The Victory: An Analysis

Anne Stevenson is trying to portray a mother's feelings of pain and anguish of giving birth to a child in the poem The Victory: "I thought you were my victory / though you cut me like a knife" (Lines 1-2). Although she must endure such pain, it is also exciting for the mother to bring new life into the world, which in fact feels like a "victory" to a new parent. However, throughout the poem, the speaker denies the fact that giving birth to a child is a victory, by using words such as "antagonist" (Line 5), "bruise" (Line 6) and "scary" (Line 13). By using these words, Stevenson is trying t…