The Full Text of “Sadie and Maud”
The Full Text of “Sadie and Maud”
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“Sadie and Maud” Introduction
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Gwendolyn Brooks published "Sadie and Maud" in 1945 in her first book of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville. Written in simple, straightforward language, the poem tells the story of two women (the Sadie and Maude of the title) whose paths in life are quite different. Maud goes off to college, whereas Sadie stays home and has children out of wedlock. Though her family feels great "shame" at this, Sadie herself seems to enjoy living life her on her own terms. Maud, on the other hand, leads a lonely life, eventually returning to live in Sadie's house "all alone" after Sadie's death. In many ways the poem seems to praise going against the grain and living life by one's own rules. Yet by showcasing the hardships of both Sadie and Maud—who face either intense social scrutiny or intense loneliness—the poem also implies that there weren't many clear paths to happiness or fulfillment for women living in the mid-20th century.
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“Sadie and Maud” Summary
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The speaker introduces two women: one named Maud, who decided to go off to college, and another named Sadie, who stayed behind at home. The speaker says that Sadie used a fine-toothed comb to scrape at her life, a metaphor suggesting that she tried to get as much out of life as possible.
Sadie used that comb to untangle every knot and smooth out every bit of her life. She was one of the most vibrant young women around.
Sadie gave birth to two children out of wedlock, much to the intense embarrassment of both Maud and her parents. In fact, everyone except for Sadie herself felt deeply embarrassed by her actions.
When Sadie finally died, her daughters left home. Sadie had passed that metaphorical fine-tooth comb onto her daughters, which they would be able to use to similarly scrape at their own lives.
Having left home to attend college, Maud is now as meek and shy as a mouse. She lives by herself in Sadie's old house.
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“Sadie and Maud” Themes
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Sexism and Societal Expectations
Sadie and Maud both face the many limitations placed on women by society. Their paths in life may be quite different—Maud pursues higher education while Sadie stays home—yet, the poem implies that neither of their paths lead proves easy: Sadie has to deal with her family’s deep disapproval after having children out of wedlock, and Maud’s ambition leads to nothing but loneliness. The poem thus illustrates the unfortunate lose-lose situation many women experienced in the mid-20th century—a time when there were very few socially accepted lifestyles available to women.
In some respects, the poem implies that Sadie leads a happier life than Maud, since she—at the very least—doesn’t end up spending her life alone. But the point of “Sadie and Maud” isn’t necessarily to sing the virtues of family life while discrediting female independence or ambition. Because though it’s easy to argue that Maud’s hard work leads to a drearier, sadder life than Sadie’s, it’s not as if Sadie has a perfect life either!
In fact, the people around Sadie clearly disapprove of her choices. The speaker hints at this by calling her a “chit,” which is a word used to describe young women whose bold or lively behavior attracts disapproval. Her family condemns the fact that she has children out of wedlock, casting judgment on her for deviating from societal norms surrounding motherhood and marriage. Even though Sadie is one of the “livingest” young women around, she still has to put up with other people's ideas about how she should live her life.
Maud, on the other hand, flouts societal expectations differently: by going to college instead of staying home to raise a family. Reading “Sadie and Maud” in contemporary times, it’s easy to overlook how remarkable it is for Maud to prioritize her ambition over family life, since it was still out of the ordinary for women to attend college. And yet, Maud’s impressive determination doesn’t seem to benefit her very much. She ends up living “all alone” in Sadie’s old house, basically leading Sadie’s life without Sadie’s lively attitude or the company of her children.
In many respects, Maude seems to have gotten the shorter end of the stick here. Her achievements, however unusual for a woman of the time, still speak to the desire to play by the "rules"—to be a respectable, upstanding member of society—yet she gets no real reward for doing so. Sadie's ability to "scrape" every bit out of life, meanwhile, suggests she has a more fulfilling existence, even if that existence is met with shame from those around her. That she leaves her metaphorical comb to her daughters implies that they've inherited this desire to live on their own terms—but also that they will face the same social pressures as their mother.
By outlining both Sadie’s and Maud’s paths, then, the poem ultimately examines the unavoidable obstacles women faced in the mid-20th century (and beyond). Considering that Gwendolyn Brooks published the poem in a collection that mostly focused on Black women, it’s also reasonable to assume that both Sadie and Maud are Black—a detail that adds some context to their respective struggles. No matter what these women do, the poem implies, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to escape judgment or hardship, and this speaks to the unending challenges women—and particularly Black women—have long been forced to confront in American society.
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-22
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Sadie and Maud”
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Lines 1-4
Maud went to ...
... a fine-tooth comb.The speaker begins by introducing the poem's main characters: Maud and Sadie. Using a very straightforward, matter-of-fact tone, the speaker notes that Maud "went to college" while Sadie "stayed at home." Right away, then, the poem juxtaposes the paths each woman takes through life, establishing a contrast between Maud's attempt to expand her horizons and Sadie's decision to remain behind.
Because "Sadie and Maud" was published in 1945, readers should bear in mind the cultural dynamics surrounding gender roles in the mid-20th century. At that time, it was much more common for women to focus on family life than leave home to pursue higher education. The poem also appeared in Gwendolyn Brooks's A Street in Bronzeville, which largely focuses on the experiences of Black women. This adds some context to "Sadie and Maud." It seems likely that both women are Black, making it even more remarkable that Maud goes to college—an opportunity available to very few Black women in the 1940s.
Bearing this in mind, the beginning of the poem seems to set readers up to view Maud as the one who will lead a more fulfilling life, since she leaves Sadie behind to supposedly attain upward mobility. However, the poem will challenge this idea as Sadie and Maud's respective life stories unfold.
Lines 3 and 4, for instance, feature a metaphor that frames Sadie as meticulous and careful: "Sadie scraped life / With a fine-tooth comb," the speaker says. To go over something "with a fine-tooth comb" means to very thoroughly and attentively analyze or consider it. This metaphor therefore suggests that Sadie doesn't stay at home because she leads a passive life and can't be bothered to expand her horizons, but because she's somebody who squeezes everything she can out of life. In other words, her home life is rewarding and worthy of her attention.
This opening quatrain also establishes the poem's ABCB rhyme scheme, as the speaker rhymes "home" in line 2 with "comb" in line 4:
Maud went to college.
Sadie stayed at home.
Sadie scraped life
With a fine-tooth comb.This rhyme scheme makes the speaker's language sound cohesive and song-like. It also goes well with the speaker's use of end-stops in lines 1, 2, and 4, contributing to the poem's clipped tone and its rhythmic pulse—both of which make the poem sound almost like a nursery rhyme or even a cautionary tale.
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Lines 5-8
She didn’t leave ...
... all the land. -
Lines 9-14
Sadie bore two ...
... died of shame. -
Lines 15-18
When Sadie said ...
... Her fine-tooth comb.) -
Lines 19-22
Maud, who went ...
... this old house.
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“Sadie and Maud” Symbols
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The Fine-Tooth Comb
Sadie manages to create an enjoyable life for herself by going through it with a "fine-tooth comb," which symbolizes of her ability to actively seize happiness and enjoyment. To go over something with a fine-tooth comb is to carefully work through it, searching for imperfections. This is what Sadie does to her own life, brushing through it as if it's hair that needs to be untangled; in other words, she takes control of her own situation and does whatever's necessary to make her life feel rewarding. The comb itself, then, represents her capacity to do this—a capacity that not everybody possesses, as evidenced by the fact that Maud ends up leading a depleting and unsatisfying life.
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4: “Sadie scraped life / With a fine-tooth comb.”
- Lines 5-6: “She didn’t leave a tangle in. / Her comb found every strand.”
- Lines 17-18: “(Sadie had left as heritage / Her fine-tooth comb.)”
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“Sadie and Maud” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Metaphor
The speaker uses a metaphor that compares Sadie's capacity to enjoy life to the act of going through something—and specifically her own hair—with a "fine-tooth comb." To go over something with a fine-tooth comb is a colloquial expression used to describe any kind of close, meticulous examination. For Sadie to do this to her own life, then, means that she carefully scrutinizes the way she moves through the world.
This could suggest that Sadie is uptight and incapable of simply enjoying life, but the speaker's suggestion that Sadie is "one of the livingest chits / In all the land" indicates otherwise. It's not that she runs her fine-tooth comb over her life as a way of neurotically limiting her experience of the world, it's that she actively grooms her life so that she can make the most out of it. This makes even more sense when one considers that a fine-tooth comb is a comb used to remove things like parasites other unwanted objects from a person's hair. By running her fine-tooth comb through her own life, Sadie roots out anything she deems undesirable, thus taking control of her existence.
Using another metaphor, the speaker suggests that Maud is a lot less active when it comes to making sure her life is exactly the way she wants it to be. The speaker metaphorically characterizes Maud as a "thin brown mouse," comparing her to a very solitary and meek animal. This adds to the juxtaposition between Sadie and Maud, since Sadie is so intentional and forthright about grooming her life, whereas Maud is shy and hesitant (despite the fact that she ambitiously ventured away from home as a young woman). These two metaphors therefore help readers imagine both Sadie and Maud in more vivid detail while also accentuating the profound differences between the two women.
Where metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4: “Sadie scraped life / With a fine-tooth comb.”
- Lines 5-6: “She didn’t leave a tangle in. / Her comb found every strand.”
- Lines 17-18: “(Sadie had left as heritage / Her fine-tooth comb.)”
- Lines 19-20: “Maud, who went to college, / Is a thin brown mouse.”
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Repetition
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Juxtaposition
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Consonance
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Assonance
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Alliteration
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End-Stopped Line
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"Sadie and Maud" Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Fine-Tooth Comb
- Livingest Chits
- Bore
- Heritage
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(Location in poem: Line 4: “fine-tooth comb”; Line 18: “fine-tooth comb”)
A comb with prongs that are very close together. The expression "go over it with a fine-tooth comb" means to very carefully scrutinize something, as if brushing out unwanted debris from one's hair.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sadie and Maud”
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Form
This version of the poem is made up of 22 lines, though there are some published versions that don't include lines 13 and 14 ("Every one but Sadie / Nearly died of shame"). In the 20-line version of the poem, things are neatly broken up into five quatrains (four-line stanzas). In the version we're using in this guide, however (which appeared in A Street in Bronzeville, the first publication of the poem), all the stanzas except for the third are quatrains. The third stanza (which begins: "Sadie bore two babies) includes two extra lines, resulting in a six-line stanza.
The fact that the poem is (mostly) divided into quatrains makes it feel orderly and well-controlled. This aligns with the speaker's matter-of-fact tone and short, declarative sentences. By organizing the poem into a simple structure, the speaker is able to focus the reader's attention on the story of Maud and Sadie's respective lives, using a straightforward format that doesn't draw attention away from the poem's primary message.
The inclusion of two extra lines in the poem's original version, in turn, break with the poem's established form and might evoke Sadie's refusal to play by society's rules.
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Meter
"Sadie and Maud" is written in very loose, irregular trimeter, meaning that the majority of the lines contain three stressed beats. However, the rhythmic patterns vary far too much from line to line to accurately map out the poem using any kind of meter; things feel conversational and casual.
And yet, the poem does have a very noticeable beat to it! Lines 2-4, for example, all feature three stressed beats:
Sadie stayed at home.
Sadie scraped life
With a fine-tooth comb.Part of what makes this line sound so propulsive is the speaker's combination of sibilance and assonance. The sibilant /s/ and the assonant /a/ in "Sadie stayed" pushes readers through the words. The speaker's strict adherence to an ABCB rhyme scheme adds a song-like quality to the poem that makes up for the lack of a regular metrical pattern.
There is also quite a bit of repetition throughout the poem, as the speaker says Sadie's name several times per stanza. This regularity—combined with the speaker's varied use of trimeter, the rhyme scheme, and other sonic devices—lends the language a certain predictability that mimics the consistency of metered poetry.
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Rhyme Scheme
"Sadie and Maud" follows a rhyme scheme in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme with each other. This rhyme scheme can be mapped out like this:
ABCB
For example, in the first stanza, lines 1 and 3 don't rhyme ("college" and "life") while lines 2 and 4 do ("home" and "comb"). Every stanza follows this simple, straightforward pattern, which thus adds a sense of predictability and consistency to the poem's sounds. It makes sense that Brooks would use this pattern. For one thing, this is the rhyme scheme of a ballad—a kind of poem that tells a story. The simple pattern also makes the poem simply feel rhythmic and memorable, as if it's a nursery rhyme or cautionary tale that children might learn to recite by heart.
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“Sadie and Maud” Speaker
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There is no identifying information in the poem about the speaker, who simply acts as the poem's narrator. The speaker tells Sadie and Maud's respective life stories, allowing readers to focus on these characters instead of stopping to consider the speaker's own identity.
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“Sadie and Maud” Setting
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There isn't very much information in the poem itself about its setting, other than that Sadie (and later Maud) lives in an "old house." However, Gwendolyn Brooks published the poem in her book A Street in Bronzeville, which detailed the daily experiences of Black women in the 1940s. For this reason, most readers assume that the poem takes place in the United States in the 1940s, when society generally expected women to stay at home and raise families. This contextual information is important because it makes Maud's decision to attend college seem all the more remarkable, since it was unfortunately still uncommon in the mid-20th century for Black women to gain access to higher education.
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Literary and Historical Context of “Sadie and Maud”
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Literary Context
"Sadie and Maud" was published in 1945 and appeared in Gwendolyn Brooks's first poetry collection, A Street in Bronzeville. Brooks began writing poetry when she was quite young, publishing a number of pieces when she was only a teenager. She was encouraged by famous Black writers like the poet Langston Hughes and the novelist Richard Wright. Wright eventually spoke admiringly of her work to her first publisher when A Street in Bronzeville was under publication review.
Brooks became a prominent voice in the landscape of Black American literature by the mid-1940s, building upon the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance (an artistic and cultural movement that took place roughly between 1918 and early 1930s). However, the vast majority (if not all) of the well-known writers from the Harlem Renaissance were men writing from a male perspective. Brooks, on the other hand, was a woman writing about the experiences of working-class Black women in the United States, thus broadening the horizons of Black literature in the mid-20th century.
Because of her prominence as a poet who shed light on the experiences of Black women in the 20th century, Brooks is often read alongside other famous Black female poets like Lucille Clifton, Maya Angelou, and June Jordan (though all three of these authors began publishing significantly after Brooks's initial success).
Historical Context
"Sadie and Maud" was published in 1945, the final year of World War II. During the war, the government encouraged women to enter the workforce, which had been largely depleted due to the fact that so many men had left to fight overseas. This opened up new opportunities for American women, who before the war had been expected by society to stay home and raise families.
However, this is not to say that World War II completely changed the prevailing expectation that women prioritize family life over their personal or professional ambitions—after all, such expectations lingered throughout the war and beyond. But it is true that the war gradually opened the door for women to pursue opportunities outside the home.
Despite the newfound freedom some women experienced in the 1940s, Black women still faced many limitations. The racist segregation laws known as Jim Crow laws were still very much in effect, and would be until 1965. The opportunities that many white women gained during this time were therefore not fully extended to Black women, making it all the more significant that Maud goes to college. Although it wasn't impossible to do this as a Black woman in the mid-20th century (the first Black woman to receive a Bachelor's degree was in 1862), it was still an unfortunately rare occurrence for a Black woman to attend college. This is perhaps why Maud's hard work doesn't actually lead to a happier life—there weren't, at the time, many avenues to success for Black women, since the country remained deeply racist and sexist.
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More “Sadie and Maud” Resources
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External Resources
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Hear the Poem Out Loud — Listen to a reading of "Sadie and Maud."
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Gwendolyn Brooks's Life — To learn more about Gwendolyn Brooks, check out this brief overview of her life and work.
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An Interview with Brooks — Read an interview with Gwendolyn Brooks conducted in the 1960s.
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"We Real Cool" — Hear Gwendolyn Brooks read and talk about her most famous poem, "We Real Cool."
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Remembering Gwendolyn Brooks — A look at Gwendolyn Brooks's legacy 100 years after she was born.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks
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