Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Cleopatra Mathis’s "To the Unborn" is a deeply introspective poem that grapples with themes of choice, survival, and the fraught relationship between the individual and the potential life within. Through vivid imagery and a tone both reflective and resolute, the poem explores the speaker’s decision to forgo motherhood, framing it within the context of natural cycles, personal autonomy, and the unpredictable nature of survival.

The poem opens with a stark admission: "Quite simply, I gave you up." This declarative statement sets the tone for a narrative rooted in both clarity and complexity. The speaker's act of running becomes a central motif, symbolizing both physical exertion and emotional escape. The rhythm of running, with its "miles lengthened in my security of breath," mirrors the passage of time and the distance the speaker places between herself and the life she chose not to carry. The physicality of running also serves as a metaphor for agency and the effort required to maintain it.

Mathis situates the poem in a natural landscape marked by transition, where "summer gave itself to the beckoning fall." The imagery of apples, ripened and ruined by hail, suggests a tension between growth and imperfection, abundance and decay. The fallen apples, "tinged with yellow" and bearing "tiny slug prints and brown scabs of weather," come to symbolize resilience in the face of imperfection. The preference for these windfall apples, despite their flaws, underscores a nuanced understanding of survival—not as a triumphant art but as a pragmatic acceptance of what is. This perspective parallels the speaker's own reflection on survival and the fraught decisions that accompany it.

The poem’s meditation on survival expands to encompass broader existential threats, drawing attention to the fragility of life. The anecdotes of children lost to tragic accidents—a Korean jet crash and a fatal encounter with bees—underscore the randomness of mortality and the precariousness of existence. These examples serve as a reminder that life, even when nurtured and protected, remains vulnerable to forces beyond control. This acknowledgment of life's inherent risks amplifies the speaker's decision not to bring a child into such a world, where "nothing here means safety."

The poem reaches a turning point as the speaker reflects on the "speck of you," the potential life that existed briefly within her. The "determined cells multiplying to complete their plan" evoke the quiet inevitability of biological processes, yet the speaker resists surrendering her body to this process. The moon and stars, described as engaging in their repetitive "soliloquies," serve as a cosmic backdrop to the speaker's individual struggle. The celestial imagery reinforces the themes of continuity and recurrence, contrasting with the speaker's assertion of autonomy against the pull of nature's cycles.

In its conclusion, the poem balances a sense of loss with the speaker's steadfast resolve. The phrase "its futility and need" encapsulates the duality of creation—both its inherent beauty and its insatiable demands. The speaker’s decision not to yield to the "long pull" of survival reflects a deeply personal assertion of control over her body and her life. Yet, there is no triumphalism here; the tone remains contemplative, even somber, as the speaker acknowledges the weight of her choice and the life that might have been.

"To the Unborn" is a powerful exploration of the intersection between autonomy, nature, and morality. Mathis captures the complexity of the speaker’s emotions—fear, resolve, guilt, and acceptance—within a landscape that mirrors the cycles of life and decay. The poem resists easy answers, instead offering a nuanced meditation on what it means to live in a world where survival is both a gift and a burden. Through its layered imagery and introspective voice, the poem invites readers to confront their own understandings of choice, responsibility, and the fragile beauty of existence.

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