The Pomegranate: Key Quotes

Key Quotes - “The Pomegranate”

Quote 1: “I was nine and the world was full of dust and war. This line emphasizes Boland’s concern with the historical and social context of Ireland. It reflects her own experiences growing up in an era of conflict and uncertainty.
Quote 2: “The pomegranate. How did I forget it? Boland’s reference to the pomegranate is loaded with classical symbolism. The pomegranate is a mythological emblem of ‘Persephone’, who was tricked into eating pomegranate seeds and hence was compelled to spend half of the year in the underworld. This alludes to the cyclical journey between innocence and knowledge, and also the complex relationship between mother and daughter.
Quote 3: “I was ready to make any bargain to keep her. Expresses Boland’s maternal instinct to protect her daughter from the hardships of life. The quote suggests a desperation reflecting the intensity of her maternal love.
Quote 4: “…like a child’s purse, full of jingling bounty” Through this simile, she presents the idea of possibility and potential, symbolic of her daughter’s untapped future, which can go in any direction.
Quote 5: “I must learn to miss her.” The closing line of the poem serves as an acknowledgment of the inevitable–that children grow and leave home, and parents must adapt to their absence. This stanza captures Boland’s acceptance of this reality and her readiness to face sadness and longing. ‘,