“Motherhood” by Georgia Douglas Johnson is a heartbreaking poem describing her choice to have an abortion. This choice is even more tragic because she wants a child and is already attached, but she believes the world is too cruel and not safe enough. This reminds me of the bill that Senator Mark Pody is attempting to pass that would charge women who have an abortion with murder, and in some cases would allow for the death penalty. A few hours ago an article came out saying that he wouldn’t be able to pass the bill because he doesn’t have enough votes, but the thought that someone even tried to pass this as a law is terrible. This also proves that Johnson’s poem is an accurate representation of today’s society. If her child was a girl, she would also have to deal with the war against women’s bodies and also might have to face laws like these in her future. The lines “You do not know the monster men / Inhabiting the earth” (Johnson 13-14) show that Georgia’s biggest fear are the men in the world, and how inhumane they are. It also makes them sound alien, the word “inhabit” makes me think of some alien species or disease that is invading a host’s body. This also has me connecting this to Rossetti’s life and her poem “Goblin Market.” These both use monstrous figures to represent men which further shows the connection between the two women and their poems.
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