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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from Poems, by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

My Mother's Kiss . . . . . . . . . . 1
A Grain of Sand . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Crocuses . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Present Age . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dedication Poem . . . . . . . . . . 9
A Double Standard . . . . . . . . . 12
Our Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Dying Bondman . . . . . . . . . 17
A Little Child Shall Lead Them . . . 19
The Sparrow's Fall . . . . . . . . . 21
God Bless Our Native Land . . . . . 23
Dandelions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Building . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Home, Sweet Home . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Pure in Heart Shall See God . . 28
He Had Not Where to Lay His Head . . 30
Go Work in My Vineyard . . . . . . . 31
Renewal of Strength . . . . . . . . 33
Jamie's Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Death of the Old Sea King . . . . . 38
Save the Boys . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Nothing and Something . . . . . . . 42
Vashti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Thank God for Little Children . . . 47
The Martyr of Alabama . . . . . . . 49
The Night of Death . . . . . . . . . 53
Mother's Treasures . . . . . . . . . 56
The Refiner's Gold . . . . . . . . . 58
A Story of the Rebellion . . . . . . 60
Burial of Sarah . . . . . . . . . . 61
Going East . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Hermit's Sacrifice . . . . . . . 66
Songs for the People . . . . . . . . 69
Let the Light Enter . . . . . . . . 71
An Appeal to My Country Women . . . 72

MY MOTHER'S KISS.

My mother's kiss, my mother's kiss,
I feel its impress now;
As in the bright and happy days
She pressed it on my brow.

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of "My Mother’s Kiss" by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper ​

Context & Background ​

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825–1911) was a prominent African American abolitionist, suffragist, poet, and novelist. One of the most influential Black writers of the 19th century, she used poetry to advocate for social justice, racial equality, and women’s rights. Her works often blended personal sentiment with political and moral urgency.

"My Mother’s Kiss" appears as the opening poem in her 1871 collection Poems, a volume that includes both tender personal reflections and fiery social commentary. This poem, in contrast to her more overtly political works (e.g., "The Dying Bondman" or "The Martyr of Alabama"), is a nostalgic, intimate meditation on maternal love and memory. Its placement at the beginning of the collection may serve as a grounding emotional touchstone before delving into heavier themes of oppression and resistance.

Thematic Analysis ​

  1. Maternal Love & Nostalgia The poem centers on the enduring emotional imprint of a mother’s affection. The speaker recalls the physical and emotional warmth of their mother’s kiss, which lingers even in the present ("I feel its impress now"). This reflects a universal theme of childhood innocence and the bittersweet passage of time.

  2. Memory as Comfort The kiss is not just a past event but an active, almost tangible presence ("impress"). Harper suggests that love transcends time—memory becomes a source of solace, especially in a world marked by hardship (a recurring concern in her work).

  3. Contrast with Broader Struggles While this poem is personal, its placement in a collection filled with poems about slavery, gender inequality, and social reform invites readers to consider how personal bonds (like a mother’s love) sustain individuals amid systemic injustice. Harper often juxtaposed domestic tenderness with public suffering to humanize marginalized voices.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices ​

  1. Repetition

    • The phrase "My mother’s kiss" is repeated at the start of the first two lines, creating a lyrical, almost incantatory rhythm. This mirrors the cyclical nature of memory and reinforces the kiss’s emotional weight.
    • The repetition of "now" (line 2) and "days" (line 3) emphasizes the contrast between past happiness and present reflection.

  2. Imagery & Sensory Language

    • "Impress" (line 2): Suggests a physical mark, as if the kiss has left an indelible stamp on the speaker’s soul. This tactile imagery makes the memory vivid.
    • "Bright and happy days" (line 3): Evokes warmth and light, contrasting with the implied darkness of the present (a common motif in Harper’s work, where childhood innocence is lost to adulthood’s struggles).

  3. Structure & Meter

    • The poem is a quatrain (four-line stanza) with a simple AABB rhyme scheme, giving it a songlike, accessible quality—appropriate for a poem about universal human emotion.
    • The meter is iambic (unstressed-stressed syllables), mimicking the gentle, rocking rhythm of a lullaby or a mother’s soothing voice.

  4. Symbolism

    • The kiss symbolizes unconditional love, protection, and the fleeting nature of childhood. In Harper’s broader body of work, such personal symbols often stand in opposition to societal cruelty (e.g., the absence of maternal care for enslaved children separated from their parents).

Significance in Harper’s Work & Beyond ​

  1. Personal vs. Political Harper’s poetry often balanced intimate experiences with public advocacy. "My Mother’s Kiss" humanizes her as a writer—it’s a rare moment of vulnerability in a collection otherwise dominated by calls for justice. This duality (personal/political) was strategic: by establishing her emotional depth, she strengthened her credibility as a moral voice.

  2. African American Maternal Imagery In 19th-century America, Black mothers were often stereotyped as neglectful or absent (a racist trope used to justify slavery). Harper’s poem counters this by portraying Black maternal love as sacred and enduring. Later works like "Mother’s Treasures" (also in this collection) expand on this theme.

  3. Influence on Later Writers Harper’s focus on memory and resilience paved the way for 20th-century Black poets like Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, who also explored childhood and maternal bonds as sites of resistance.

Line-by-Line Breakdown ​

  1. "My mother's kiss, my mother's kiss,"

    • The repetition mimics a child’s longing or a prayer, emphasizing the kiss’s centrality. The comma after the first "kiss" creates a pause, as if the speaker is savoring the memory.

  2. "I feel its impress now;"

    • "Impress" suggests both a physical touch and an emotional impact. "Now" grounds the memory in the present, blurring past and present.

  3. "As in the bright and happy days"

    • "Bright and happy" contrasts with the implied darkness of the present (possibly alluding to adulthood’s burdens or the post-Civil War era’s uncertainties). The phrase also evokes biblical language (e.g., "the bright and morning star"), subtly elevating the mother’s love to something divine.

  4. "She pressed it on my brow."

    • "Pressed" implies intention and care—the kiss was deliberate, a blessing. The "brow" (forehead) is often associated with thought and identity, suggesting the mother’s love shapes the speaker’s very being.

Conclusion: Why This Poem Matters ​

"My Mother’s Kiss" is deceptively simple. On the surface, it’s a sentimental reminiscence, but within Harper’s oeuvre, it serves as:

  • A counter-narrative to dehumanizing stereotypes of Black families.
  • A foundation for her activist poetry—love and memory fuel resilience.
  • A universal touchstone that invites all readers to reflect on their own sources of strength.

In just four lines, Harper captures the power of love to persist across time, a theme that resonates deeply in her broader fight for justice. The poem’s brevity and emotional clarity make it a masterclass in how personal lyricism can carry profound social weight.

Further Reading:

  • Harper’s "Mother’s Treasures" (p. 56 in the same collection) expands on maternal themes.
  • "The Dying Bondman" (p. 17) contrasts this poem’s warmth with the brutality of slavery.
  • Biographies like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: African American Reform Rhetoric and the Rise of a Modern Nation (2021) by Shirley Wilson Logan explore her dual role as poet and activist.