Wong Phui Nam’s “At the Door†is mainly giving a voice to the unwanted unborn who struggles with death in the early stage of its life. The persona begins by questioning its mother on why did she poisons it. From line “the poisons seep down, blacken leaf and stem†giving readers the images of death as the poison oozes slowly in painful and destroying manner. The news of pregnancy and birth are in general received as something blissful and joyful, however it is obviously not the case for this pregnancy. This poem illustrates sadness and grief of the discarded foetus, giving it a melancholy tone. The foetus is seen as a plant. The new life of the foetus as symbolises in “leafâ€, “stem†and “roots†are “blackenâ€, “pinch†and “disarrange†and it is deformed before birth by the poison. More images of deformity can be seen in the second stanza.
r Response of Nam’s At the Door :: Wong Phui Nam