Simon Armitae Mother Any Distance

The relationship between a parent and a child can be a complicated, difficult to understand concept. Factors such as complications that occur in the lives of either of the figures, separation from the other, and the protection the parent is willing to give to the child all contribute to the idea of this messy relationship. However, all these factors seem to fall away in comparison to the immeasurable amount of love the parent and child carry for each other, and the strong relationships that last a whole lifetime. In many poems, authors such as Theodore Roethke, Li-Young Lee, and Rita Dove use literary devices such as imagery, tone, symbolism, metaphor, and simile to show the unbreakable bond between parents and children.

Throughout A Story, a poem written by Li-Young Lee, many literary devices are used in order to portray the complex relationship that the father and son have. Some of these literary devices include the interchanging point of view between the two characters, the structure of the poem, and even the use of common narrative styles such as metaphors and imagery. The method in which the author used to convey the complex relationship is through the son’s great desire to hear a new story from his seemingly unknowledgeable, uncreative father. Overall, after reading A Story, it is clear that there is some sort of separation between the father and son.

“If I should have a daughter, instead of mom, she's going to call me point B...” (Kay). For most women, motherhood is an achievement that allows mothers to build strong connections with their children. “If I Should Have A Daughter” explains the importance of experiencing life with an open heart and appreciating everything life gives and takes away from you. Sarah Kay describes how she would guide her children throughout life in this manner. Sarah Kay uses rhetorical and literary devices such as ethos, pathos, metaphors and personification to enhance her explanation of motherhood and the complexity of mother-daughter relationships in her poem, “If I Should Have A Daughter”.

In the poem “A Story” by Li-Young Lee, the topic of growing up is easily seen. With this in mind,the relationship between the father is constantly changing and evolving even if we do not personally see it. This growth is seen through the use of many literary elements.

The spacing and structure of the poem is set up to allow flow and momentum in the poem and its narrative. The speaker’s voice is present with emotion as emphasised in a natural rhythm of thought offering an honest and bare interpretation of motherhood. The open “blank space” of the poem encourages a calm and breathy atmosphere, fulfilling a mood of tranquility and bliss. Each stanza is short with a couple quick fragmented thoughts before closing each section with the power of a single word. Each stanza breaks apart a separate thought filled with a loving passion the speaker uses to stress the beauty, wonder, and over-flowing love present in motherhood. To better the structure, the poem itself is broken into three parts, each representing a stage of motherhood. The first segment of motherhood that is represented is during the moments while the baby is still in the womb and the mother waits in anticipation for the baby to arrive. This “honeymoon” phase is expressed with a tone filtered through a perception of rose-coloured glasses and excitement as the mother is in utter bliss to carry a life into the world. The

Profound in the love shared between the father and son, their sense of unity kept them pushing through the pain for “each the other’s world entire” (6). In a society painted by shades of grey, one cannot help but at times feel the desire to fade into the world full of suffering. In the father’s perspective “there were few nights lying in the dark that he did not envy the dead ” (230). However, the man is fortunate because he has a spark in his life that motivates him to keep going- the boy. Many others before the man took their own life in an attempt to rescue themselves from the doomed life ahead. However for the father, “the boy was all that stood between him and death” (29). The father possess such love for the boy that no matter what the situation is he will never take the easy route out. He will never put his own needs over the boy’s. He will never leave him to try to fend for his own. Furthermore, if the boy were to ever depart life before him he “would want to die too” (11), thus proving that the boy is the father’s incentive to carry on. With the love for his son in mind, the father is enabled to carry on with his life. During a difficult situation, love encourages one to see it to the

The mother’s struggle for identity is also presented through the poem’s depressing imagery as well as the figurative and literal language. The first quatrain states the sad, regretful statement of “too late” (4). This imagery of loneliness is reflected upon the passion and pain involved with her once lover. When the

ending of his relationship in the first and second halves of the poem. The opposing tones

Through meticulous care of the household and emotional support, Voigt's poem portrays maternal affection and sacrifice that directly benefits the speaker. On the other hand, Hayden's poem is melancholy and regretful, focusing on unrecognized sacrifice as the theme of the father's love. An often belated appreciation for parental sacrifice is a common theme in parent-child relationships, as illustrated by the speaker's retrospective understanding of his father's love. It is poignant to see how the concept of parental love has evolved over both poems' final stanzas. A central part of Voigt's speaker's message is the recognition of the mother's sacrifice as being crucial to their development and well-being.

Thus, introducing our second poem, which touches on a very different stage of motherhood; letting go. The story of To a Daughter Leaving Home is about a mother teaching her daughter to ride a bicycle, which is a monumental stage of development for most children. However, I think the poem is a metaphor for something even bigger. as the title suggests I believe the true meaning is about having your children physically leave home. For a mother this is probably the most simultaneously rewarding and frightening moment to endure. The poem talks about how the mother watches the child speed away from her, growing smaller and more breakable, this to me symbolizes the devastating transition between a child’s complete dependence on their mother, to the genuine need for independence they require to become an

Parents and their children will never be what the other wants because humans are far from being perfect. The conflict between parents and children are inevitable, but words and actions usually display the love children have for them. Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you Going, where have you been” and Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” are two examples that display the complicated relationship children have with their parents. These stories also represent the fluctuating feelings children have regarding their parents. The similarities and differences in the short story and poem have the same message; however, they have differences.

The text “Mother any distance” by Simon Armitage is about a child and his mother. As the poem goes on we see the nature change of the mother and child’s relationship grow. As the son gets older and becomes more independent he wants to leave the birds nest. But the mother doesn’t want to fully let go of her child. As the reader of his poem I was placed into the poem as I am a teenager and can relate back to this poem personally. Being a teenager and having that parent and child relationship helped me as the reader to see the issues created by Simon Armitage. The main issues I saw in this poem is that whatever actions either of them do will affect the other person. The author Simon uses a range of techniques to help show the reader the issue/message in this poem. As well as the way, he structured the poem creates a meaning towards the reader.

The poem, “Mother any distance” by Simon Armitage, is about a child and his mother. Throughout the poem, we see the relationship of the mother and child naturally develop and change. As the child gets older and becomes more independent he wants to leave the ‘birds nest’. Yet the mother doesn’t want to fully let go. Armitage uses symbolism, metaphor, and rhyme to affect my thoughts and/or feelings towards the mother.

These four words are the main message of the poem. Harper challenges the readers to understand and sympathize this scenario by encapsulating the painful emotions and pathos going through the separation of a bond between the mother and son.

Whether they are faced with divorce, death, or abandonment, single parents take great risks for their families. But in some situations, children view those risks as their parent being selfish or neglecting them, which adds tension and stress to the household. From the narrators’ perspectives in the two stories, they view their parents as self-centered and only focused on their own interests and work. Yet, their parent is simply making difficult decisions to help their family succeed. Moreover, the narrators feel neglected by their parent, as they see the situation from a different point of view. They believe their parent is ignoring their well-being, while the parent simply wants the best for their child. Tension arises when people don’t share the same perspective, just as the two narratives have shown. But when they view the situation in a different way, the stress and tension can be