem 'Sadie and Maud' the author is comparing two sisters lives. Maud is obviously the smarter of the two and therefor she goes to college, but then in the end she is the alone sister that is going to die alone in the old house. So how smart could she possibly be to condemn herself to a life of loneliness? Sadie is the favorite character in this poem because even though she didn't go to college and is an only mother of two, she is still the happy and free sister. When the author talks about Sadie's comb finding every strand, it is symbolizing how Sadie doesn't miss out on any fun in her life and how she lives it to the fullest.

39 17 Reply
M Asim Nehal 10 September 2018

Well said i appreciate

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Prakash Acharya 09 December 2004

In the poem Sadie and Maude by Gwendolyn Brooks, she is showing difference between probably two sisters among whom one went to college (Maude) and other stayed at home (Sadie) . “Scarping life with a fine-tooth comb means living life in every way. “Her comb found her every strand” tell us that she lived life to the fullest. So, she is the happiest woman in all the land. She put her two babies name under her maiden name. This symbolizes that she is a single mother of two babies. Maude, ma and papa nearly died of shame because they are under the restriction and control by the rule of society. The symbolism of Sadie’s “fine-tooth comb”, as a heritage is a optimistic twist on the way she lived her life and the way her children will remember her and follow her. In contrast, the writer uses a simile “a thin brown mouse” comparing Maude to it because she is living all alone like a mouse lives in its hole. Maud who went to college is withering away in the emptiness of the social mold while Sadie is living dangerously setting up her own rules.

31 19 Reply
Jade Wolfe 16 September 2013

I had to write a poem from this poem imitating the rhyme scheme, rhythm, and addressing the same theme. This is what I created: Maud stuck to the rules Sadie skipped class Sadie looked at life Through a magnifying glass. She didn't miss a sight Her glass burned every ant. Sadie forged ahead full-throttle, She never said, We can't. Two babies in tow No daddy around. Maud and Ma and Papa Couldn't help but frown. When Sadie's candlelight burnt out Her birds flown off at last (Sadie left as legacy Her magnifying glass.) Maud who followed all the rules, A bird who's wings were clipped, Never flew too far from home And now that's where she sits.

40 3 Reply
Liliana ~el 08 September 2013

Nice, different, interesting :)

14 3 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 March 2024

FOUR: In the end, Sadie passes away, her daughters move forward, and Maud inhabits Sadie's old home, where the poetess hints at her unhappiness, meekness, and loneliness.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 09 March 2024

THREE: Maud embodies conventionality, while Sadie defies expectations, using her metaphorical "fine-tooth comb" to extract joy from life.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 09 March 2024

TWO: Maud seeks education, and attends college. Sadie remains at home, becoming a mother. Despite their different choices, both sisters grapple with societal norms dictating a woman's life.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 09 March 2024

ONE: The poem is about happiness, sexism, and society's expectations. The poem contrasts the lives of two sisters, Maud and Sadie, who take divergent paths.

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Sylvia Frances Chan 18 January 2024

Most deserving poem chosen by Poem Hunter And Team as The Modern Poem Of The Day. TOP Marks. A poem about what womencan do or may do. The poetess shows these abilities, a fascinating comparisoon

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