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 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.
’35/10’ by Sharon Olds is a moving poem about the poet’s relationship with her daughter. The latter is coming into her own while the former is growing old.
Robert Graves presents a compelling duologue in his poetic ballad, ‘A Frosty Night.’ He uses simple ideas and complex language to create a meaningful poem.
‘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 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.
‘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 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.
‘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 is an emotional poem about the past. It includes images of a speaker’s mother and how she looked as she fixed her hair.
‘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 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 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 is an compelling poem about loss. The speaker describes what a specific listener did when they saw their mother’s newly cut hair.
‘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.
‘To My Daughter On Being Separated from Her on Her Marriage’ by Anne Hunter is a touching poem in which the speaker describes her hopes and dreams for her daughter as she marries.