Sound and Sense #3 - 35/10

In the poem 35/10 by Sharon Olds, a mother and a daughter are juxtaposed to emphasize the differences between their generations. The mother is the speaker, and demonstrates a plethora of diverse feelings towards her daughter's youth. In some instances, her inferences can be interpreted as jealousy when she says, "Why is it just as we begin to go they begin to arrive, the fold in my neck clarifying as the fine bones of her hips sharpen?" (4-8). The mother is watching her daughter grow and become physically strong and beautiful. The daughter's youthfulness accentuates the fact that the mother is getting older which is upsetting to the mother. The mother also demonstrates a sense of acceptance as she narrates. The imagery that she uses to describe the daughter has a positive connotation which shows that it is not necessarily a bad thing that she is growing up. The acceptance comes in when the mother realizes that an essential part of life is illustrated in "an old story- the oldest we have on our planet- the story of replacement" (16-18). The daughter is the continuation of the mother and will always be even when the mother passes away. The syntax also plays an important role in conveying the mother's feelings and mood. It also lends to the fact that the natural process of life is inevitable, which is what the mother realizes. The phrases make it seem like she is telling the story but also imagining the world into the future and imagining her daughter as a woman.