A father is a special person in a child's life. He provides love, support, and guidance, molding them into the person they are meant to be. One way to express the impact of a father's love is through poetry. This article explores the beauty and depth of a father's love as seen through the eyes of poets.
A father's love is felt even when he is not there. The poet, William Butler Yeats, writes in his poem, "A Prayer for My Daughter," about the importance of a father's presence in his daughter's life:
"May she be granted beauty and yet not
Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Consider beauty a sufficient end,
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
That chooses right, and never find a friend."
The desire for his daughter's emotional well-being reveals the depth of a father's concern, even from afar.
A father's love includes protection. In her poem, "To A Daughter Leaving Home," Linda Pastan illustrates a father's desire to shield his daughter from harm while instilling confidence and independence:
"When I taught you
at eight to ride a bicycle,
loping along beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter,"
This vivid image embodies a father's love and protection as he allows his daughter to take risks while staying close by in case of any danger.
A father's love often involves sacrifice. In Langston Hughes' poem, "My Father," he writes about his father's hard work and dedication to providing for his family:
"Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light."
The image of a father who works tirelessly to provide for his family is a testament to a father's sacrifice and devotion. Love and sacrifice go hand in hand in a father's love for his children.
A father's love includes providing guidance. In his poem, "Fathers," Alfred Joyce Kilmer writes about the gentle way fathers teach and help their children:
"Fathers, be kind to your children!
Though they are young, and their faults are many,
You must give them love and protection,
And gentle lessons in duty and right;
Patient, oh, patient, and unfailing,
You must be through the long bright days;
You must smile at their infantile folly,
And forgive the transgressions of youth."
The poem highlights the importance of a father's patience and guidance in helping his children grow into responsible adults.
A father's love is multifaceted, including presence, protection, sacrifice, and guidance. As seen through the eyes of poets, a father's love is a beautiful and powerful force in a child's life, shaping them into the person they were meant to be. Let us celebrate the fathers in our lives and cherish the love they provide.
