Child's Clarity: Komunyakaa's "My Father's Essay

This sentence tells us that the child no doubt saw his mother after his father beat her. He does not blame her not does he even think to question her actions. He understands and is glad that she may be living a life without that kind of pain.

The speaker of this poem also possesses the ability to see his father in a very human way. This may stem from retrospect or the notion that within each of us lays the capacity of good and evil. The speaker does not express hate for his father; instead, he sees him as a troubled, somewhat simple man. The speaker does not express any sympathy for his father, realizing that all of the sweat and agony over the words he wanted to say could not erase the past or the pain it caused. He sees his father's anguish and can only bring himself to admit that his father was "almost / Redeemed by what he tried to say" (34-5). Here we see the speaker understands the regret and love but he still realizes the some actions do too much damage, regardless of how sorry we may feel afterwards.

"My Father's Love Letters" is a lesson in life. It demonstrates how children are more perceptive than we believe. The speaker in this poem honors his father's wishes but does think they will get him far and there is no indication he wants his mother to return to such a situation. The poem explores the mind of a child and the power of truth. The son sees his father's efforts but knows they will never save him from his actions.

Work Cited

Komunyakaa, Yusef. "My…