Mothers and Daughters Poems

These beautiful and meaningful poems explore the intricate and evolving relationship between mothers and daughters. They capture the bond of love, the complexities of understanding, and the shared experiences that shape their connection.

These contemporary and classic poems celebrate the nurturing role of mothers and the wisdom passed down through generations. They also delve into the unique dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, acknowledging both moments of conflict and profound moments of connection and support.

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. 

In this poem, the speaker considers her relationship with her mother and how now, as a mother herself, her relationship with her daughter will develop. She knows it isn't going to be easy and having these new experiences gives her a different perspective on her mother's experiences.

The pure amnesia of her face,

newborn. I looked so far

into her that, for a while,

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.

I stood at the edge of my child's sleep

hearing her breathe;

although I could not enter there,

I could not leave.

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 You Were Mine

by Carol Ann Duffy

I'm ten years away from the corner you laugh on

with your pals, Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff.

The three of you bend from the waist, holding

each other, or your knees, and shriek at the pavement.

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. 

Explore more poems about Mothers and Daughters

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.

I don’t want them to turn

my little girl into a swallow.

She would fly far away into the sky

and never fly again to my straw bed,

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.

Hot Combs

by Natasha Trethewey

‘Hot Combs’ by Natasha Trethewey is an emotional poem about the past. It includes images of a speaker’s mother and how she looked as she fixed her hair.

Halfway through an afternoon

of coca cola bottles sweating rings

on veneered tabletops and the steel drone

of window fans above the silence

My Mother

by Ellen Bryant Voigt

‘My Mother’ by Ellen Bryant Voigt explores a speaker’s understanding of her mother and how her mother considered her as she aged.

my mother my mother my mother she

could do anything so she did everything the world

was an unplowed field a dress to be hemmed a scraped knee it needed

a casserole it needed another alto in the choir her motto was apply yourself

The Black Walnut Tree

by Mary Oliver

‘The Black Walnut Tree’ by Mary Oliver is a thoughtful poem about familial history. The poet depicts a discussion between herself and her mother. 

The Lost Woman

by Patricia Beer

‘The Lost Woman’ by Patricia Beer is a poem about the relationship between a daughter and her mother; examining the life and death of her.

The Moon and the Yew Tree

by Sylvia Plath

‘The Moon and the Yew Tree’ by Sylvia Plath defines the poet’s relationship with her parents. It’s a poem that’s just as beautiful as it is complicated.

This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary.

The trees of the mind are black. The light is blue.

The grasses unload their griefs at my feet as if I were God,

Prickling my ankles and murmuring of their humility.

The Need to Recall the Journey

by Sujata Bhatt

‘The Need to Recall the Journey’ by Sujata Bhatt is a poem about the past and a speaker’s desire to return to the moment her child was born. It was too fleeting, she feels, and she can’t help but wish she was there again.

The One Girl at the Boys Party

by Sharon Olds

‘The One Girl at the Boys Party’ by Sharon Olds is about a young girl who attends a boy’s pool party. She stands apart from them in a powerful and beautiful way.

The Tantrum

by A. E. Stallings

‘The Tantrum’ by A.E. Stallings is an compelling poem about loss. The speaker describes what a specific listener did when they saw their mother’s newly cut hair.

Struck with grief you were, though only four,

The day your mother cut her mermaid hair

And stood, a stranger, smiling at the door.

The Underground Baby Case

by Jackie Kay

‘The Underground Baby Case’ by Jackie Kay conveys the feelings and choices of a woman who lost her own child and stole someone else’s.

There was a couple of things

I wanted to remember

The Way My Mother Speaks

by Carol Ann Duffy

‘The Way My Mother Speaks’ by Carol Ann Duffy describes a speaker’s developing connection to her mother’s way of speaking. 

I say her phrases to myself

in my head

or under the shallows of my breath,

restful shapes moving.

The day and ever. The day and ever.

The Youngest Daughter

by Cathy Song

‘The Youngest Daughter’ was published in Cathy Song’s first poetry collection Picture Bride (1983). This poem explores the relationship of an aging daughter and her mother.

Transfiguration

by Louisa May Alcott

‘Transfiguration’ by Louisa May Alcott is a personal poem written from the poet’s own perspective. It details her emotions surrounding her mother.

Two Little Shadows

by Anonymous

‘Two Little Shadows’ is a poem by an unknown author about motherhood. It uses examples of figurative language to describe children.

Wedding Cake

by Naomi Shihab Nye

‘Wedding Cake’ by Naomi Shihab Nye describes a brief moment a speaker took care of a child on an airplane. 

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