Subjectively, I very much enjoyed reading this poem. After the first reading I found myself curious about the significance of direction in the piece. Lines like “she faces East” and “from each direction will come her blessings” lead me to this question.
I am incredibly moved by the line “the feminine force of the Divine” as well. Could this poem be about the liberation of religion? This question feels particularly relevant to the following line of “Within her own body her own face”– as if she is empowered or motivated from the inside and out.
Further, the stanza before the last leads me to questions about how religion shapes the family relationship and ways of going through the world. The openness of the writer to reading the words taught by father and living them by mother seems to be cultivated by religious pride and passion.
I enjoy the narrative structure of this poem because it illustrates the progress of the writer. The refusal to bow before man then praying on carpets and calling on “Perfection Grace” then valuing family and waiting to experience the Divine. There is a sense of attempt at first, then a sense of completeness at the end. Rather than calling to Grace, she is waiting to experience the Divine. This progress leads me to concluding that this confidence and satisfaction is nourished by the practice of religion and ultimately, leaves the reader feeling uplifted, regardless of their own personal beliefs.
