Motherhood in Mistral’s Poems
Being a new mom, I was really excited to find poetry that could put into words the experience of raising tiny humans! Gabriela Mistral beautifully crafts poems that capture the essence of motherhood and translate the emotional experience of it. I highly encourage you to read and enjoy Rocking, The Sad Mother, Close to Me, If Only You’ll Go to Sleep, and Serenity.
In Gabriela Mistral’s poem “Rocking” a mother is having a conversation with her son as she rocks him. The tone of the poem is wistful and reverent. By referencing the “loving sea” in the first stanza, the “loving wind” in the second stanza, and God “the Father” in the third stanza, the mother takes an almost worshipful tone describing the wonder of creation, teaching her son about life while rocking him. Repeating the line “I rock my son” at the end of the three stanzas, Gabriela ranks her role as mother among the wonders of creation as equally as important and beautiful. I pressed pause on my teaching career and opted to stay home with my son, and it has been the biggest blessing. BUT, sometimes I do feel a weird pressure like I need a job to have value. This poem was so nice because it reaffirmed for me that my value doesn’t come from a career, it comes from God. I’m cherishing each and every day that I get to spend with my baby!
In “The Sad Mother” the mother is having a conversation with God. The tone of this poem is mournful, and lines like “though my soul may never slumber” in the first stanza and “in you my heart find rest” in the third stanza paint a picture of a struggling mother. The title of the poem alludes to a mother suffering with postpartum depression praying to God and asking for peace and comfort. While I didn’t personally suffer from PPD, I know mothers that did, and this poem is so helpful for moms that feel alone in their struggle. God is the provider of peace and comfort, and it is such a blessing to be surrounded by Godly women that support and lift each other up. Never underestimate the power of prayer and fellowship!
In “Close to Me” the mother is having a conversation with her child. The tone of this poem is wistful and romantic with lines like “fleece of my flesh” in the first stanza and “trembling blade of grass” in the third stanza. The mother reveals her desire for intimacy and closeness with her child by repeating the line “sleep close to me!” at the end of each stanza. The mother clearly cherishes her baby and acknowledges the baby’s fragility by comparing the child to a fleece, partridge, and blade of grass. I loved this one so much! This poem captures the overwhelming amount of love mothers feel for their children. I laugh at myself now, but I remember wondering how I could love a baby more than I loved my dog! Contact naps and co-sleeping are the sweetest times for cuddling, I always want my baby close to me!
In “If Only You’ll Go To Sleep” the mother is having a conversation with her child and pleading with the baby for rest. In this poem, the mother lists all the things she would bestow upon the child if the babe would sleep through the night. The tone of this poem is frantic and beseeching because the narrator uses short exclamations especially in the third stanza to craft a sense of urgency. The mother offers a carnation, bread, goldfish, fruit, and honey to the child if the child will sleep, and this is so completely relatable. I never bribed my newborn, but I did once call my mother at 2 a.m. to come over and rock the baby for me so I could sleep! This poem brought back those feelings of sleep-deprived desperation, so I definitely recommend saving the next poem for last!
In “Serenity” the mother is having a conversation with her child, explaining how the child brings peace and serenity. The tone of the poem is restful. With lines like “When I am singing to you, / on earth all evil ends:” in the first stanza and “as gentle as your eyelids” in the second stanza, Gabriela Mistral establishes that the mother values her child above all else and is given a gift from the baby that she could not get anywhere else: peace, love, and hope for a better world. The mirrored format of the two stanzas make this short poem feel intentional and complete and the parallelism adds to the calming, peaceful tone being crafted. Sometimes the previous poem feels more relatable than this one, but this poem does put to words the feeling of peace when your baby is happy and content to snuggle. This poem reminds me of looking down into my son’s eyes as he nurses. Sometimes he wouldn’t be able to stay latched because we would just start smiling at each other!
Of the five aforementioned poems, Gabriela Mistral’s poem “If Only You’ll Go To Sleep” had the greatest effect on me as a reader because the urgency crafted via the brief exclamatory lines stirred the most tangible emotion in me. In addition to the feelings this poem was able to illicit, “If Only You’ll Go To Sleep” most resonated with me because of its relatableness. I have experienced similar frustration and despair after hours of ceaseless crying. This poem stirred memories of pacing my kitchen while pleading with a colic-y newborn to just take a 30-minute nap. This poem just further proves how being a mother is a superpower! The love required to bolster the patience necessary to care for babies is immense! As a new mom, I feel like I’m right in the thick of it, so it’s nice to find beautifully rendered literature that captures my day to day.
Do you have a favorite poem about motherhood? Which of these Mistral poems do you like the best? Also, happy Mother’s Day!
