Mama Is a Sunrise
Evelyn Tooley Hunt
When she comes slip-footing through the door,
like lump coal lighted,
she kindles us and we wake up glowing. 5 She puts a spark even in Papa’s eyes and turns out all our darkness.
When she comes sweet-talking in the room,
She warms us
Like grits and gravy,
10
and we rise up shining.
Even at night-time Mama is a sunrise that promises tomorrow and tomorrow.
Meaning of Words
slip-footing (line 1): gentle walk, calm and unhurried kindles (line 2): ignites, brightens, lights up, encourages, lump (line 3): a chunk, a block, a slap, and slice, bulk glowing (line 4): burning, radiant, blooming spark (line 5); glow, fire up, sparkle, ignite sweet-talking (line 7): gentle talk, encouraging words grits and gravy (line 9): breakfast made of maize and a meat and vegetable sauce
.
Sunrise (line 11): daybreak, rising of the sun, dawn or sun up, brightness, brilliance.
Theme/Issues the poem raises
The celebration of motherhood and the caring mother who makes her household live happily.
2 How a mother brings out the best in members of her household.
3 Appreciating the role of a mother in uplifting the facial and emotional expression of those who live with her.
Some literary devices
Alliteration: grits and gravy (line 9); tomorrow and
tomorrow (line 12). Simile: … like clump coal lighted (line 3); … like grits
and gravy (line 9).
Metaphor: She kindles us (line 2); … turns out all our darkness (line 6); And we rise up shining (line 10); Mother is
a sunrise (line 11).
Hyperbole: … turns out all our darkness (line 6);
Alliteration: And we wake up glowing (line 4).
An overview
If you were asked to describe your mother, how would you do it? With what kind words would you tell the world who your mother and how she makes you feel good? The song, “Sweet Mother, I no go forget you, for the suffer wey you suffer for me” (sung in Pidgin English) resembles this poem by Evelyn Tooley Hunt. Read the poem several times and you can picture how Mama brings sunrise (or sunshine) into the family: the children are happy and Papa, the husband, is glad. Whenever Mama is at home, she brings joy to the
household and everybody is encouraged. It is a living tribute to the kind-heartedness of a mother, and the poet employs several figures of speech to convey her message.
Line-by-line commentary/Analysis
When she comes slip-footing through the door: She (that is Mama) arrives home (from work or from shopping or wherever) gently (not shouting at the children or getting angry with people as some people do when they arrive home tired.
She kindles us (She makes them joyous). If they were downhearted because of her absence from home, now they rise up lively. Mama has a way of lifting up sad moods. You always like to be with such a person.
Like lump coal lighted: Until coal is lighted, it is black and cold and not of much use. But when it is lighted, it can be used for cooking and for warming up. Until Mama comes home, everybody seems to be like coal that is cold and gloomy. But when Mama comes home, her presence changes everything and brightens up the house. Mama’s nature or character is, therefore, compared with that of lighted coal.
And we wake up glowing: Until she came in, the people in the house were despondent, low in spirit, downcast, unhappy. But now that Mama comes in, everybody is alive again, waking up and glowing, radiant like burning fire, ready to do things. Some people bring so much encouragement into other people’s lives that when they are around, they make people strong and ready to do wonderful things.
puts a spark even in Papa’s eyes: Papa, possibly the father of the house, who would normally be downcast because of the fatigue of hard work and other factors, now feels uplifted and encouraged inside when Mama arrives home. It can be seen in his eyes. The spark indicates inspiration or motivation
.
Even Papa is excited that Mama is home, and it shows as a spark in his eyes.
And turns out all our darkness: Before Mama arrived home, how did everybody feel? The mention of “darkness” casts the image of unhappiness, gloom, despair. If Mama is described as “a sunrise” (line 11), then it follows that her arrival dispels the darkness of gloom and unhappiness. Before sunrise, there is darkness, and every sunrise disperses darkness and brings the promise of a new day.
When she comes sweet-talking in the room: No foul-talk would be found in Mama: no insults, no discouraging comments; rather, she comes “sweet-talking”, encouraging everybody. She dwells on the people in the room, not how the room looks like. Some mothers would find faults with lo their children, but Mama here is more concerned about un uplifting the spirits of the children.
She warms us: She is fond of them, she gets along with them nicely, she does not dampen their spirits or hate them. Her love for them is active. They, in turn, draw near to her.
Like grits and gravy: Grits is a kind of breakfast food made of maize, and gravy is a meat and vegetable sauce. These foods would be warmed up before eating. The poet compares Mama’s warm presence at home to the warming up of this food for consumption.
And we rise up shining: They rise up from sleep or from boredom, ready to face the day or be active, because their mother has come to encourage them. Shining: they will be successful; they will brighten wherever go since they are shining. They will spread the sunshine wherever they go..
Even at night-time Mama is a sunrise: Night-time may symbolise problems and trying. times. When crises hits a family, life becomes tough and bleak. But Mama, because of
her lively spirit, is able to make everybody live through the crises, not giving up.
That promises tomorrow and tomorrow: Day fime follows night, so Mama’s kind spirit and lively attitude make them look at the future with hope and encouragement. “Tomorrow and tomorrow” indicates the hope for the future. For many days and years ahead, the household has no fear, for Mama gives them hope against every possible difficulty.
Symbolism: Literally, sunrise means daybreak, the rising of the sun, dawn or sun up. But symbolically it may also refer to emotional up liftment, the satisfaction of the soul, or joy. Some people describe their spiritual experience in the same vein. Without God in their lives they feel incomplete and low in spirit. Something seems to be missing from their lives until they establish a relationship with God, then they find sunrise in their lives. Because poets often conceal their theme in symbols, the description of Mama may well be attributed to Christ in the life of a person who felt uplifted when the Saviour came into his life. Many hymn writers have made such an expression. “You are my Sunrise” is one example of such hymns.
Discussion/Essay Questions
1. What is the general theme of this poem?
2. What figure of speech is she kindles us (line 2)? 3. Find two literary terms used in the
poem. 4. How does Papa benefit from Mama’s sunrise?
5. What makes Mama a Sunshine? Provide two reasons.
6. When Mama comes home, what happens to everybody?
7. What literary device is the line’ Like grits and gravy (line 9)
.