Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Parturition" is a poem by Mina Loy published in 1914 that explores the experience of childbirth. Mina Loy (1882-1966) was an English-born poet, painter, and feminist who spent most of her life in the United States.

In "Parturition," Loy employs vivid imagery and a stream-of-consciousness style to capture the intense physical and emotional experience of giving birth. She uses repetition and fragmentation to convey the disjointedness of the experience and the sense of being overwhelmed by sensations and emotions. The poem also touches on themes of female empowerment and the transformative power of childbirth.

The poem is divided into four sections that trace the journey from the early stages of labor to the emergence of the newborn. In the first section, Loy uses vivid imagery to describe the physical sensations of labor, such as the "prickly ache" that precedes contractions. The second section focuses on the emotional experience of labor, with the speaker addressing her unborn child and expressing a sense of anxiety and uncertainty about what is to come.

The third section of the poem is perhaps the most striking, as Loy shifts her focus to the physical experience of giving birth. She uses graphic, visceral language to describe the process of the child emerging from the mother's body, including lines such as "there is no pain like this pain / no violent vomiting upheaval / shook him, tore from my mouth / [...] The placenta / Falls like a plate / Of pale jelly." Loy's frank portrayal of childbirth is notable for its refusal to romanticize or sugarcoat the experience.

The final section of the poem returns to the emotional perspective of the speaker, who is now holding her newborn child. Loy depicts the moment of birth as a kind of rebirth for the mother, who is transformed by the experience: "I am done with him, like a memory / I don't want to recall / I'm done with the event / I am done with the shock / I am undone by nothing / Done with everything / but the baby." Through her powerful language and unflinching portrayal of childbirth, Loy captures both the physical and emotional intensity of the experience, while also celebrating the transformative power of motherhood.

Overall, "Parturition" is a powerful and visceral portrayal of the experience of childbirth, capturing both its physical intensity and its transformative impact on the speaker.

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