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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"To My Father - 2" by Diane Di Prima is an evocative and deeply personal reflection on the complex relationship between the poet and her father, characterized by emotional distance, misunderstanding, and unfulfilled desires for connection. The poem navigates through feelings of grief, anger, and the eventual acceptance of difference, all while exploring themes of identity, familial legacy, and the search for meaning beyond the confines of inherited sorrow. From the outset, Di Prima presents a stark image of her father as a man consumed by grief or fear from the moment she first became aware of him, suggesting a lifetime shadowed by emotional turmoil. The "slight chink thru which we cd signal each other" indicates a fragile, barely existent channel of communication between them, symbolizing the difficulty of their relationship and the effort required to maintain even minimal understanding. The poet's struggle with her own intense emotions—rage, desire, and exhaustion—is depicted vividly, evoking nights spent in turmoil, suffocating under a pillow. This struggle is not just with her own feelings but with the heavy burden of her father's emotional state, which has indirectly shaped her own experiences. The reference to "no fat gods," specifically the mention of Bes, the Egyptian dwarf god associated with protection and households, introduces the idea of seeking divine or supernatural comfort in the face of familial despair, a comfort that was not accessible to her at the time. Di Prima's declaration, "I will not die yr death," is a powerful assertion of independence and a refusal to be consumed by the same grief that has taken her father. This line marks a turning point, signaling her determination to forge her own path, one that acknowledges mourning but refuses to be overwhelmed by it. The imagery of the house built "away from the others" further illustrates the father's isolation and the poet's choice not to join him in his emotional exile. The poet's exploration of spiritual and physical realms—"the tower inside & out, the goddess in the lingam"—suggests a journey toward understanding and integrating various aspects of existence, including the sacred and the profane. The longing for connection with nature, for life that flourishes "in the ground" as opposed to the barren "rooftops / of yr mind," underscores a yearning for authenticity, growth, and a grounding in reality beyond the psychological and emotional confines imposed by her father's grief. The closing lines, with their wish for the father to find a resting place in an orchard among amaranth, almond, and even the "feckless acacia," evoke a poignant longing for peace and natural beauty in the face of death and sorrow. The orchard symbolizes a life-affirming space, contrasting sharply with the desolation of dying "on the rooftops / of yr mind." It reflects the poet's desire for her father to experience a connection to the earth and its cycles of growth and decay, perhaps as a way of finding peace in his final moments. "To My Father - 2" is a profound meditation on the emotional landscapes that shape our familial relationships and individual selves. Through her exploration of grief, identity, and the quest for understanding, Di Prima articulates a poignant narrative of personal resilience and the difficult journey toward emotional liberation and self-discovery.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT by MARK JARMAN DRESSING MY DAUGHTERS by MARK JARMAN READING ALOUD TO MY FATHER by JANE KENYON NOT BAD, DAD, NOT BAD' by JAN HELLER LEVI A WOMAN WAKING by PHILIP LEVINE MYRRHA TO THE SOURCE by HEATHER MCHUGH |
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