Eighteenth-Century Medical Illustration: The Infant in Its Little Room
Townsend, Ann
Primary Category:
Literature /
Poetry
Genre: Poem
-
Annotated by:
- Squier, Harriet
- Date of entry: Nov-23-1997
- Last revised: Aug-17-2006
Summary
A pregnant woman describes the harmony she feels with the fetus inside her during her pregnancy. She thinks of this fetus as a child already separate from her but in sympathy with her. She compares her feelings with an eighteenth century illustration of a pregnant uterus with a little man inside. She finds many similarities with this depiction.
Primary Source
North American Review
Publisher
Univ. of Northern Iowa
Place Published
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Edition
1994
Commentary
Many of us look at eighteenth century illustrations of the pregnant uterus, with their seemingly naïve depictions of fully formed adult-appearing fetuses, and are amused; we might feel superior, with our more advanced scientific knowledge. The narrator of this poem reminds us, however, that these depictions may describe something more universal--the mother’s sense that the child within already has its own identity, moving to rhythms separate from and in harmony with the mother’s own experiences. This poem would be a good contrast with others depicting more conflicted views of pregnancy.