Critical Appreciation of “Woman to Man” by Judith Wright
Judith Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist, and activist. She was born
on 31st May 1915. Her full name was Judith Arundell Wright. She is best
remembered for her poetry. She composed many poems, and “Woman to Man” is
one of them. It was published in 1949. She was also known for her dedication to
fighting for the rights of the Aboriginal people. She died on 25th June 2000.
The poem deals with the imagination, feelings, and sensations of a woman who has
recently conceived. In the poem, she shares her thoughts with the man.
Judith Wright begins the poem by referring to the “shapeless seed” which the
woman is holding in her womb. She calls the fetus “the eyeless labourer in the
night,” who is shaping itself and growing fast in order to come into this world.
According to the woman, the fetus is without sight, “selfless” and without any
shape, and is labouring hard in the darkness of the womb until it gains form and is
born. It is growing silently, away from the sight of the mother. The developing
fetus is also waiting for the “unimagined light” of the world.
In the second stanza of the poem, Judith Wright explains the idea of the “child.”
She says that the child has no appearance and has not been given a name yet. Still,
she, on behalf of the woman, tells the man that both of them have “known it well.”
The poetess goes on to say that the child is their “hunter and chase.” This simply
means that they are eagerly waiting for the child to be born. The woman clearly
exhibits her perfect bonding and affection for the man.
In the third stanza, the poetess explores the conceptual bonding between the man
and the woman. She says the man’s “strength of the arms” and the “arc of the
flesh” of her bosom have together contributed to the creation of “the precise crystal
of their eyes.” The woman further says that the fetus is growing like a “wild tree”
out of her blood. She calls it “the intricate and folded rose,” meaning that the child
will be like a beautiful, intricate rose that will spread fragrance in all directions.
Finally, in the fourth stanza, the speaker shares her final thoughts with the man,
saying that the child is “the maker and the made,” “the question and the reply.”
The woman, deeply emotional, feels a sense of fear and asks the man to hold her.
She imagines the struggle of the child as “the blind head butting at the dark,” ready
to face the blazing light of the world.
Judith Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist, and activist. She was born
on 31st May 1915. Her full name was Judith Arundell Wright. She is best
remembered for her poetry. She composed many poems, and “Woman to Man” is
one of them. It was published in 1949. She was also known for her dedication to
fighting for the rights of the Aboriginal people. She died on 25th June 2000.
The poem deals with the imagination, feelings, and sensations of a woman who has
recently conceived. In the poem, she shares her thoughts with the man.
Judith Wright begins the poem by referring to the “shapeless seed” which the
woman is holding in her womb. She calls the fetus “the eyeless labourer in the
night,” who is shaping itself and growing fast in order to come into this world.
According to the woman, the fetus is without sight, “selfless” and without any
shape, and is labouring hard in the darkness of the womb until it gains form and is
born. It is growing silently, away from the sight of the mother. The developing
fetus is also waiting for the “unimagined light” of the world.
In the second stanza of the poem, Judith Wright explains the idea of the “child.”
She says that the child has no appearance and has not been given a name yet. Still,
she, on behalf of the woman, tells the man that both of them have “known it well.”
The poetess goes on to say that the child is their “hunter and chase.” This simply
means that they are eagerly waiting for the child to be born. The woman clearly
exhibits her perfect bonding and affection for the man.
In the third stanza, the poetess explores the conceptual bonding between the man
and the woman. She says the man’s “strength of the arms” and the “arc of the
flesh” of her bosom have together contributed to the creation of “the precise crystal
of their eyes.” The woman further says that the fetus is growing like a “wild tree”
out of her blood. She calls it “the intricate and folded rose,” meaning that the child
will be like a beautiful, intricate rose that will spread fragrance in all directions.
Finally, in the fourth stanza, the speaker shares her final thoughts with the man,
saying that the child is “the maker and the made,” “the question and the reply.”
The woman, deeply emotional, feels a sense of fear and asks the man to hold her.
She imagines the struggle of the child as “the blind head butting at the dark,” ready
to face the blazing light of the world.
