How does Grace Nichols use language to present feelings in ‘Praise Song for My Mother’?
Grace Nichols uses metaphors to present feelings for her mother, using a praise song which celebrates her mother’s life and her key qualities. The first stanza includes the metaphor ‘You were water to me’ which introduces the idea that her mother was essential for life, nurturing and reviving things. However the aspect of water also adds a depth to her mother’s personality, showing that she can also be powerful and dangerous. Nichols goes on to say ‘deep and bold and fathoming’ which emphasises the image of depth, strength and uncertainty- not knowing and a sense of mystery. Another example of a metaphor used in the poem is ‘You were moon’s eye’ which creates the image that her mother is always there, precious and irreplaceable like the silver of the moon and that her mother is like a guiding light in the darkness – a reliable and reassuring object. The third metaphor used ‘You were sunrise to me’ relates back to the heavenly and powerful objects used in the previous metaphors – water and the moon. A sunrise gives light and warmth to the world which shows that her mother was a loving person. It also is very reliable as everyone knows that the sun rises everyday which demonstrates that her mother provided a security. Lastly the sunrise provides the image of enlightenment, that her mother was a source of understanding and knowledge. Nichols also uses imagery through a series of metaphors to present her memories of her childhood through the senses to show her enjoyment and affection towards her mother. The image ‘the fishes red gill to me’ to create the image of the sea and the fish she would have seen. The word ‘red’ could create the impression of the blood link she has to her mother, the love that connected the two of them shared or it could also create the impression that her mother made her angry as a child, perhaps being too protective or not letting her do as she pleased. Additionally the word ‘gill’ suggests that her mother was so essential for life that she wouldn’t have been able to breathe without her mother, but know she has evolved to be able to cope. However it could also indicate that her mother was holding her back because cannot go out of the water as they are unable to breathe or that her mother made her feel like she was underwater, protected and isolated form the outer world and its troubles. Nichols does not only use metaphors to present her feelings, but also the structure of the poem is thanking her mother for the good life she has led her to lead. The poem stanzas sound like tide, rolling gentle up onto the shore which captures the environment Nichols grew up with her mother. It represents that her mother was always there for her, if not always with her, and that she could always return to her when needed, although she was free to live her life in her own way, because the sea does not control the land it encompasses. The words ‘replenishing, replenishing’ roll off the tongue which adds to the idea of the tide and sea. As the word is repeated it also raises the idea of renewing, and reviving life, keeping Nichols going and pushing her forward. The last stanza which creates the imagery is of a different structure to the rest of the poem, forming the idea that her mother has more than one side to her and that Nichols feelings are overwhelming, so much so that they can’t stick to the rhyming scheme and need to be heard straight away.
In conclusion Grace Nichols uses ‘Praise Song for My Mother’ to show her feelings and memories of her mother. It displays that her Mother had not just one side to her, and a depth to personality. Also through the use of heavenly and powerful object Nichols shows her love and affection towards her Mother.