Sarah Kays Poetry as a Valuable Lesson for All Girls

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Raising a child in the turbulent modern world is not an easy matter, especially if it is a girl. Being more sensitive and vulnerable, girls often find it more difficult to accommodate to the realities of the environment and circumstances in which they find themselves. In her poem B (If I Should Have a Daughter), Sarah Kay prepares her future daughter to the potential dilemmas and struggles the latter might face in her life. The poet is trying to communicate the idea that despite all the heartbreaking things that girls are likely to experience, they should never seize dreaming and striving to be themselves. Kay proclaims that no matter how hard it is to be a girl sometimes, it is undoubtedly beautiful, and it is definitely worth it.

Main body

The poem does not have a particular rhyme or meter. Still, even though written in blank verse, it sounds rather rhythmical and melodic. Kay presents her points in a series of parallel structures. The first part of each is an idea with some negative connotation, and the second part explains how a girl could turn this adversity into a fortune or, at least, into a valuable lesson. The poem is rich in symbolism and imagery, containing such stylistic means and phonetic devices as allusion, metaphor, simile, pun, personification, and alliteration. At the very beginning, the author mentions that her daughter should call her Point B, which is an allusion to the famous mathematical exercise concerning the distance between the points A and B (Kay 1). By using this allusion, Kay explains that she will always have a close connection with her child the closest there can ever be, so that the girl could always rely on her mothers support.

The poet goes on to enumerate the grievances that a girl can encounter during her life. However, the use of poetic means makes this list sound not tragic but a little ironic, which allows the reader to assume that the daughter will be able to cope with everything. With the help of alliteration, the poet develops this shade of meaning in the poem. The phrases hit you, hard (Kay 6), hurt, here (9), smelling for smoke (15), will wash away (22), pin point (24), blisters and bruises (27) prepare the girl to meeting bitter obstacles on her way. However, the use of alliteration in each of them makes the barriers look not that bad.

The use of metaphors and similes gives the poem the sense of beauty and richness of language and helps the author to convey her ideas in a literary way. The most picturesque simile in the poem is, I know that like the back of my hand (Kay 4-5). It is simultaneously a pun since the poet refers to a well-known phrase in both direct and indirect meanings. A metaphor about the burning house is especially peculiar and funny. It seems that every girl has tried at least once in her life to find the boy who lost everything in the fire to see if she can save or change him (Kay 16). However, a wise mother makes it clear to her daughter that she will not be able to save everyone and everything on her way, not even herself or, rather, especially herself.

Kay applies one allusion several times to make prominent stress on the fact that every girl endeavors to act like a Wonder-woman. Firstly, she says that when the girl realizes that Wonder-woman isnt coming, she must know that it is not her responsibility to sacrifice everything and save everyone (Kay 10). The second instance is a combination of an allusion, paradox, and metaphor: the very people you wanna save are the ones standing / on your cape (Kay 28-29). Here, the Wonder-woman is not mentioned directly, but the poet refers to the cape as an element of the costume. Meanwhile, the paradox and metaphor are in the comparison of people creating barriers in ones way instead of helping or at least not interfering. These individuals, according to the poet, are often the ones whom a girl wants to support.

Instances of personification help to make the poems main points more vivid and alive. Kay notes that the life can hit& hard (6), the lungs can like the taste of air (8), chocolate can fix heartbreaks (21), and rain can wash away everything (22). Naturally, none of these things and natural elements can perform any of these actions, but the poet makes it look as if they are participants of her daughters life. Some of them are comrades, whereas others are enemies, but she should keep in mind their capabilities, hope for the help of some, and beware of the others, which can hurt her.

In the third part of the poem, the author makes a series of witty phonetic reduplications manifested through the use of similar syllables in different words. Wind in win some, lose some (Kay 33), star in starting / over and over (33-34), and land mines opposed to mind lands (34-35) all of these instances create a peculiar, funny, and witty atmosphere. Also, reduplications make the reader feel that the authors daughter-to-be is rather special since, according to Kays belief, she can do all of these unusual things easily and with dignity. Another exquisitely magnificent literary device crafted by Kay is the personification of the ocean, which never refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times its sent away (32). By making this comparison, the author teaches girls that they should be persistent even when someone lets them down, disappoints them, sets them up, or leaves them wounded.

Moreover, the more determined a girl is in her attempts to become happy irrespective of all obstacles, the more beautiful it looks. Kay argues that the events putting girls on their knees present substantial reasons for saying thank you because such occasions are the best teachers, even though they may seem too strict or even cruel at times (31). No matter how bitter and frustrating some relationships may be, Kay wants her daughter to remember that she should always do her best to absorb the beauty of this funny place called life (35). Although the world can crumble so easily (Kay 37), the poet wants her daughter not to be afraid to stick her tongue out and taste it (38). Kay communicates the notion that people should not limit themselves for fear of destruction but, instead, should take risks boldly and take the chances that life presents gladly. Sometimes, such an opportunity appears only once in a lifetime, and it is better to regret something one has done than something one has not dared to do.

Finally, the poet gives her future daughter a valuable lesson on regretting. Kay says that t is always a good idea to apologize for having done something wrong since it is natural to be sorry for mistakes (43). However, the poet emphasizes and urges every little girl not to apologize for / the way your eyes refuse to stop shining (Kay 43-44). These lines are of utmost importance since they instruct young females not to feel embarrassed, shy, or scared to do things that make them feel happy. It seems to be such a simple piece of advice, but many women underestimate their abilities and spend their lives doing something they do not enjoy because their mothers have not taught them this elementary notion.

Conclusion

Sarah Kays B (If I Should Have a Daughter) is a brilliant example not only of blank-verse poetry but also of priceless lessons every girl should be given at the beginning of her life journey. The rich use of stylistic devices makes the poem easier to perceive and allows visualizing the aspects discussed by the author better. It seems that if every mother warned her daughter about the obstacles and pitfalls that can await the latter in the future, there would be much more happy girls and women in the world. It is crucial for little girls to know that they should be loved and not taken for granted and that they should not allow anyone to destroy their dreams, no matter how improbable they may sound. The main idea communicated by Kay is that despite all the troubles, girls should remain strong and gentle at the same time. Although they may find it complicated to live in a world full of disappointments and fears, girls should always move toward reaching their goals and do their best to remain loyal to themselves.

Work Cited

Kay, Sarah. B (If I Should Have a Daughter). Sarah Kays Poetry, n.d., Web.

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Sarah Kays Poetry as a Valuable Lesson for All Girls

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