Societal Expectations of Women

“The Twelve Working Princesses” directly engages with the societal structures imposed on women in the time when “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” was first recorded. The poem immediately begins with a counterargument: “We have not been dancing” (Line 1). This is in direct response to an off-page accusation that has been made against these women. The objective vehemence in both these arguments raises the question of why dancing is something to be accused of in the first place. It also considers why the speaker feels it’s important to speak up against this accusation. The second stanza lists indulgent luxuries — none inherently negative, but implied to be frivolous or improper for women. The poem creates a picture of what is considered outside the boundaries of a woman’s place in this society.

As the poem progresses, the speaker lists a series of activities that she...