Gwen Hardwood to a large extent takes marginalised groups such as women and privileges their experiences by giving them a voice through poetry. Both Suburban Sonnet and In the Park, express the frustrations of women who feel trapped by motherhood and by being placed in the traditional role of women (wife, nurturer etc). Gwen Harwood's poetry is written in a 1950s context, when a woman's concerns would not have been expressed. It was a woman's responsibility and place to make a home for her husband, upkeep it and raise a family, all the while making the duty seem effortless and enjoyable. It is a characteristic of a patriarchal society for men to have the vast majority of power and for the women to be marginalised due to their supposedly inferior qualities, such as emotional and physical weakness. Suburban Sonnet and In the Park give the speaker, who is interpreted as a woman, the chance to express her concerns about the way women are placed into stereotypical roles, forget the other aspects of their lives and simply be content with the joys and burdens of motherhood. Issues such as motherhood and domestic life, lost love and loss of individuality are addressed in the poetry. Poetic techniques including the sonnet form, phrase length and language are used to present these issues to the reader and create a serious atmosphere. In both poems, women's experiences and the issues raised are validated by the reader and not overlooked. Suburban Sonnet and In the Park by Gwen Harwood significantly privilege the experiences and express the concerns of women.
             Motherhood and domestic life are two closely linked issues that have been strongly addresses by the speakers in both Suburban Sonnet and In the Park. Concerns involving these issues were not addressed in the 1950s as they were seen as being the natural duties of women. Dale Spender said, "Their role is to make a home a haven and to always be on hand, to be admiring,...