Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Son to Mother" by Maya Angelou is a poignant narrative that grapples with deeply ingrained stereotypes and societal perceptions about masculinity, warfare, and familial relationships. The poem is a monologue directed at the speaker's mother, addressing her as both a confidant and a figure to be questioned. The speaker seeks validation and guidance, not from society, but from the person who ostensibly knows him best.

The poem opens with a proclamation of non-participation in acts of violence and cruelty: "I start no wars, raining poison on cathedrals, melting Stars of David into golden faucets..." These lines immediately expose the profound disconnect between the speaker and the world's destructive tendencies. He distances himself from warfare, cultural destruction, and religious intolerance. Yet the tone isn't one of sanctimoniousness but rather of genuine puzzlement, as though he cannot comprehend how society can equate manhood with brutality.

The speaker continues by stating that he doesn't engage in colonialism or spiritual plunder, further intensifying the conflict between his values and societal expectations. By saying, "I set no store on the strange lands, send no missionaries beyond my borders," he negates the conventional wisdom that associates masculinity with territorial conquest and domination. The speaker's definition of manhood is implicitly in contrast to that of a society that values power and control.

In the last stanza, the poem takes a more intimate turn, addressing the mother directly: "They say you took my manhood, Momma. Come sit on my lap and tell me, what do you want me to say to them..." This stanza lays bare the societal presumption that attributes his perceived 'weakness' to his relationship with his mother. This relationship, commonly stigmatized for being too close or 'mothering,' is viewed as the reason for his lack of 'manly' aggression and dominance. The speaker turns this on its head by inviting his mother to guide him in how to respond, challenging the norms that deem his ways unmanly.

Interestingly, the last line, "just before I annihilate their ignorance?" conveys a sense of impending action, countering the image of passivity that society might attach to him. However, the action he hints at is not of physical destruction but of dispelling ignorance, signaling that real power lies in knowledge and understanding.

Maya Angelou's "Son to Mother" presents a compelling and nuanced critique of gender roles and societal expectations of manhood. The poem prompts us to reconsider where true power and value lie, pushing against conventional wisdom that associates manhood with brutality and dominance. Through the voice of the speaker, Angelou brilliantly calls for a reevaluation of what it means to be a man, challenging both societal norms and the harmful stereotypes they propagate.

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