Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Columns and Caryatids: 2. The Mother" by Carolyn Kizer is an evocative exploration of the archetypal figure of the mother, intertwining themes of strength, endurance, and divine purpose. Through the metaphor of the caryatid—a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support—Kizer delves into the profound and often unacknowledged burdens that mothers bear, transforming this physical strain into a symbol of spiritual and existential significance.

The poem opens with a powerful assertion: "I am God's pillar, caught in raising / My arms like thighs, to brace the wall." This image immediately establishes the mother as a foundational support, both physically and metaphorically. By comparing her arms to thighs, Kizer emphasizes the dual role of the mother as both nurturer and bearer of immense weight. The phrase "caught in raising" suggests a moment of both action and stasis, where the mother is simultaneously active in her support and fixed in her position.

Kizer further explores the notion of choice and willpower with the line, "Caught by my own choice, I willed myself to hold this ceiling." Here, the mother's role is portrayed not as a passive burden but as a conscious decision, underscoring her agency and determination. This decision is divinely recognized: "He froze me at the moment of decision," suggesting that her strength and resolve are sanctified and eternalized by God.

The poem's exploration of the mother's desire to bear weight "Not in my belly where the seed would light" shifts the focus from the conventional role of childbearing to a broader, more universal form of support. Kizer contrasts the typical image of a pregnant belly with the mother's "globe ... great with stone," symbolizing the enduring and unyielding nature of her burden. This weight is not one of biological creation but of continuous, structural support—essential and unwavering.

Kizer's vivid imagery continues with the description of the mother's "thick trunk set for stress," highlighting her resilience and capacity to endure. Her face, "showing calmly through guano," indicates a stoic acceptance of her role despite the inevitable accumulation of life's detritus. The "brain sloped by marble curls" and the positioning "to wedge the architrave" further cement her as an integral part of the world's structure, blending the physical with the cerebral, the mundane with the divine.

The poem then expands into a broader metaphor: "The world is a womb." This line encapsulates the mother's encompassing role, where her support extends to the entire world, nurturing and sustaining it like a fetus within a womb. The mutual endurance of mother and fetus—"Neither I nor the fetus tires of our position"—suggests a symbiotic relationship where the mother draws strength from her divine purpose.

Kizer closes the poem with a serene and profound connection to the divine: "My ear is near God, my temples to His temple. / I lift and I listen. I eat God's peace." These lines evoke an intimate proximity to the divine, where the mother not only supports the physical structure but also maintains a spiritual communion. Her act of lifting and listening signifies a continuous dialogue with God, while "eating God's peace" suggests nourishment and sustenance drawn from her sacred duty.

"Columns and Caryatids: 2. The Mother" by Carolyn Kizer is a powerful meditation on the multifaceted role of the mother as both a physical and spiritual pillar. Through rich imagery and profound symbolism, Kizer explores the themes of choice, endurance, and divine purpose, elevating the mother's burden to a sacred and eternal act of support. The poem's nuanced portrayal invites readers to reflect on the often-overlooked strength and resilience inherent in motherhood, celebrating it as an essential, divine function that sustains the very fabric of the world.