Complaint" They call me and I go. It is a frozen road past…
““Complaint" They call me and I go. It is a frozen road past midnight, a dust of snow caught in the rigid wheeltracks. The door opens. I smile, enter and shake off the cold. Here is a great woman on her side in the bed. She is sick, perhaps vomiting, perhaps laboring to give birth to a tenth child. Joy! Joy! Night is a room darkened for lovers, through the jalousies the sun has sent one golden needle! I pick the hair from her eyes and watch her misery with compassion.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A vivid, surreal scene of a woman in labor, juxtaposing harshness with compassion and joy amid suffering.
In simple terms: A woman in labor is described with stark, compassionate imagery.
Key Takeaway
Find compassion in painful moments.
Themes
suffering
compassion
joy
Mood
somber
hopeful
Type
poetic
literary
When to use this quote
- hospital
- birth
- nighttime
- emotional turmoil
Key Concepts
existentialism
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the contrast of joy and suffering reveal?
- How does the poet’s tone affect your perception?
A Different Perspective
Interpretation may vary; poetic language can be ambiguous.