Explication of Sharon Old's Poem, "Late Poem to My Father"

Sharon Olds' poem "Late Poem to My Father" exposes the profound effect that childhood

trauma can have on someone, even in adulthood. The speaker of the poem invokes sadness and

pity in the reader by reflecting on the traumatic childhood of her father, and establishes a cause

and effect relationship between the abuse he endured as a child and the dependence he develops

on alcohol as an adult. The idea of emotional retardation caused by childhood experiences is not

uncommon, especially in our modern world of prevalent substance abuse, dysfunctional families,

and child abuse. However, Olds' poem is a moving testament to this tragic loss of innocence due

to the powerful imagery she weaves throughout the first half of the poem. In addition, Olds

skillfully uses figurative language and deliberate line breaks throughout the poem to develop the

dismal sorrow her speaker feels while reflecting on the childhood of her father.

The poem opens with the speaker experiencing an epiphany while contemplating on her

father's childhood, and later in the poem we learn that this contemplation is more specifically

focused on the causes of her father's dependence on alcohol. In the first seven lines of the poem

she uses descriptive details to establish a dark, foreboding image of the setting. For example, in

lines two and three she describes the house with "unlit rooms" and a "hot fireplace". She goes on

to portray her father as "a boy of seven, helpless, smart,..." which reinforces his innocence in this

imagery of darkness. It is interesting to note how the speaker distinguishes these details, yet in

lines three and six, she refers to her father's father only as "the man". She intentionally refers to

him in this flat way so as to convey to the reader that he is unworthy of any characterization. She

also omits characterization in line six when she writes, "there were things the man did near you,"

purposely emphasizing "things" with no other explanation. This