Are You Crafting a Poem About Birth? These Writing Prompts May Help You

All life on earth happens in cycles. For humans, this cycle starts with birth and ends with death – the former is often celebrated, and the latter mourned. Bringing life into this world is rarely simple or easy, however, and for most, the journey is complex and carries many considerations. Whether you are excited about introducing a new family member to your home or simply cannot wait to be a parent, writing a poem about pregnancy, giving birth, or the bond between parent and child is a beautiful way to express your feelings. If you are seeking some ideas, the writing prompts below may help you define the theme of your next piece.

Hope for a Future Family

For some, there is no greater dream than starting a happy family, whatever this may look like. Perhaps you have already started planning your pregnancy or are looking into foster care or adoption. Whatever the desires of your heart, you can pen them down in a poem. Pregnancy and giving birth are not options for some couples, but there are still other ways to grow a flourishing family filled with love and acceptance. If you are eager and excited to have a little one of your own one day, you can craft a poem exploring these hopes and dreams.

Pregnancy: The Joyful and Dreadful

Some people find pregnancy a breeze – they seem to have a natural glow and even enjoy the feeling of carrying a human life. Others find pregnancy stressful and difficult on their bodies and cannot wait to give birth. Pregnancy is often thought of in terms of the miracle of human life, motherhood, and doting parents who cannot wait to meet their new baby. The reality is that pregnancy may be a time of trauma for some, when tough decisions must be made or when physical pain and health conditions take their toll. No matter your experience with a past or current pregnancy, writing a poem about it may offer some catharsis or detail a time of your life when you were looking forward to the wonder of parenthood.

Giving Birth and Creating Life

Bearing witness to the process of childbirth is extraordinary – just ask the nurse who lays the wailing infant in their mother's arms or the jittery new father who isn’t sure he caught it all on camera. Birth is miraculous, fascinating, and harrowing – a strong parallel to the rest of our lives. Famous poet, painter, and feminist of the early 1900s, Mina Loy penned the experience of pregnancy and childbirth in her poem, “Parturition”. Like much of Loy’s radically honest work, the poem explores womanhood, this time from the perspective of a parturient woman giving birth. The piece uses strong visuals to describe the pain the narrator is enduring, and how the physical agony of the contractions presents as growing mountains that peak, subside, and grow again. We also see empowering lines that describe the subject’s perceived creative force:

“The contents of the universe
Mother I am
Identical
With infinite Maternity
Indivisible
Acutely
I am absorbed
Into
The was—is—ever—shall—be
Of cosmic reproductivity”

For all the moments of vulnerability and physical weakness, Loy’s final stance is that giving birth takes someone powerful, bold, and unafraid to confront life and death.

Writing About the Loss of a Pregnancy or Baby

Pregnancy and giving birth are so often a time of celebrating new life, that we forget it may be a period of loss and mourning for others too. No matter the circumstances, losing a pregnancy can be a complex subject to navigate. There may also be a great sense of shame attached to the loss, and working through this time of grief is daunting. While writing poems might not offer complete healing, they are a great place to start exploring one’s own emotions with authenticity. This introspection is needed to acknowledge the impact of the situation and helps people find ways to start picking up the pieces.

Our Library May Inspire You

Birth, death, love, and hope – these are aspects of human life that open the parts of us that are most raw and vulnerable, and yet, they are a common facet that all humans share. If you are looking to write a poem or a piece that articulates your journey as a parent, or someone longing to be one, have a look at our library of poems for some inspiration on where to start.

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