Symbolism

Ritchie's poem Sorting Laundry is almost solely symbolism. Each piece of laundry the speaker folds is symbolic of an element of her relationship with her significant other. For instance, the speaker talks about "pillowcases, despite so many washings, seams still holding our dreams" (Ritchie, 841). This represents the strong and enduring nature of their relationship. One can assume that the couple has been together for a long while. However, as the speaker continues to pick apart the relationship piece by piece, there is a shift in the speaker's feelings. Instead of the admiration and satisfaction with which she reflected on her relationship during the beginning of the poem, the speaker now experiences fear and worry. Once again, a piece of laundry prompts her feelings, this time a t-shirt of an ex-lover. Now realizing that the possibility of her lover leaving her is a reality, despite how perfect the relationship seams, she begins to ponder the possibility. The speaker continues to extend the symbolism even in this mindset, stating that her life without him would become a "mountain of unsorted wash" (Ritchie, 842).