Consolidation
by Jean Bleakney
Jean Bleakney’s ‘Consolidation’ is a deeply personal poem about the act of rearranging the cowry shells that the speaker and her children gathered in the past.
an afternoon nap
by Arthur Yap
‘an afternoon nap’ by Arthur Yap explores the lacunae in the modern education system and how it results in anxiety and stress in students.
August, Los Angeles, Lullaby
by Carol Muske-Dukes
‘August, Los Angeles, Lullaby’ by Carol Muske-Dukes is a contemporary poem about bringing life into the world and the worries that plague a mother after giving birth.
Somebody’s Mother
by Mary Dow Brine
‘Somebody’s Mother’ by Mary Dow Brine is a heartbreaking and heartwarming poem about caring for strangers.
29 April 1989
by Sujata Bhatt
‘29 April 1989’ by Sujata Bhatt is a sweet, little piece about a mother’s sudden found pleasure in nature’s soggy musicality.
A Child’s Sleep
by Carol Ann Duffy
‘A Child’s Sleep’ by Carol Ann Duffy describes the ideal, peaceful sleep of a child, who is watched over by her mother as she dreams.
A Cradle Song
by William Blake
After one and a half months of painful journey of hospitals, due to my son’s illness, I decided to read and analyze William Blake’s ‘A Cradle Song.’ Though I had read this poem during my graduation days, it touched me today when I experienced the same pain as a mother and a father.
A Stone is Nobody’s
by Russell Edson
‘A Stone is Nobody’s’ by Russell Edson is a memorable poem. It uses a stone, and a man’s capture of it, to describe a troubling mother/son relationship.
After Making Love We Hear Footsteps
by Galway Kinnell
Galway Kinnell’s ‘After Making Love We Hear Footsteps’ is a beautiful poem about parenthood and love. This piece presents a familiar scene that often occurs in a married couple’s life.
Alzheimer’s: The Wife
by C. K. Williams
‘Alzheimer’s: The Wife’ by C. K. Williams is a powerful and moving poem. In it, the poet depicts a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s and a few simple moments from her day.
Amaze
by Adelaide Crapsey
‘Amaze’ by Adelaide Crapsey explores the poet’s hands and the emotions she experiences when she looks at them she sees her mother’s.
Amethyst Beads
by Eavan Boland
‘Amethyst Beads’ by Eavan Boland alludes to Greek mythology and the suffering of a child, Persephone, after she was separated from her mother, Demeter.
And Soul
by Eavan Boland
‘And Soul’ by Eavan Boland is a poem about death and a body’s dissolution into the elements that it is made up of. The poet emphasizes the connection between a human being made nearly entirely of water and a city that’s drenched by a particularly rainy summer season.
Before the Birth of One of Her Children
by Anne Bradstreet
‘Before the Birth of One of Her Children’ by Anne Bradstreet is a moving poem about a woman’s opinion on death. Inspired by her pregnancy, the speaker pens this epistolary to her husband.
Coat
by Jane Duran
‘Coat’ is written by the Spanish-American poet Jane Duran. This poem taps on the themes of motherhood, love, and memory.
Death of a Young Son by Drowning
by Margaret Atwood
‘Death of a Young Son by Drowning’ by Margaret Atwood is a beautiful and impactful poem about the death of Susanna Moodie’s young son. Atwood explores the grief of the mother and how her life changed.
Divorce
by Jackie Kay
‘Divorce’ by Jackie Kay is about parent-child relationships and how children are impacted by adults’ issues. The speaker is a teenager who is struggling to contend with her parent’s relationship with one another.
Fear
by Gabriela Mistral
‘Fear’ by Gabriela Mistral is a passionate poem about a mother’s hopes for her daughter’s future. It includes three stanzas that contain the speaker’s worries about who her daughter may turn into.
Going to See King Lear
by Jackie Kay
‘Going to See King Lear’ by Jackie Kay describes what happens when a young girl is taken to see a traumatizing play by her mother.
Gymnopédies No. 1
by Adrian Matejka
‘Gymnopédies No. 1’ by Adrian Matejka is a comforting poem that depicts a snowy landscape and explores the peace one can find in it alongside loved ones.
He Told Us He Wanted a Black Coffin
by Jackie Kay
‘He Told Us He Wanted a Black Coffin’ by Jackie Kay is a heart-wrenching poem narrated by a mother whose son passed away from AIDs.
Her First Week
by Sharon Olds
The poem, ‘Her First Week’, inparticularly reveals both sides of motherhood and the many facets of feeling and emotions that come along with having a baby.
I’m a Fool to Love You
by Cornelius Eady
‘I’m a Fool to Love You’ by Cornelius Eady is a moving poem. It details the choices of a young black woman, the speaker’s mother, and why she did what she did.
In The Park
by Gwen Harwood
‘In The Park’ by Gwen Harwood is a moving poem about how difficult motherhood can truly be. It describes a mother’s distress over her lost life.
Learning to Love America
by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
‘Learning to Love America’ by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim is a thoughtful poem about identity. It explores the way the speaker, likely the poet herself, learned to love the country.
Love
by Kate Clanchy
In this striking and original poem called ‘Love’ the poet examines her feelings towards her newborn son.