Lorna Goodinson

Lorna Goodison utilizes a wider range of poetic devices to discuss universal themes.

A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone regardless of cultural differences, or geographic location. Universal themes are ways to connect ideas across all disciplines. It is a central idea about the human condition. It is a generalization about life or human nature; they deal with basic human concerns.  Lorna Goodinson, one of the finest Caribbean poets of her generation, used poetic devices such as diction, symbolism, imagery, repetition alliteration et al. to bring out the universal themes of Motherhood, Womanhood and the role of women in society in the following poems:

• Nanny
• I am becoming my mother
• For My Mother (May I Inherit her strength)
• Mother, the great stones got to move

In these series of poems on women, which may be tributes, she glorifies their strength and has a recurring reference to the mother.  Woman as mother can be seen as an undercurrent although in most of them the ageless strength of women is also a theme. 

 Firstly, she presents the poem Nanny, which is about a national hero of Jamaica, Nanny ‘Queen of the Maroons,’ an obeah woman who led the maroons in wars against the British. Legend has it that she was invincible and used obeah to protect her people. Goodison describes Nanny as the mother of “every one of my people’s children.”  She used the poetic device of diction to become the voice of Nanny. Nanny’s voice, embodied in the poet, opens the poem with a concrete reference to her womb which is the traditional symbol of fertility.

“My womb was sealed
 with molten wax
 of killer bees
 for nothing should enter
 nothing should leave
 the state of perpetual siege
 the condition of the warrior.”
  
The theme of the role of women was highlighted because this was a sense of sacrifice when Nanny relinquished the opportunity having any children of her own in a ritualistic conditioning in order to gain the power that made her an invincible warrior and protector. Additionally, this theme was highlighted further where we see Nanny (a woman) going through intense training in skills of warfare to the point where “danger” and “death” were personified to have a scent/odour that was detectable. This contrasted with the norms of society whereby the males were the protectors. She was then in a position to become the ‘mother’ of her people and the theme of Motherhood was created because it shows how a mother would do anything to protect her children.

         Secondly, ongoing from this kind of conquest and timeless presence she turned to the sense of a cycle in the second poem “I am Becoming My Mother.” Goodison used the device of repetition in the first two-lined verse and the last verse but with an additional first line of ‘I am becoming my mother’.  These lines were the core of the poem and the repeating of the first verse’s two lines completed a circle; a circle that fulfilled in many respects, a strengthening of the original idea of the poem. As a result, Goodison effectively showed how the universal themes are interrelated in this poem. The repetition above clearly made the reader aware that the daughter has entered into womanhood and her role as a woman has begun. Moreover, the poet went further into her transformation of an adult and became a mother.

Here, the theme of Motherhood is greatly expressed because the readers are aware of the struggles mothers faced in society. Firstly, the device of olfactory imagery was used in the second and last lines of the poem(“fingers smelling always of onions”) to make the reader aware of the smell of her hands signified that she was constantly peeling onions and cooking in order to provide three square meals for her children daily. Secondly, the device of symbolism was used in stanza two. This stanza showed how the mother gave birth to “rare blooms” who were the children and she took care of them in a special and loving way. The stanza closed as the poet now saw herself behaving the same way as her mother used to and stated “my mother is now me.” Lastly, one of the greatest traits of being a woman and mother is caring about what others may think of her and her home. Goodinson commendably portrayed this in the third stanza whereby she “had a linen dress” and “stored lace and damask tablecloths to pull shame out of her eye.” Storing the lace and damask tablecloths, is common as saving the best for special occasions, visitors, as would be the blue linen dress. This is a simplistic explanation and there is more that can be considered from this stanza about a caring, hardworking woman and mother.

Thirdly, Goodison’s poem For My Mother (May I Inherit Half Her Strength) focused on the qualities of patience, endurance and resilience that some women exhibit in the face of emotional physical and economic distress. The theme of womanhood is firstly presented in the poem whereby as a young adult, you become more attractive to the opposite sex. In stanza two, the device of personification was used whereby “fate” was “disguised” and the mother did not expect the outcome of her courtship because the father seemed charming at first. The use of imagery showed how the father was neatly dressed and how appearance was greatly emphasized (“maroon blazer, cream serge pants, seam like razor and the beret and two-tone shoes”). The device of alliteration in stanza five (“wooed, with, words, won, woo”) showed how the inexperience to courtship would make you gullible to the first nice words you are wooed by and not think further ahead. The device of symbolism in stanza 7 where she “oiled her hands” showed how she took pride in herself and appearance and this contrasted with later in the poem where “ her hands grown coarse with raising nine children” and this highlighted the theme of womanhood .  The theme of motherhood is portrayed whereby Doris represents a good mother and she embodied qualities that were common to mothers everywhere. She was not perfect, she made mistakes but despite the shock she must have felt suddenly being thrust into poverty, she musters the necessary strength and rises to the challenge of providing for her family. The poem continues and the device of repetition was used whereby she “sewed, sewed, sewed” showing her bear grief, loss and sacrifice and was remembered as the dressmaker multi-tasking to raise her children while sewing at her Singer sewing machine.