Praise Song For My Mother Flashcards
introduction
In this poem, the poet describes the influence of her mother throughout all stages of her life, from the womb to adulthood, portraying her as a symbol of protection, wisdom, and nourishment. The poem is framed in the universal context of the relationship of mother and daughter.
paragraphs
1) framed in elemental (stanza 1)
2) framed in celestial (stanza 2 + 3)
3) framed in personal (stanza 4)
paragraph on stanza 1 (framed in elemental)
1) “you were” - line isolated and stands out so is poignant. Direct address but past tense implies dead, creating a sense of nostalgia and loss.Repeated 4 times and repetitive structure represents the constant sense of security her mother gave her.
2) “water to me” - uses elemental image to show importance of her mother. Water is both giving of life and essential to life. Potentially creates impression of womb as we develop in water, surrounded by amniotic fluid. Personal singular pronoun reveals how although the relationship is framed in the universal, it is very personal and specific.
3) “deep and bold and fathoming” - polysyndetic list creates sense of accumulation. Trochaic stress pattern echoes heart beat, linking back to life force. Fathoming suggests her mother was complex and had many layers. Go on to explore in poem.
paragraph on stanza 2 + 3 (framed in celestial)
1) Moves from the elemental to the celestial in an attempt to find a more suiting medium to express her reverence and love for her mother.
2) “moon’s eye to me” - Suggests mother is constantly watching over her, showing protective and caring. To me creates the impression that the daughter is earth and the mother revolves around her, conveying the intensity of her love.
3) “pull” - allusion to moon’s control of tides and idea that moon is strong influence on earth. metaphor for how mother although more distant as she has grown older, still has huge impact on her and is a guiding force.
4) “mantling” - cloaking and protective. Present continuous suggests constant and ongoing even in death - draw comfort from memory.
5) sense of elevation as move to sun from moon, which is smaller and only reflects sun’s light so did not do her justice.
6) “sunrise” - image of hope. benign nature = life giving.
7) “warm” - comfort
paragraph on stanza 4 (framed in personal images)
1) Shifts mother daughter relationship from epic/universal scale to intimate and specific, suggesting her relationship is special and personal, not a universal one. Best way to praise her is in remembered fondness of shared intimate experiences.
2) “fishes red gill” - from cosmic, grandiose scale of imagery to specific and minute.
3) “flame tree’s spread” - passionate love. Spread= shelter + protection.
4) Lose pattern in desperation to find fitting image to depict mother.
5) “crab’s leg…fried plantain smell” - nourishing images. Caribbean/Jamaican domestic images locates the poem as Grace Nichols from Guyana. Highly specific - memory?
6) “replenishing replenishing” - repeated twice as two meanings (physical and spiritual replenishing). Irregularity in hymnal rhyme brings poem to a powerful climax.
conclusion
Ultimately her mother was like a force of nature but had a special and unique relationship with her daughter. For me the most powerful moment in the poem is the last line: “go to your wide futures you said” - separate from the rest of the poem. Sacrifices and generosity of her mother is real reason she was so special. Willing to be left behind as her daughter entered the wall and took advantage of her opportunities. Go = imperative as encourages daughter to be liberated, like she never was but not bitter. She has a vision for her daughter which was unusual in the 1950s.
