Pantoum and Syntax
A pantoum is a poetic style that has Malaysian roots, and is more focused on rhythm than its Westernized counterpart, the pantoum. Within a pantoum, each stanza has four lines, and the lines repeat within the poem. The second and fourth line of the first stanza become the first and third lines in the following stanza. This form of poetry is at times employed to discuss heavy issues, which is seen in American poets addressing political issues. One Asian American poet, Shirley Geok-lin Lim, focuses on issues of human rights in China in her poem, “Pantoun for Chinese Women.” It is worth noting, that by using the Malaysian spelling “pantoun” she works to decolonize this form of poetry. In this poem she uses imagery and repetitions within the pantoum style to describe the euthanizing of female infants in China, and the brutal treatment of women in the region that leaves them helpless.
Lim’s poem explains that the murder of female infants is due to the lack of value that society puts on women. She paints females as broken, and unworthy, when she states “broken clay is never set in glaze” (Lim 261). The idea that women are unworthy to live, or “glaze” like a finished piece of pottery, in Chinese society was clearly shown in the euthanizing of infant females, and is expressed perfectly through this line. Although, within this poem it is clear that the mother is forcefully putting her daughter to death, as it is what is expected from her culture. As the “child kicks against me crying like a flute/ Through its two weak mouths. His mother prays” (Lim 261). This line shows the heartbreak that the mother is being put through. As her child cries while approaching death, she prays for her, and feels helpless, as this is a reality that she can not change. By illuminating this image, it is evident that the mother has no other option to keep her child safe.
Within the pantoum style, the use of repetition is necessary. Repetition is a key factor in emphasis within writing, and Lim uses this to her advantage. By repeating each line throughout the poem, she is able to convey the sense of helplessness that women have in China, as they are dismissed from society and treated brutally. As each line repeats itself, this sense of hopelessness relates to a circle; it never ends. With this, a line throughout the poem that is not repeated works to show the lack of value for females in this culture. This line, “Smooth, gumming, echoing wide for food.” (Lim 261) describes the child’s mouth, and expresses to the reader that she is seen as only another mouth to feed. She has no real value in society, and is viewed as a burden. By not repeating this line, the reader sees that the idea of keeping females alive, such as nourishing them, is not important in this society. Rather, they chose to euthanize female infants to avoid more women within their society.
An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Eds. Anne Finch and Katherine Varnes. Ann Arbor: U. of Michigan Press, 2002. pp. 254–261.
Meinke, Peter. “Pantoun for Chinese Women.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Eds. Anne Finch and Katherine Varnes. Ann Arbor: U. of Michigan Press, 2002. pp. 261.
