Figurative Language And Imagery In Victoria Chang's My Mother

Victoria Chang elucidates the merits of one of the more quotidian forms of poetry, the obituary. Local newspapers contain pages of carefully worded odes to the deceased authored by the people who knew them best, many being previously unpublished poets. Writing an obituary for a loved one is a daunting task, one Chang embraces and elevates beyond the blasé traditions. The obituary for her mother on page 6 of her collection subverts expectations by crafting a poem infused with figurative language, imagery, characterization, and diction. Chang adapts the form’s conventions to build a sense of truth, whereas most obits tell palatable lies. Many of the poems in this collection lack traditional bolded titles, but the convention of an obit is that the name before the dash indicates the deceased.

The assertion that the speaker’s mother died “unpeacefully” (line 1) goes against generations of platitudes, but tells a refreshing truth. That word defines through negation what the speaker’s mother deserves versus the one she experienced. Another tweak to the traditional obituary is that Chang includes: “The room was born on July 3, 2012” (5) instead of disclosing the birthday of the speaker’s mother. Years of cultural wisdom suggest never explicitly stating a lady’s age, so avoiding this disclosure might be one way to preserve the mother’s dignity. This line also establishes the unsettling newness of the facility. Chang infuses this poem with stark, clinical imagery. The priorities of the “Walnut Village Assisted Living” where the speaker’s mother resides are laid bare after Chang explains the misnomer: “No walnut trees. Just cut flowers.”