To be determe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

To be determe - Essay Example The same thing is happening in the second poem Benevolence where the father is so weak that he can’t even talk properly. In both the poems the poet is speaking about the weaknesses and difficulties that the parents are facing because of their health. In the poems they are describing their weaknesses and their behavior and the way they changed. The poem describes the position of the poet when his mother was dependent on him for everything since she was weak and â€Å"past the point of saying no†. The poet says that this was a good chance for him to help her out and take care of her like she took care of him when he was young. He describes how he prepared a bath for her and made it â€Å"just right† after which he himself lowered her in it and cleaned her with soap and water. The poet uses crude words in describing the experience and explains how his mother’s body was wasted and in a sorry state. At nights when the poet used to be reading or working while his mother slept he often noticed the sharp breaths she took in sleep instead of the smooth breathing characteristic of a normal healthy person. He listened to that sound and the thought that came to his mind was that he was lucky enough that he was now getting a chance to pay back what his mother had done for him in his younger years. He seems to be an egoistic person who cannot take anything from anyone not even his mother. And therefore he thinks that by taking care of his mother at this stage is going to repay all that she did for him previously. He thinks that he can pay his â€Å"heavy debt of punishment and love/ with love and punishment†. Not only does the poet think about the love that his mother gave him, but also the punishments. And he actually sets upon to repay that as well. For instance, when he is lifting out his mother from the bath and before setting her down on the wheelchair