An Appreciation
In the poem
Any Woman, through a series of metaphors, Katharine Tynan elaborates the role
of a woman in a family. The poem develops
through her own point of view as a first person narrative.
Like the
pillars of a house or the keystone of an arch, the mother is the force that
holds the family together. Like the fire on the hearth and the heat of the sun,
she provides comfort and warmth to the family members. Sometimes she acts as a guiding light.
The poet
emphasizes the role of the mother in the growth of her children. When they need support, it is to her that
they stretch their arms. She is also the
binding force for the family. Her love
binds the children to the family so that they never go astray.
From floor
to roof, the mother is the house itself.
She decorates and makes the house beautiful. She feeds the family both physically and
emotionally. Her involvement is there
even in the warp and weft of the curtains.
Like the mother bird who plucks her own down feathers to make a soft
nest for her children, the mother is an ultimate example of self-sacrifice.
Like a
strong wall and a door, she protects the family from all danger and
discomfort. The poem ends with a
touching prayer by the mother, not to be taken away till her children grew. This prayer is offered to Jesus, who was laid
in a manger by a mother. Even God knows
the importance of the mother.
The title
of the poem is most suitable as it makes this personal expression of the poet
universally relevant. She is not talking
about just herself. It is about any
woman. The language used in the poem is
simple. Except the first stanza, the
poem follows the rhyme scheme of ‘abab’.
