“Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

“Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum first appeared in the late 20th century as part of his celebrated collection Coming to Terms. Its poignant resonance lies in its universal themes of fleeting childhood, parental vulnerability, and the bittersweet inevitability of separation. The main idea of the poem revolves around a father’s tender and reflective observations of his daughter, capturing the juxtaposition of her lively independence and his deep-seated fears about her future. The poem’s popularity stems from its vivid imagery, relatable emotions, and rhythmic language, making it a timeless exploration of parenthood’s joy and pain. Through a simple day at the zoo, Hobsbaum portrays the fragile beauty of the parent-child bond with profound insight.

Text: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

I seem to see us going to the zoo,
You scampering, I pacing. Bears awake
Your laughter, apes your scorn, turtles your rage –
‘Great floppy things,’ you say, ‘what can they do?’
You run off, and I bellow after you –
Brown legs flickering under short white frock –
Standing in impotent call while you glance back
Laughing, and run off laughing. I run, too,

And bump into a friend, grown middle-aged,
Point out my curious daughter, paused to see,
Wave, make you come at last. You shyly wait
Finger in mouth, huge brown eyes wondering, I
Resting my hand on your curly dark head;
Knowing you are not, and may never be.

Annotations: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

Line	Annotation
I seem to see us going to the zoo,	The poem opens with a reflective tone, indicating the speaker’s memory or imagination of a visit to the zoo, setting the stage for a nostalgic recollection.
You scampering, I pacing.	The contrast between the daughter’s youthful, carefree energy (“scampering”) and the father’s more deliberate, measured pace (“pacing”) highlights their differing stages in life.
Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn, turtles your rage –	The child’s animated responses to animals reflect her innocent and impulsive emotions, personifying the creatures as she connects with them on her terms.
‘Great floppy things,’ you say, ‘what can they do?’	The child’s critical but playful remark captures her youthful candor and curiosity. This line conveys her sense of wonder and humor.
You run off, and I bellow after you –	The father’s call to his daughter suggests both concern and a lack of control, portraying the child’s spirited independence.
Brown legs flickering under short white frock –	Vivid imagery focuses on the child’s physical appearance, emphasizing her youth and vitality while grounding the scene in sensory detail.
Standing in impotent call while you glance back	The father’s “impotent call” reflects his helplessness as he watches his daughter assert her autonomy, even while glancing back to maintain their bond.
Laughing, and run off laughing. I run, too,	The repetition of “laughing” underscores the joyous, playful nature of the child while also illustrating the father’s attempt to keep up with her energy.
And bump into a friend, grown middle-aged,	The encounter with a middle-aged friend contrasts sharply with the father’s focus on his youthful daughter, creating a moment of introspection about aging and life stages.
Point out my curious daughter, paused to see,	The word “curious” reinforces the child’s lively and inquisitive nature. The father’s pride is subtly evident in pointing her out to his friend.
Wave, make you come at last. You shyly wait	The daughter’s shyness contrasts with her earlier boldness, reminding the reader of her multifaceted personality and the way children oscillate between independence and dependence.
Finger in mouth, huge brown eyes wondering,	This line paints a tender and intimate portrait of the daughter, capturing her innocence and vulnerability in the moment.
I resting my hand on your curly dark head;	A gesture of affection and protection, the father’s hand on her head signifies their connection and his role as her guardian.
Knowing you are not, and may never be.	The poem concludes with a poignant revelation, suggesting that the daughter may not be entirely what the father imagines or hopes. It reflects the tension between parental expectations and the reality of a child’s individuality.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

Device	Example	Explanation
Allusion	Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn	References to animals serve as allusions to their symbolic traits, reflecting the daughter’s emotions and reactions.
Ambiguity	Knowing you are not, and may never be.	The line is ambiguous, leaving the reader to interpret whether the father refers to expectations, mortality, or identity.
Assonance	I seem to see us going to the zoo	Repetition of the “ee” sound creates a smooth, melodic flow, adding a reflective tone.
Caesura	You scampering, I pacing.	The comma creates a natural pause, emphasizing the contrast between the daughter’s energy and the father’s slower pace.
Contrast	You scampering, I pacing.	Highlights the differences in age, energy, and perspective between the father and daughter.
Enjambment	You run off, and I bellow after you – / Brown legs flickering under short white frock –	The continuation of a sentence across lines mirrors the energetic flow of the daughter’s movements.
Hyperbole	Huge brown eyes wondering	Exaggeration of the daughter’s eyes to emphasize her innocence and curiosity.
Imagery	Brown legs flickering under short white frock	Vivid visual imagery brings the scene to life, making it easy for readers to picture the daughter.
Irony	Standing in impotent call while you glance back laughing	The father’s serious concern is met with the child’s playful laughter, creating situational irony.
Juxtaposition	Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn, turtles your rage	Contrasting emotions are placed side by side to highlight the child’s vivid reactions.
Metaphor	Resting my hand on your curly dark head	The hand resting becomes a metaphor for parental care, authority, and protection.
Nostalgia	I seem to see us going to the zoo	The reflective tone evokes nostalgia, suggesting a memory or imagined past event.
Onomatopoeia	I bellow after you	The word “bellow” imitates the loud sound the father makes, emphasizing his attempt to call out to her.
Personification	Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn	Animals are given human traits to mirror the daughter’s emotions, making her reactions more vivid.
Repetition	Laughing, and run off laughing.	The repeated word “laughing” emphasizes the child’s playful spirit and joy.
Rhyme	Great floppy things,’ you say, ‘what can they do?’	The internal rhyme between “things” and “do” adds rhythm and cohesion to the child’s dialogue.
Symbolism	Finger in mouth, huge brown eyes wondering	The finger in the mouth symbolizes the child’s innocence and introspection.
Tone	Reflective and tender throughout the poem	The tone captures the father’s love, concern, and bittersweet realization about his daughter’s growth and individuality.
Understatement	You scampering, I pacing.	The simplicity of the statement belies the deep emotional significance of the father-daughter relationship.

Themes: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

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• The Innocence and Energy of Childhood: The poem vividly captures the liveliness and innocence of a child, as reflected in the daughter’s playful and unfiltered reactions to the animals at the zoo. Lines such as “Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn, turtles your rage” illustrate the pure, spontaneous emotions of the child. Her remark, “Great floppy things, what can they do?” reveals her candid and curious perspective on the world. This theme underscores the beauty of youthful energy and the joy it brings to those around them.

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• The Complexity of the Parent-Child Bond: The father’s interactions with his daughter highlight the duality of love and helplessness in parenting. While he admires her “brown legs flickering under short white frock” and playful independence, he also expresses concern in his “impotent call while you glance back laughing.” This interplay of affection and frustration portrays the delicate balance of guiding a child while respecting their autonomy. The father’s pursuit, both literal and figurative, reflects the constant effort of a parent to nurture and protect.

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• The Passage of Time and Reflection:The poem’s reflective tone suggests the father is recalling or imagining the moment at the zoo, emphasizing the transient nature of childhood. Phrases like “I seem to see us going to the zoo” suggest that this scene exists in memory or wishful thinking, highlighting the inevitability of change as children grow older. The contrast between the “curious daughter” and the “middle-aged friend” further underscores the passage of time and the father’s awareness of aging and life stages.

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• The Fragility of Expectations: The closing line, “Knowing you are not, and may never be,” introduces a poignant theme of unfulfilled or fragile expectations. It reveals the father’s understanding that his daughter may not meet his dreams or grow into the person he imagines. This theme explores the tension between a parent’s hopes and the reality of a child’s individuality, highlighting the bittersweet acceptance that comes with love and parenthood.

Literary Theories and “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

Literary Theory	Application to the Poem	References from the Poem
Psychoanalytic Theory	This theory examines the psychological aspects of the father-daughter relationship, focusing on the father’s inner fears and desires.	The father’s protective instincts and anxieties are evident in lines like “Standing in impotent call while you glance back laughing.” This reflects his struggle with the child’s independence and his subconscious fear of losing control.
Feminist Theory	This theory explores the portrayal of gender roles and expectations in the poem, particularly the depiction of the daughter.	The poem subtly reflects societal expectations of femininity, as seen in “Brown legs flickering under short white frock,” where the image evokes traditional notions of innocence and girlhood, while her actions challenge passivity.
Ecocriticism	This theory examines the relationship between humans and the natural world, as represented through the zoo setting and animals.	The animals mirror the daughter’s emotions: “Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn, turtles your rage.” This connection underscores the interplay between human feelings and nature, emphasizing the zoo as a site of exploration and self-expression.

Critical Questions about “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

Literary Works Similar to “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

1. “A Prayer for My Daughter” by W.B. Yeats
   This poem, like Hobsbaum’s, reflects a parent’s hopes and fears for their daughter’s future, intertwining personal emotions with universal themes of growth and protection.
2. “The Portrait” by Stanley Kunitz
   Kunitz’s poem explores familial relationships and emotional complexity, resonating with Hobsbaum’s depiction of the tender yet fraught parent-child dynamic.
3. “Follower” by Seamus Heaney
   Heaney’s portrayal of familial bonds and the shifting roles of parent and child shares thematic parallels with Hobsbaum’s reflective and tender approach to parenting.
4. “Before You Were Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy
   Duffy’s poem, like Hobsbaum’s, captures the bittersweet interplay of memory, love, and the passage of time in the parent-child relationship.
5. “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
   Though from a mother’s perspective, Hughes’s poem shares the themes of guidance and resilience, reflecting the protective instincts and wisdom conveyed in Hobsbaum’s work.

Representative Quotations of “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“I seem to see us going to the zoo”	Reflects the father’s memory or imagination, introducing the reflective tone of the poem.	Psychoanalytic Theory: Explores the father’s inner world and emotional connection.
“You scampering, I pacing.”	Highlights the physical and metaphorical contrast between the child’s energy and the father’s restraint.	Structuralism: Contrasts the duality of freedom and responsibility in parenting.
“Bears awake your laughter, apes your scorn”	Depicts the child’s emotional responses to animals, symbolizing innocence and spontaneity.	Ecocriticism: Examines the symbolic connection between human emotions and nature.
“Great floppy things, you say, what can they do?”	The daughter’s candid remark reflects her curiosity and straightforward view of the world.	Feminist Theory: Highlights the daughter’s independent voice and critical perspective.
“You run off, and I bellow after you”	Illustrates the father’s protective instinct juxtaposed with the child’s independence.	Psychoanalytic Theory: Suggests a subconscious fear of losing control or connection.
“Brown legs flickering under short white frock”	Vivid imagery emphasizes the child’s vitality and physicality.	Imagism: Focuses on precise visual detail to evoke the essence of the scene.
“Standing in impotent call while you glance back”	Highlights the father’s helplessness and the child’s playful defiance.	Existentialism: Reflects on the limitations of authority and the individuality of the child.
“And bump into a friend, grown middle-aged”	The encounter with an old friend shifts the father’s focus to time and aging.	Marxist Theory: Explores the socio-temporal realities of adulthood and parenthood.
“Finger in mouth, huge brown eyes wondering”	Captures the child’s innocence and introspection in a moment of quiet vulnerability.	Humanism: Highlights the universal beauty of childhood and parental connection.
“Knowing you are not, and may never be.”	Concludes with the father’s bittersweet acceptance of the child’s individuality.	Deconstruction: Challenges expectations and assumptions about identity and fulfillment.

Suggested Readings: “Poem for My Daughter” by Philip Hobsbaum

1. Adair, Tom, and Philip Hobsbaum. “Across the Watery Vale: Philip Hobsbaum and the Group.” The Linen Hall Review, vol. 4, no. 4, 1987, pp. 9–11. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20533952. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
2. Hobsbaum, Philip. “The Way Forward.” Ambit, no. 18, 1963, pp. 38–39. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44330116. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
3. HOBSBAUM, PHILIP. “Twentieth Century Poetry And Its Critics.” Salmagundi, no. 47/48, 1980, pp. 217–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40547338. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
4. Hobsbaum, Philip. “A Poem for My Daughter.” Meanjin Quarterly 21.4 (1962): 436-436.