The poet, from the first line itself emphasizes on the main theme of the poem that humans are unreliable and are not capable of producing such a alluring thing like a baby. This also further stresses about how she herself is insecure about her ability as a parent. The use of the word ‘unskillful’ to depict human emotions renders the raw and uncultured emotions felt by humans. The great detail given to the baby paints complex ideas of the baby, moreover, reinforcing the idea of the title. The details also pose as a method to depict the poets amusement of the baby as a god-like creation. The repeated usage of biological terms like ‘tendons’, ‘ganglia’ and ‘vertebrae’, further emphasizes on the idea that humans couldn’t have created such a complex creature on their own. It also suggests that the body is not the creation of the mind, but is created by a higher power.
The poet’s fascination about the features of the baby continues in the next stanza where the poet is still in a state of wonder about the baby’s complexity. She draws parallels between a shell and the baby’s ear. A shell, is generally covered with intricate designs and patterns. The shell is used as a metaphor for the baby’s ears. The poet has chosen the ear to delineate that even the smallest part of the baby has the complexity similar to the designs on a shell. Midway through the second stanza, there is a contrast in the poets approach to the baby. While before the poet focused more on the external features, there is a gradual shift to the baby’s internal features seen. This is done to indicate the increasing level of stupefaction of the poet. Again, there is a sense of awe and wonder at the intricacy of the baby’s body. The line ‘completed body already knows the answers to the brain’ connotes the robot like feelings and behaviour of humans, thus underlines the human spirit as insensitive and inefficacious of creating a baby.
The poet further elucidates how one cannot define or explain a human thought or emotion simply or particularly accurately. The choice of the word ‘habit’ could refer to evolution, where the process has been repeated over and over again ‘till it’s perfect. The baby is unconscious in the womb, and so is perfect until the mind becomes active. When this happens, the baby will no longer be perfect. It will inherit the flaws of the mind. The baby is ignorant of feelings when it is born, but as soon as it starts to ‘invent love and despair and anxiety and their pain’. This point is illustrated by the poem ends on a negative note by using the word“despair” to represent the loss of brilliance as the baby grows up. The poem ends with ‘pain’, just like it started, in the form of labour for the mother.
Ann Stevenson’s use of language in the poem, amplifies on the main theme of the poem. Free verse and no rhyme scheme is used as a tool to express the flow of thoughts of the poet while describing the elegant and beautiful baby. She uses sometimes obscure medical terms to try and make the baby sound more special and complex like ‘filaments’ and ‘neural’ whilst using plain words to describe the human spirit such as ‘blunt’ and ‘unskillful’, The poem ends rather poignantly with the word “pain”, in connection with the human mind to illustrate the darker and more vague nature of it on comparison to “indifferent precision”.
The use of a derogatory tone when talking about the mind and human nature is done in order to illustrate their imperfection and create a contrast. It portrays to the reader that the poet is trying to create a significant difference between the baby and humans, where the baby is used as a tool to delineate the innocence of people when they are first born; when they are untouched by the cruel and demonic aspects of our world. It could further explain the theme of the impact the world has on one and the consequences of the impact by representing our minds as the baby and the nefarious things around us as the humans. The poets use of imagery in the form of visual and tactile imagery plays a pivotal role in bringing out the themes. The poet repeatedly uses visual imagery such as ‘fine meshing of ganlia’ and ‘infinitesimal capillaries, the flawless connections of the lungs’, as an aid to bring out the complexity of the baby and how human’s who look so simple and are so heartless could be so skillful. The use of tactile imagery such as ‘sharp crecent fingernails’ brings out the defensive instincts of a child, as to try and protect itself from the evils that surrounds it.
Ann stevenson also uses literary features as a medium to communicate her emotions and feelings. The use of enjambment throughout the poem is used to exemplify the poet’s awe and wonder of creation. The thoughts of the poet are so fast and frequent that it is portrayed by the use of enjambment. The poet also uses symbolism by using the baby as a creation of god and humans as the evils that are present in the world today. The poet uses fullstops to separate her thoughts in the poem, which futher accentuates on the fascination and enticement of the poet. The poet uses personification is a different way by giving the ‘Spirit’ a cruel and diabolical personality. This is used to make it easier for the reader to draw parallels between humans and the spirit, in terms of behaviour and personality, highlighting the main theme.
Throughout the poem, Ann Stevenson has succesfully brought out the theme of wonder and admiration of the concept of creation through portrayal of the baby and the spirit. The poet has also been able to highlight the aspect of the evils in society and its imapct on us, through the use of literary features and language. Through the use of word choice, the poet has manifested the theme of the body not being a creation of the mind, but instead, being some sort of a miracle.
Word Count: 1321 words