My mother before she died insisted by Stephen Gray — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

My mother before she died insisted I should have a herb garden Something in her English soul amid rough South Africans Called for the tenderness of mint 5 The old scent of lavender1 and sage2 They arrived in soggy pages of The Star3 With a spade taller than herself She dug them into my backyard Before I was ready for them 10 A cigarette tightly in her lips Explaining chives4 made life worthwhile That is how she died in her own Garden of sweet remembrance5 Very frail then with a bucket and spade 15 The size we children used for play Always finding the sun too hot the soil Far too dry for the gentler herbs Today after the long heart-stopping drought My mother's bed of lost spices 20 Has so flourished I have cut it back And the mint is in the crevices6 of fingers The sage under my very nails And I remember her every gesture.

Translation (English)

My mom, before she died, insisted That I should have a herb garden. Something in her English spirit Among the tough South Africans Wanted the softness of mint The familiar smell of lavender and sage. They came wrapped in wet newspaper. With a shovel taller than her, She planted them in my backyard Before I was ready for them. A cigarette tightly in her lips, She said that chives made life worth it. That's how she died in her own Garden of sweet memories. Very weak then with a small bucket and shovel, The kind we kids used for play. Always finding the sun too hot, the soil Too dry for the gentler herbs. Today, after the long, heart-stopping drought, My mom's bed of forgotten spices Has grown so much that I've cut it back. And the mint is in the cracks of my fingers, The sage under my nails, And I remember her every move.

About the Poet

Stephen Gray (20th-21st Century)

Stephen Gray is a South African poet, writer, and critic known for his contributions to literature and his exploration of identity and culture. His works often reflect on personal and societal themes.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: 20th-21st Century
Background: The poem reflects on the poet's personal memories and the cultural significance of maintaining a herb garden, a tradition passed down from his mother. It explores themes of remembrance, heritage, and the connection between past and present.

Sources: https://ro.uow.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/The_Herb_Garden/27673737, https://ohgoshmygrades.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/english-the-herb-garden/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_garden, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sage

Detailed Explanation

The poem 'The Herb Garden' by Stephen Gray reflects on the poet's memories of his mother and the herb garden she insisted on creating. It explores themes of remembrance, heritage, and the connection between past and present. The mother's English heritage and her desire for a herb garden amidst the harsh South African environment symbolize a longing for gentleness and familiarity. The poem describes how she planted herbs like mint, lavender, and sage, which are associated with tenderness and memory. Despite the challenges of the environment, the garden flourishes after a drought, symbolizing resilience and the enduring impact of the mother's influence. The poet's recollection of his mother's gestures and the scents of the herbs evoke a sense of nostalgia and emotional connection to her legacy. The poem uses vivid imagery to convey the sensory experience of the garden and the deep emotional ties between the poet and his mother.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
insisted	demanded	firmly requested or required	in-sist-ed
amid	among	in the middle of	a-mid
tenderness	gentleness	softness or kindness	ten-der-ness
lavender	a fragrant plant	a plant with a sweet smell, often used in perfumes	la-ven-der
sage	a herb	a plant used in cooking and medicine	sayj
soggy	wet	soaked with moisture	sog-gy
spade	shovel	a tool for digging	spade
chives	a type of onion	a small onion-like plant used in cooking	chives
remembrance	memory	the act of remembering	re-mem-brance
frail	weak	physically weak or delicate	frail
drought	dry period	a long period without rain	drought
flourished	thrived	grew well and healthily	flour-ished
crevices	cracks	narrow openings or gaps	cre-vi-ces
gestures	movements	motions made with the body	ges-tures