Okay, so maybe "babyhood" would be a better way to describe this particular theme. After all, the youth in question has only been around for about a day. Even so, this baby has already garnered quite a bit of attention. It's got enough descriptions attached to its name that it's hard to figure out quite what it means to be a baby anymore – which is fine, since, as our speaker points out, the kid doesn't seem to know enough to care at this particular moment. Nope, Baby is saving up all her strength for screaming. Which is what babies tend to do best.
Questions About Youth
- Why do you think that babies are always the center of attention? How does our speaker describe this phenomenon?
- Is this poem a fairly accurate description of childhood? Why or why not?
- Do you think our speaker is addressing her baby as a baby? Or is she writing a poem for her child to read as a grown up? How does your answer change your reading of the poem?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The speaker feels that babies aren't entirely human yet.