Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Generations of Women: 2. Nissei", Janice Mirikitani examines the life of a Japanese American woman of the "Nissei" (second) generation, focusing on themes of confinement, loss, and unfulfilled desires. Through evocative imagery, Mirikitani portrays the emotional and psychological imprisonment that characterizes this woman’s life, a result of both societal discrimination and personal abandonment. The poem captures the ways in which historical traumas and cultural expectations have shaped her identity, leaving her caught between loyalty to her heritage and the desire for love and acceptance in a society that marginalizes her.

The poem opens with a physical description that is both fragile and haunting: “Her body speaks, arms long, thin as a mantis.” The comparison to a mantis, an insect known for its delicate but intense posture, suggests a sense of alertness and vulnerability. This image conveys both fragility and strength, as the mantis is also a symbol of patience and resilience. The woman’s body is a silent witness to her life’s hardships, reflecting the strength she has cultivated in enduring them. Her “long, thin” arms evoke a physical and emotional leanness, suggesting that her life has been marked by deprivation and restraint, forced to adapt and survive in an unwelcoming environment.

The woman describes herself as “imprisoned by walls of cloth,” a metaphor for the limitations imposed upon her by cultural expectations and societal discrimination. Cloth—ordinary and restrictive—symbolizes her confinement within domestic roles and the cultural constraints placed on Japanese American women of her generation. This “room of myself” becomes a space of self-containment, where her identity is bound by expectations of subservience and duty. Her isolation is further emphasized by the line “Only the man clocks my moments,” suggesting that her life is defined not by her own desires or ambitions, but by her relationship with a man. This dependency reflects the societal limitations that have left her emotionally and economically dependent on male presence, yet the lack of personal agency turns her existence into one of passive waiting.

The repetition of “I wait” underscores the sense of stasis and helplessness that permeates her life. “I wait for his presence, my flesh like sheets drying in the wind” conjures an image of vulnerability and abandonment, as if her body is exposed and lifeless, dependent on the presence of another to give it purpose. Her “flesh like sheets” emphasizes her feeling of emptiness and passivity, as if she has been reduced to something functional, yet devoid of vitality. The act of waiting becomes her primary occupation, a state of suspended life where she weaves “chains of flowers to scent my hands, color my skin, mourn my loss.” The flowers serve as both a symbol of beauty and a representation of mourning, underscoring the bittersweet nature of her existence—filled with beauty but shadowed by sorrow and unfulfilled longing.

As the poem progresses, Mirikitani delves into the legacy of the internment camps: “Some losses can’t be counted: departures to desert camps and barracks, / men leaving to separate camps or wars.” These lines capture the impact of historical traumas on the "Nissei" generation, who were displaced and separated from loved ones during World War II. The losses here are not just material but deeply personal, as families were torn apart and communities were fractured. This legacy of forced separation and hardship defines her life, shaping her sense of abandonment and loss. The mention of men “leaving to separate camps or wars” reinforces the transitory nature of her relationships, marked by absence and uncertainty. Her life is haunted by these separations, a theme that recurs in the imagery of loneliness and waiting.

Mirikitani contrasts her with the “women in silk dresses, wilted flowers and rhinestones around their necks, / fast-drinking, quick-joking women with red lipstick.” These “silk dresses” and “red lipstick” symbolize an unattainable glamour and self-possession, representing a world of freedom and sexual agency that remains out of reach for her. These women, sleek and confident, serve as a painful reminder of the freedoms denied to her by both cultural expectations and personal circumstances. Her “thin arms chained by wringing and worry” illustrate how her identity is bound by anxiety and submission rather than the empowerment displayed by these other women.

The poem moves toward a generational reflection, depicting the cultural pressure for a son: “No more women, they prayed, a son. / A son to carry on the name.” This line reflects the gendered expectations that devalue female existence, underscoring a cultural preference for male heirs who would continue the family lineage. The woman’s life has been shaped by this preference, leaving her feeling unworthy and undervalued. Her identity is reduced to her gender, a reflection of the generational and cultural biases that have suppressed the value of women in traditional contexts. This devaluation fuels her sense of invisibility and rejection.

The line “Some imprisonments are permanent: / white walls encaged her with a single syllable: JAP” reveals the persistent racism that confines her identity. The derogatory term “JAP” reduces her entire identity to a racial slur, a label that encapsulates the discrimination she faces. These “white walls” symbolize the societal barriers that restrict her sense of belonging, an ever-present reminder of her “otherness” in a predominantly white society. Her lips “puckered from humiliations” reflect how deeply these insults have affected her, leaving her feeling discarded and neglected, like “mildewed cloth.”

The poem reaches a moment of betrayal when “the day he left her for the red-lipped woman,” a line that captures her ultimate abandonment. This departure reinforces her sense of helplessness, as if she has been left adrift between “desert camps and bedrooms,” spaces marked by both displacement and intimacy. Her existence is suspended between trauma and vulnerability, a liminal space where she feels trapped. She is haunted by “unburied female infants,” symbols of unfulfilled potential and the cultural pressure for sons, which have left her feeling disregarded and incomplete. Her final image, with “thin arms dripping chains of flowers weighted with tears,” encapsulates her sorrow and resilience. The chains of flowers, initially symbols of beauty and patience, now become weighted by grief, a heavy burden she carries as a testament to her endurance.

In "Generations of Women: 2. Nissei, Janice Mirikitani presents a deeply moving portrait of a woman caught between cultural expectations, personal abandonment, and societal discrimination. Through her nuanced portrayal, Mirikitani captures the silent suffering and resilience of the "Nissei" generation, whose lives were marked by waiting, loss, and longing. The woman’s existence is defined by her connections to others, yet she is continually left behind, enduring both the personal and historical traumas that shape her identity. Her delicate beauty—symbolized by chains of flowers—is tempered by sorrow, a reflection of the sacrifices she has made and the resilience that keeps her moving forward.

Mirikitani’s poem is a tribute to the "Nissei" women whose lives were defined by quiet endurance and sacrifice. Through her portrayal of this woman’s experiences, Mirikitani honors the resilience of a generation that bore the weight of both cultural and societal expectations, often at the expense of their own identities and dreams. The poem captures the bittersweet beauty of survival and the strength required to endure, giving voice to a generation whose struggles and sacrifices laid the groundwork for future generations.

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