Poetry Analysis - Ol Higue
In this poem, the Ol’ Higue / soucouyant tells of her frustration with her lifestyle. She does
not like the fact that she sometimes has to parade around, in the form of a fireball, without
her skin at night. She explains that she has to do this in order to scare people, as well as to
acquire baby blood. She explains that she would rather acquire this blood via cooked food,
like every-one else. Her worst complaint is the pain of salt, as well as having to count rice
grains. She exhibits some regret for her lifestyle but implies that she cannot resist a baby’s
smell, as well as it’s pure blood. The ‘newness’ of the baby tempts the Ol’ Higue, and she
cannot resist because she is an old woman who fears death, which can only be avoided by
consuming the baby’s blood. She affirms her usefulness in the scheme of things, however,
by claiming that she provides mothers with a name for their fears (this being the death of a
child), as well as some-one to blame when the evil that they wish for their child, in moments
of tired frustration, is realized. She implies that she will never die, so long as women keep
having babies.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
Cane-fire has a very distinct quality. It burns very quickly and its presence is felt through it’s
pungent smell. Therefore, when the Ol’ Higue compares herself to cane fire in her fireball
state, it implies that she uses a lot of energy quickly, and is very visible.
2. RHETORICAL QUESTION
•Stanza 1,line 4: This rhetorical question highlights the scant regard that the Higue has for
the average person. She is thoroughly annoyed that she has to literally waste her energy on
them.
•Stanza 1, line 5: This highlights the fact that, again, she is annoyed that she has to expend
so much energy to obtain a few drops of baby blood.
•Stanza 1, lines 6-8: The Ol’ Higue is emphasizing the fact that regular people ingest blood
too, just in a more palatable manner. She would not mind if she could ingest it in the same
manner as well.
•Stanza 3, lines 22-23: At this point the Ol’ Higue is making excuses for her presence,
claiming that she serves an actual purpose in the scheme of life. If a child dies of unknown
causes, she can be scapegoated for it.
•Stanza 3, lines 24-25: ‘The murder inside your head’ refers to the moments, when out of
pure frustration and tiredness, a mother might wish ill on her child. The Ol’ Higue is implying
that, again, she can be used as a scapegoat if something unfortunate happens to the child.
The mother is relieved of bearing the burden of guilt.
3. REPETITION
The repetition of the word ‘soft’ emphasizes the fact that the call of the child’s blood has
captured and beguiled the Ol’ Higue’. She implies that she cannot resist that call.
4. ALLITERATION
This device emphasizes the Ol’ Higue’s dependence, even addiction, to the sweet blood of
the baby.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
‘stupidness!’
This is a distinctly Caribbean phrase that highlights frustration or scorn. Therefore, it
highlights the Ol’ Higue’s frustration with her lack of self control.
‘gallivanting’
This term refers to some one ‘playing around’, having fun. The Ol’ Higue is being sarcastic at
this point. She is expressing displeasure at having to fly around to seek prey.
‘pure blood running in new veins’
Babies are often associated with purity, this is what is emphasized here. The Ol’ Higue
simply cannot resist the lure of new and pure blood.
‘holding her final note for years and years, afraid of the dying hum …’
This tells us that the Ol’Higue has been living this desperate existence for a long time. It also
implies that she will keep hanging on, despite her frustration. The final line confirms this
point: ‘As long as it have women giving birth a poor Ol’ Higue like me can never dead’
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective.
TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life
cannot change.
THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Supernatural
Poetry Analysis - Mirror
Summary
The “life” of a mirror owned by a woman recapping what it is seeing and what he has seen.
The monotony of the day to day occurrences set the scene for the poem and the plain and
sagacious way of speaking because of this we see that the mirror seems to be quite old. It
recalls the woman who seems to be the owner searching the mirror to find herself as she is
now an old woman who has spent time in the mirror since she was a young woman and now
seems to be going through a crisis trying to accept the image of herself in the mirror as she
is now. She finds alternative ways to view herself but she is unable to come to terms with
aging is trying to grasp at her youth as her perception of her now old self causes her grief.
Stanza by stanza analysis
Stanza 1:
The poem begins with the mirror explaining what he is and sets the scene for it being a
truthful and reliable albeit monochromatic character. The first stanza is very slow-paced and
calm as we go through the day to day “life” of the mirror as it is a personified thing.
“I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately” the
mirror gives no judgment but instead shows exactly what it sees. “I am not cruel, only
truthful ‚//The eye of a little god, four-cornered.” This sets up for the second stanza
reinforcing the statement that the mirror only reflects what is in front of it and does not form
its own judgment. The mirror refers to itself as a little god, a god is seen as the amplification
of truth in the realm of humans and what is said or shown by a god is considered to be the
only truth.
The mirror continues to speak of the monotony of its existence as it sits facing the opposite
wall ” pink with speckles”, “I have looked at it so long I think it is part of my heart.” The mirror
has faced this wall so long it seems to be a part of it as it would only reflect that surface.
The fact that the mirror is pink and has been pink so long even into the old age of the woman
could this be an attempt by the woman to latch on to something of the past and a
semblance of her youth by keeping the wall in the room that colour. Also seeing that the
colour pink is a vibrant colour associated with youth.
“But it flickers.//Faces and darkness separate us over and over.” The flickering could be a
reference to time moving, darkness then light over and over again as each day passes.
These last two lines set up stanza two. Which faces are seen in the mirror?
Stanza 2:
“Now I am a lake”. They say that water has memories, the mirror referring to itself as a lake,
a large body of water that if looked on is usually reflective, it could hold memories, the
memories that this woman holds of the past. “A woman bends over me,//Searching my
reaches for what she really is.” The woman is unable to come to terms with the fact that she
is now old , searching for her youth, but the mirror only reflects what is in front of it and what
it sees is an old lady.
She looks to other things to show a different image “Then she turns to those liars, the
candles or the moon.” The candle and the moon can only shed light on what is there and
cannot reflect they only show shadows which are not the actual image which may be why
the mirror calls them liars.
We see that the woman is not satisfied with the image that is shown by the mirror , we get
the feeling of melancholy from this stanza. She hates the image she now sees “I see her
back, and reflect it faithfully. //She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.” Seeing
her image and her trying it distort the image or rather her trying desperately to change what
she sees.
“I am important to her. She comes and goes.//Each morning it is her face that replaces the
darkness” even though the woman hates the image she sees in the mirror she seems reliant
on it compelled to look each day. The mirror has seen her face every day since she was a
young woman aging until she now she is an old woman and now her reflection seems to be
something of a crisis or point of hurt for the woman .”In me she has drowned a young girl,
and in me an old woman//Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.”
Figurative devices
Metaphor:
● “In me she has drowned a young girl,”- the she has been looking at the mirror since
she was a young woman now her youth has passed and she is now old
● “I think it is part of my heart”- the mirror has been reflecting the wall for so long is has
become a standard part of its existence as it always there
Simile:
● “Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.” – making a comparison to the
woman’s reflection and her perception of herself as a terrible fish showing how much
she disdains her reflection.
Personification :
● “Now I am a lake”-
● “I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.” – the mirror is personified
throughout the poem as it is the narrator it now gives itself more human qualities and
referring to itself as a being.
Imagery:
● “It is pink, with speckles.”- the description of the wall allowing us to imagine the wall
● “But it flickers.
● Faces and darkness separate us over and over.” we can imagine the moving of faces,
the darkness and the light which give the impression of time moving
● Identity/Self-image
● Loss of youth
● Woman vs aging
● Depression
Poetry Analysis - It is the constant image of
your Face
The persona reflects on the image of someone he cares for. This love interest accused him,
with their eyes, of breaking their heart. The persona admits that both of them (he and the
love interest) can make no excuses for his behaviour because the love interest does not take
precedence over his land, or country. Despite this fact, the persona begs for mercy, pleading
guilty for being seduced by his love interest’s beauty. This person protects him dearly and he
admits that, as a result of this, he has committed treason against his country. He hopes that
his country, his other dearest love, will pardon him because he loves both his country and his
love interest.
PERSONIFICATION
The love interest’s eyes constantly accuses and convicts the persona. This device highlights
the extent to which the persona has hurt this person.
The persona hopes that his country, his other dearest love, will forgive him for the
treasonous act of loving another. This highlights the patriotism that defines the persona’s
relationship to his country.
OXYMORON
The term heart’s-treachery implies that the heart, something so vital and indicative of love,
has committed a terrible crime. It highlights the heartbreak that the persona has caused his
love interest.
IMPORTANT WORD/ PHRASES
This implies that the persona constantly, or always, remembers his love interest’s face. It
emphasizes the guilt he feels in relation to this person.
The love interest’s eyes display grave attention. The word grave implies intensely serious, so
this person is truly hurt.
A knife inflicts pain and destroys. The persona, therefore, is identifying his world with
causing pain.
To blackmail someone is to have something over them that puts their will in your control.
The love interest’s beauty has captivated the persona in such a way that he betrays his
country with this person.
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about his two loves and how he
is torn between them.
The tone of the poem is sadness and guilt. The persona is guilt-ridden over this love triangle
and sadness permeates the words that he uses to describe it.
Love, guilt, patriotism, places, desires/ dreams
