The poem written by Gabriela Mistral conveys a mother's fearful intentions about loosing the warmth relationship with her daughter. The poem is translated to English by Doris Dana. It is written in free verse form and 3rd person narrative point of view. Using repetitions and symbols throughout the poem, mother tries to emphasize her love and affection towards daughter to the the reader.
I don't want them to turn
my little girl into a swallow
She would fly far away into the sky
and never fly again to my strew bed
or she would nest in the eaves
where I could not comb her hair
I don't want them to turn
my little girl into a swallow.
From the first stanza mother reveals her fear towards losing her daughter by the involvement or influence of outsiders o her life. using the metaphor 'swallow" she emphasizes the departure of her daughter. If her daughter would be given wings, she would explore the limitless sky and never would return to her. "Strew bed" symbolizes the poverty or the low facilities mother could provide for her daughter. Mother frightens if her daughter reach luxuries ore ,she would detach from her. " Nest in the eves" implies that abandoning mothers love .She has frightened about loosing her warm, affectionate relationship with her daughter. Mother repeats the fact that her dislike to let the daughter detach from her.
I don't want them to make
my little girl a princess
In tiny golden slippers
how could she play on the meadow?
And when night came no longer
would she sleep at my side.
I dot wat them to make
my little girl a princess.
Mother expresses her unwillingness for her daughter to reach the higher steps of social status ladder. Here' princess' implies power, pride and sometimes loss of innocence and being arrogant other than beauty and richness. Mother doesn't want her innocent, unspoiled girl to be spoiled with such hard tempers. She also questions the mismatch between 'tiny golden slippers' and 'playing on the meadow' and considers loosing playfulness and freedom and simple life style of her daughter. Also she expresses her anxiety detaching the warm, affectionate relationship with her daughter through the line " would she sleep at my side".
And even less do I want them
one day to make her queen
They would put her on a throne
where I could not go to see her.
And when nighttime came
I could never rock her
I don't want them to make
my little girl a queen!
Kingship is the most prominent state one can reach according to the social belief. Mother does not prefer her daughter to attend such status. She is anxious about drying daughter's soft nature and purity and innocence with the burning royalty. She perfectly knows that after becoming queen, she would never get a chance to rock her girl and give her warmth. She rejects all the opportunities for her girl to be royal rich and famous instead of being calm, innocent and lovable because she knows that when people get spoilt affection doe snot exist in their hearts.