.webp&w=1080&q=50)
18 pages • 36 minutes read
Sarah Kay"B" (If I Should Have a Daughter)
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary Context
“‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)” is part of the spoken-word poetry tradition. This movement began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 20th century. Related to slam poetry, this tradition refers generally to poetry that is intended to be performed, and although spoken-word poetry can be published in text format, its roots lie in oral tradition. This sort of poetry can include aspects of hip hop and theater as well as music, such as jazz and blues. To engage the audience, such poetry may pull from sound, dance, and other types of performance.
This poem is a part of spoken-word poetry as it was written to be performed and was done so by Kay at the 2011 TED Conference, for which she received a standing ovation. The spoken-word aspects of the poem can be seen in the placement of its line breaks, which alternate between enjambments and end-stopped lines, causing the words to mimic the rhythms of human speech. The intentional spacing and layout of the text also serve to emphasize each section of the poem so that, when read, each part lands with a resounding beat. B, published in 2011, is the first among Kay’s published books of poetry.
Socio-Historical Context
The content in “‘B’ (If I Should Have a Daughter)” says much in its depiction of society. The speaker gives advice to her hypothetical daughter in order to prepare her for what she will encounter in life, and this frames the world in a certain way. Drawing from her own experience, and inevitably reflecting on words that would have helped her through her own life, the speaker speaks to a future daughter, and perhaps to herself as well. While the poem can be read more broadly, the poem occupies a decidedly feminine space as it prepares a girl for the journey to womanhood. The poem presents certain attitudes toward broad societal issues covered in the poem, including the general struggles life presents and what can happen in romantic relationships, as well as what her daughter’s approach to a difficult society should be.
Kay’s narrator characterizes society and life at large as having inherent challenges that will test her daughter’s strength as well as her ability to remain vulnerable despite such challenges. This can be seen in the interwoven theme of overcoming adversity, which is present, for example, in the references to life’s tendency to “hit” (Line 6) and “kick” (Line 9) a person. Criticism in the poem is directed toward society, although it is aimed more at the world in general due to the toll it takes. The poem’s content gives advice to a daughter who will go out into the world and deal with all sorts of societal adversity in general. The cruel tendencies of life and the tough nature of society inform the poem and the counsel given by the narrator.
