Essay: On My First Son and For My Daughter

Sample Essay

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This essay compares two poems, On My First Son by Ben Johnson and For My Daughter by Weldon Kees. Both poems show that parenting is not an easy responsibility. Kees shies away from any such responsibility by preferring to not have a daughter, who is a symbol of offspring, because the very existence of humans is too painful, and the misery too great to let anyone experience it, and since he does have a choice he prefers on to put his own child especially a daughter through this.

Both poems show that parenting is not an easy responsibility. Kees shies away from any such responsibility by preferring to not have a daughter, who is a symbol of offspring, because the very existence of humans is too painful, and the misery too great to let anyone experience it, and since he does have a choice he prefers on to put his own child especially a daughter through this.

Ben Jonson’s grieving on the other hand is quite genuine, as the pain and suffering experienced by the father is unimaginable, but he says that by dying he did escape the “Misery” and the rage of living, I think here he alluding to the pain his son suffered because of   the plague.  And as the last line shows that letting go and experiencing the pain, although he will continue t love others but not like he loved his son.

For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such,
As what he loves may never like too much. (l. 11-12, 77)

It would not be wrong to say that poems are discussing the theme parenting in the light of the time they live in, they also affect how parenting has evolved over time, showing the difference in treatment due to time period.

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