The Mother

[puen...@mail.ru]

The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks is a sorrowful, distressing poem about
a mother who has experienced numerous abortions.When I read this poem
I feel the pain, distress and grief that woman is feeling. This poem
is a reflection of what many women in society are feeling. She is both
remorseful and regretful. She explains that she had no other choice.
It is a sentimental and heart wrenching poem. She talks about not
being able to experience or do things with the children. She aborted -
things that people who have children often take for granted.
The first stanza starts off with "Abortions will not let you forget".
In this stanza she is talking about how future experiences will never
take place.
In the poem, the woman is talking about her pain and loss. She is
haunted by her own children's faint cries that she hears in her mind.
She feels that she did what she had to do. She probably could not
handle having kids at the time because of her situation, whatever it
was, so she had an abortion. She probably did not think it was a
crime, but society has made her believe it is and she feels guilty.
"Believe me, I knew you, though faintly and I loved, I loved you all."
In this stanza she knew her children because they were a part of her
being that they were in her body. She emphasizes that she loved them
to let them know that she really loved them although she did what she
had to do.
I think that abortion is a crime and loss. Because any human beings
have no right to kill someone. Because the life is given by God. Only
God can kill someone.

[miss...@yahoo.com]

The poem is very effective.According to its title,I expected different
kind of poem,a poem that a narrator or a poet praise,admire the
mother.The first word of the poem really confused me.Actually,I have
never read this kind of poem.We have a poem "Mother" written by
C.Cabbarli in Azeribaijani literature.The narrator,of the poem express
his feelings,emotions,admire,love to the mother.Perhaps,because of
this poem,(affects on me),I expected different poem.Gwendolyn Brook
describe a mother full of pain.A mother abort her baby and regrets for
it.By showing mother's suffer the author gives her message.She gives
advice to women "try not to do that".I read some of my friend's
thoughts,they consider abortion guilty.there is no hint in the poem
that shows the reasons of abortion.Perhaps,she did it under
compulsion,necessity. "Whine that the crime was other than
mine"...Actually no woman in the world want to abort..If we look at
the abortion from different aspect,we could see the mother's real
situation.It is easy to write against abortion...But I prefer abortion
in some situations..I prefer to abort,rather than to bring up a baby
in bad life conditions..If a mother cannot afford to bring up her baby
well enough I think abortion is the only way that helps women..I am
against abortion,but I do not think that abortion is so terrible....