Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"My Mother Would Be a Falconress" by Robert Duncan is a profound and emotionally charged poem that uses the metaphor of falconry to explore the complex relationship between a mother and her child. This relationship is depicted through the intense and sometimes painful interactions between the falconress and her falcon, symbolizing the dynamics of control, dependency, and the struggle for autonomy.

The poem begins with the speaker imagining his mother as a falconress and himself as her falcon, tethered yet cherished. The opening lines establish a scenario where the falcon, although nurtured and trained by the falconress, experiences both the thrill of flight and the pain of captivity. The falcon flies and returns with prey, performing tasks that please the falconress, yet there is an undercurrent of resistance and a desire for independence.

Duncan skillfully weaves a narrative that reflects the falcon's mixed feelings of loyalty and rebellion. The falcon dreads being cast away for failures—"I fall, I mis-take, I fail in her mission"—highlighting the pressure to meet expectations and the fear of losing the mother's love as a consequence of failure. This fear and the subsequent performance of duty are poignantly depicted through the falcon’s efforts to fulfill the falconress's commands, bringing back prey without consuming it, a symbol of the child’s sacrifices and suppressed desires.

As the poem progresses, the imagery becomes more intense, illustrating the falcon’s growing struggle against the constraints imposed by the falconress. The falcon describes a painful, almost masochistic interaction with the mother, "I tear at her wrist with my beak to draw blood," which metaphorically represents the child's conflicting emotions—love, anger, and the painful yearning for independence.

The falcon’s flights are described with a sense of exultation and longing for freedom, reaching "high, high in the air" and seeing "far, far beyond the curb of her will." These flights symbolize moments of escape and transcendence, where the falcon (the child) experiences what life could be beyond the mother’s control. However, these moments are fleeting, as the reality of their bond and the limitations it imposes pulls him back.

In a poignant turn, the falcon imagines a final, complete escape from the mother’s hold, a violent and definitive break for freedom—"striking out from the blood to be free of her." This act of severance is both literal and metaphorical, suggesting both the falcon’s physical departure and the emotional detachment necessary for the speaker’s self-realization.

The conclusion of the poem is reflective and somber. The speaker, still identifying with the falcon, acknowledges the lasting impact of the relationship with his mother. Even years after her death, the memories and the emotional imprints remain powerful and defining. The repeated line, "My mother would be a falconress," resonates with a sense of inevitability and resignation, acknowledging the indelible influence of his mother on his identity and his life’s trajectory.

"My Mother Would Be a Falconress" is a deeply introspective poem that explores themes of love, control, independence, and the painful but necessary journey toward self-identity. Through the extended metaphor of falconry, Duncan captures the universal struggle of children growing under the watchful, sometimes overbearing, care of a parent, and the complex dance between dependency and the desire for freedom.

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