Woman to Man- Judith Wright

Woman to Man- Judith Wright
Upon a first glance at Judith Wright’s poem Woman to Man, it seems to be about the sexual relationship between a woman and a man from a woman’s perspective, however it is much more than this. It shows the conception and creation of life. It is a four stanza poem with each stanza talking about the different stages of pregnancy and the creation of a child; from an embryo to the birth. Judith Wright uses alliteration, tone, imagery and symbolism to convey the intimate and passionate nature of the woman’s perspective in her poem.
This poem has four stanzas, each made up of five lines. Lines A, C and E of each stanza rhyme where lines B and C have no rhyme at all. During stanza one and two time appears to stand still, as they each deal with the beginning of the pregnancy where the embryo is not yet a child. However, time passes during the third and fourth stanza as the pregnancy continues towards the birth.
The speaker is pensive and in awe of the wonders of creating life during the first, second and third stanza. In the fourth stanza she seems apprehensive as the birth become reality. The poem begins   discussing the potential life that she carries, how it is not yet a child, but it is dear to her as it is a part of her.   The poem develops to talk about the role of the man, how the child is not only of her flesh but also of his. The poem ends with apprehension as the realisation of the birth comes into play. The author portrays this using many poetic devices to help create the tone and feeling of uneasiness however ready she is.
Judith Wright uses many poetic devices such as alliteration, tone, imagery, metaphor and symbolism to convey the meaning and tone of the poem. She uses alliteration in lines such as ‘the selfless, shapeless seed I hold’ to emphasise the fact that she holds a potential life. The line ‘this is where blood’s wild tree that grows’ creates a strong image for the reader of the growing child inside of her. Judith...