In this poem, the O’l Higue tells of her frustration with her lifestyle. She doe s not like the fact that she sometimes has to parade around, in the form of a fireball, without her skin at nights. She explains that she has to do this in order to scare people, as well as to acquire baby blood. She stated that she would rather acquire this blood through cooked food ust like e!ery other persons. Her worst complaint is the pain of salt and also ha!ing to count rice grains. She exhibits some regrets for her lifestyle but implies that she cannot resist the smell of a baby as well as its blood" this is because she is an old woman who fears death which can only be a!oided by consuming the blood of a babies. b abies. She also declared her usefulness in the scheme of things, howe!er, by claiming that she pro!ides mothers with a name for their fears #that is the death of their child$, as well as someone to blame when the e!il that they wished for their child, in moments of tired frustration, is realised. She implies that she will ne!er die as long as women keep ha!ing babies. Explanation of each stanza
In the first stan%a of the poem the character is pleading for sympathy because of a ll the indignity and suffering the O’l Higue goes through. In the second stan%a she #the O’l Higue$ complains that she is a !ictim of her own impulses and fears. &or example' (ine )* speaks of an impulse (ine )+)- speaks of fears In the third stan%a she argues that she ser!es as a scapegoat taking the blame for whate!er happens #infant tragedies$ meaning if she did not exist and an infant died who would the parents of that child blame. .g. lines */*0 she accuses herself.
Literary devices
Simile 1ane fire has a !ery distinguishable quality. It burns !ery quickly and its presence is felt through its per!asi!e smell. 2herefore when the O’l Higue compares herself to cane fire in her fireball state, it implies that she uses a lot of energy quickly, and is !ery !isible.
3lliteration 2his de!ice emphasi%es the O’l Higue’s dependence, e!en addiction, to the sweet blood of the baby. &or example' line )* 4 )0 5If only babies didn’t smell so nice6 3nd if I could only stop Hearing the soft, soft call’ if that pure blood running in new !eins7 one
2he tone of the poem is slightly bitter and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life cannot change. Mood
2he mood of the poem is reflecti!e. 2hat is, it expresses one’s deep thought. heme Human !ature
It is human nature to die and it is also human nature to be afraid of death, so the theme of human nature comes in when the poet states the "#eet "ong of Life $line %&'%()* 5Singing the sweet song of life tempting an old dry up woman who been Holding her final note for years and years, 3fraid of the dying hum87
"uperstition
2he belief of humans in O’l Higue means that the readers reading this poem would ha!e some belief in O’l Higue meaning that they ha!e some sort of superstition. 2he theme of superstition comes in the poem when the poet mentioned line */*-.
