Poetry Analysis

Back to poet Translate into other languages

My mother before she died insisted

Original Poetry

Translation

My mother before she died insisted

My mom, before she died, insisted

I should have a herb garden

That I should have a herb garden.

Something in her English soul

Something in her English spirit

amid rough South Africans

Among the tough South Africans

Called for the tenderness of mint 5

Wanted the softness of mint

The old scent of lavender1 and sage2

The familiar smell of lavender and sage.

They arrived in soggy pages of The Star3

They came wrapped in wet newspaper.

With a spade taller than herself

With a shovel taller than her,

She dug them into my backyard

She planted them in my backyard

Before I was ready for them 10

Before I was ready for them.

A cigarette tightly in her lips

A cigarette tightly in her lips,

Explaining chives4 made life worthwhile

She said that chives made life worth it.

That is how she died in her own

That's how she died in her own

Garden of sweet remembrance5

Garden of sweet memories.

Very frail then with a bucket and spade 15

Very weak then with a small bucket and shovel,

The size we children used for play

The kind we kids used for play.

Always finding the sun too hot the soil

Always finding the sun too hot, the soil

Far too dry for the gentler herbs

Too dry for the gentler herbs.

Today after the long heart-stopping drought

Today, after the long, heart-stopping drought,

My mother's bed of lost spices 20

My mom's bed of forgotten spices

Has so flourished I have cut it back

Has grown so much that I've cut it back.

And the mint is in the crevices6 of fingers

And the mint is in the cracks of my fingers,

The sage under my very nails

The sage under my nails,

And I remember her every gesture.

And I remember her every move.

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.

Word Dictionary14

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
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

Poet & Context

PoetStephen Gray

Era20th-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.

View on Wikipedia

When20th-21st Century

WhyThe 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.

FormFree verse

Themes & More

Themes

RemembranceHeritageNatureFamily

Literary devices

Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the herb garden and the mother's actions create a sensory experience.Symbolism: The herb garden symbolizes the mother's legacy and the connection to her heritage.Metaphor: The garden represents the nurturing and enduring influence of the mother.Personification: The garden is described as flourishing, giving it human-like qualities.