Odds of a Woman’s Life

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Odds of a Woman’s Life

On the surface, a woman is ideally a mother and a home keeper. She represents a very important aspect of any society. She deserves respect worldwide. However, some people look down upon her and make her feel unworthy in the society she lives. This is the driving force that made the poet write this poem. It introduces a woman who undergoes multiple challenges in her life. The life of this person is not at peace. She is involved in various activities, which are shameful in any society. However, some misunderstand her and some are so unkind to her. Despite all these, she still struggles to make ends meet for her and those who depend entirely on her. Life is a struggle that offers little joy with more pain and odds; however, the struggle is not over until one’s life ends.

The setting of this poem is that of a weeping mother who is undergoing turmoil in her life. The abstract compares the persona with the character in the poem. The poet draws a close comparison between them in all the last lines of each stanza. At the end of stanza one, two and three, the poet ends with “I have been her kind.” This makes the readership view the persona in the image of the woman character. The challenges that she faces in her life are similar to those that the persona is facing. In addition, the poet has made an effective use of imagery. “Over the plain houses, light by light,” (fourth line of first stanza) creates an imaginary picture of empty and deserted house and homes. This tells of the loneliness that the persona is facing in her life. In real life, every mother will want a happy home with children around, but unfortunately, the persona misses this. This makes her life so lonely and unbearable.

The tone of the poem is sad. The persona is not happy with her life. She mentions the lonely life and the nightmares she often has and concludes, “A woman like that is not a woman, quite” (line six of the first stanza). The life she is living is not any close to any normal female that is why she concludes that the characteristics of the woman in the story are not for an ordinary one. Her life is not a normal female life and as such, she concludes that the characteristics of the woman in the story are not normal. This tells of the dissatisfaction of her life. The context of the poem is a social setting where she works hard to make ends meet for both herself and her dependants. When she mentions that she has twelve fingers, it implies that she works extra hard. A normal human being has ten fingers, therefore, her extra two show the extra mile she goes in her work.

The language used, which includes vast poetic tools, the word choice, rhythm, imagery and meaning, are a result of the well-structured and organized language. The poet has successfully achieved rhythm by repeating the same words at the end of all the stanzas. Imagery is achieved through visual and sensory words. Metaphors and symbolism have enabled the story create a hidden meaning. The structure is that of three stanzas each with seven lines. This structure has made it precise. This enables the reader not to lose interest. In conclusion, she is still ready to fight on her life even though she has been through many vicissitudes. She is not ashamed to die in the course of her life.