Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Planned Child" by Sharon Olds explores the complex emotions surrounding the speaker's conception, which was meticulously planned rather than spontaneous. The poem delves into themes of identity, the desire for passionate origins, and the realization of being deeply wanted and loved, despite the lack of the romantic, impulsive conception the speaker had idealized.

The poem opens with the speaker's disdain for the calculated nature of their conception. The imagery of the mother "pulling the cardboards out of his shirts as if pulling the backbone up out of his body" metaphorically suggests a lack of spontaneity and passion in their relationship, reducing it to something mechanical and devoid of vitality. The mother meticulously "made a chart of the month" and monitored her "temperature," using these tools to determine the optimal time for conception. The speaker expresses a longing to have been conceived "in heat, in haste, by mistake, in love, in sex," contrasting these impulsive and passionate scenarios with the "little X on the rising line" of the temperature chart, marking the precise moment of planned conception.

The turning point in the poem occurs when the speaker's partner, while pouring wine, comments on how they could tell the speaker "had been a child who was wanted." This statement begins to shift the speaker's perspective. The wine, "red as the gritty clay of this earth, or the blood, grainy with tiny clots," symbolizes life, connection, and the physicality of birth. The speaker imagines their conception and birth process, describing a vivid and intimate scene of being "ridden down toward the light with my lips pressed against the sides of that valve in her body." This description emphasizes the physical reality of birth, as well as the profound connection between mother and child.

As the speaker reflects on their birth, they come to realize the depth of their mother's desire for them. The poem shifts from a focus on the planning of conception to the mother's intense longing and love. The speaker acknowledges that "she was bearing down and then breathing in the mask and then bearing down," illustrating the physical effort and pain involved in childbirth. The imagery here is powerful and visceral, capturing the struggle and intensity of bringing new life into the world.

The final lines reveal the mother's emotional state and the speaker's acceptance of their origins. The mother felt that "the world was not enough for her without me in it," implying a deep, existential need for the child. The speaker's existence filled a void that not "the moon, the sun, the stars, Orion cartwheeling easily across the dark, not the earth, the sea" could satisfy. This realization transforms the speaker's earlier resentment into an understanding of their mother's profound love and desire for them.

"The Planned Child" ultimately reconciles the speaker's initial discomfort with the calculated nature of their conception with the recognition of being deeply cherished. Sharon Olds explores the nuances of human emotion and the complexity of familial relationships, acknowledging that love and desire can manifest in various forms. The poem moves from a critical perspective to one of gratitude and acceptance, illustrating a journey of self-acceptance and understanding of parental love. Through vivid imagery and a reflective narrative, Olds captures the transformation from feeling unwanted due to the lack of romantic spontaneity to embracing the profound significance of being deliberately and deeply wanted.

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