Naked Girl And Mirror
Judith Wright

About a girl growing into her womanly body. She rejects it and longs for the days when she was young and shapeless and free. Now she is beginning to realize her feminine shape, but instead of rejoicing as most girls do, she fears it. I got the feeling from reading this poem that the girl was smart, and knew that with her new body came burdens and liabilities. For instance, she seemed to have a pre-determined knowledge that men will find her attractive now, and seek her out, and she will eventually have lovers. I think she is fearful of this, and sees her new maturity as taking away ownership of her body. Now she will be expected to look nice, in order to attract men. She may even fall in love and one day have children, which will mean her body will go to producing and serving her family. She sees where her new body may take her, and rejects it, saying she will never really be apart of this new body; she will always be free as a child.

A Hand
Jane Hirshfield

I think this poem is discussing the age-old question of what are we, and why are we here? Maybe it is because of the accompanying picture, but I feel the poem is saying that we are more than the physical matter that forms us, or the substances we produce from our labor. That we are also apart of something greater and bigger than our perception can perceive. The second to last line of the poem “A hand turned upward holds only a single, transparent question” brings to mind biblical references of people praying to God or some higher power. I think this sense of connection to something greater is what Jane is referencing.