In the poem “The Laughing Child” by W. S. Merwin, the speaker wanders to a moment his mother told him about in his childhood. He then reflects on a part of himself he only knew second hand from her story. In his mother’s memory, it was a January day with them standing outside. The mother was in a time of her life where she was confused, lost and hopeless that perhaps she would be able to care for him and love him. However, his instant and thoughtless laughter jerked his mother from her thoughts as she watched him jostle the carriage with his passionate laughter. In that moment he had changed his mother’s thoughts and shaken her doubts. The author of this poem was able to offer a deeper understanding to his narrative with the usage of imagery
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When the author begins the first stanza, the reader is given the imagery of the scene in which the story begins, “When she looked down from the kitchen window into the back yard and the brown wicker baby carriage in which she had tucked me three months old to lie out in the fresh air of my first January the carriage I was shaking she said and went on shaking and she saw I was lying there laughing” This offers the reader’s the ability to envision a child shaking their carriage as they laughed and wiggled around. This line also relates to the theme because it specifies details of the scene in which the author was a joyous child finding laughter in nothingness that he towards the end of the poem reflects to. Through this moment, the author succeeded into transforming his mother's mind and reassuring her that his laughter will continue on to motivate her through life despite the hardships. The author also goes on to mention, “she might be able to keep me as I lay there in the winter laughing...” In this line the author is indicating imagery because winter appeals to the reader’s sense of feel/touch. This relates to the theme because although the winter is cold and full of distress, his warm laughter will be able to warm his mother and sooth her
When the author begins the first stanza, the reader is given the imagery of the scene in which the story begins, “When she looked down from the kitchen window into the back yard and the brown wicker baby carriage in which she had tucked me three months old to lie out in the fresh air of my first January the carriage I was shaking she said and went on shaking and she saw I was lying there laughing” This offers the reader’s the ability to envision a child shaking their carriage as they laughed and wiggled around. This line also relates to the theme because it specifies details of the scene in which the author was a joyous child finding laughter in nothingness that he towards the end of the poem reflects to. Through this moment, the author succeeded into transforming his mother's mind and reassuring her that his laughter will continue on to motivate her through life despite the hardships. The author also goes on to mention, “she might be able to keep me as I lay there in the winter laughing...” In this line the author is indicating imagery because winter appeals to the reader’s sense of feel/touch. This relates to the theme because although the winter is cold and full of distress, his warm laughter will be able to warm his mother and sooth her