Every time something major happens in your life, there's a good chance that you'll step back and take a few moments to contemplate how it's changed the way you think or behave in the world. And let's face it: becoming a mother is a pretty massive change. Our speaker sure thinks so, at any rate. "Morning Song" may seem to be about how a new baby acts in the world, but it's also an opportunity for a new mother to play out her changed sense of self.
Questions About Identity
- How would you describe the baby in this poem? Is she different than other babies? If so, how?
- When do you think that a person starts to become a person? (Is it the moment she or he is born? Later?) How does this poem support or contradict your perspective?
- How does the speaker see herself in the poem? Can you get a sense of how her identity has changed since she became a mother?
- Does the way the speaker sees her own identity change over the course of the poem?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The speaker doesn't know how to view herself since becoming a mother. She's unsure if she should think of herself as a distant creator, a food source, or a caretaker.