Genetics by Sinéad Morrissey

Analysis of the Title

The title "Genetics" refers to the biological inheritance passed down from parents to their children. It underscores the poem's exploration of family traits and the physical and emotional connections that persist through generations. This focus on genetics highlights how the speaker perceives their identity as a product of their parents' union, despite their separation.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

The poem is written in the form of a villanelle, a 19-line structure consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain.
It employs a strict rhyme scheme of ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA.
The use of iambic pentameter, although not perfectly adhered to, creates a rhythmic and musical quality that complements the theme of continuity and inheritance.

Setting

The setting is primarily introspective, focusing on the speaker's contemplation of their hands as symbols of their parents' legacy.
There are references to different geographical locations (separate lands, hemispheres), suggesting the physical distance between the parents but emphasizing the enduring connection through the speaker.

Speaker

The speaker is an adult reflecting on the influence of their parents on their identity.
The tone is introspective and affectionate, conveying a sense of pride and reverence for the familial connections evident in their own body.

Poetic Devices

Imagery

The poem is rich in imagery, particularly in the detailed descriptions of the speaker's hands:

"My father's in my fingers, but my mother's in my palms."

The hands serve as a metaphor for the intersection of the parents' traits and the unity of their love within the speaker.

Metaphor

The speaker's hands are a central metaphor, representing the physical and emotional inheritance from the parents.
The description of shaping a chapel with the hands serves as a metaphor for reconstructing the parents' marriage:

"I shape a chapel where a steeple stands."

Repetition

Repetition is a key feature of the villanelle form, reinforcing the central themes. Lines such as

"My father's in my fingers, but my mother's in my palms" recur with slight variations, emphasizing the ongoing presence of the parents in the speaker's life.

Consonance and Sibilance

The poem utilizes consonance and sibilance to create a musical and soothing effect, particularly in lines like

"my father's by my fingers, my mother's by my palms."

These sound patterns enhance the lyrical quality and underscore the intimate and reflective tone of the poem.

Key Themes

Family and Inheritance

The speaker reflects on the physical traits inherited from both parents, symbolizing the enduring connection despite their separation.
This theme is encapsulated in the line:

"I know my parents made me by my hands."

Marriage and Relationships

The poem explores the complexities of relationships, particularly the lasting impact of a marriage that has ended.
Despite their separation, the parents remain connected through the speaker:

"but in me they touch where fingers link to palms."

Identity and New Beginnings

The speaker contemplates their own identity as a product of their parents' union and expresses a desire to continue the cycle of inheritance.
The final lines suggest hope for the future and the continuation of familial traits:

"I'll bequeath my fingers, if you bequeath your palms."

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-3

My father's in my fingers, but my mother's in my palms.

I lift them up and look at them with pleasure –

I know my parents made me by my hands.

"My father's in my fingers, but my mother's in my palms."

The speaker begins by reflecting on the physical traits they have inherited from their parents, symbolizing the presence of both parents within them.

"I lift them up and look at them with pleasure –"

The act of looking at their hands gives the speaker joy, as it reminds them of their origins and their connection to their parents.

"I know my parents made me by my hands."

The hands serve as tangible proof of the parents' union and the speaker's existence, offering a sense of belonging and identity.

Lines 4-6

They may have been repelled to separate lands,

to separate hemispheres, may sleep with other lovers,

but in me they touch where fingers link to palms.

"They may have been repelled to separate lands,"

The speaker acknowledges that their parents are physically and emotionally distant, having moved apart to different places.

"to separate hemispheres, may sleep with other lovers,"

The separation is emphasized by the distance and their involvement with new partners.

"but in me they touch where fingers link to palms."

Despite the distance, the speaker's hands symbolize the point of connection between the parents, merging their traits in the speaker's body.

Lines 7-9

With nothing left of their togetherness but friends

who quarry for their image by a river,

at least I know their marriage by my hands.

"With nothing left of their togetherness but friends"

The only remnants of the parents' relationship are their mutual friends, indicating the end of their romantic connection.

"who quarry for their image by a river,"

Friends search for traces of the parents' past relationship, similar to how miners search for valuable stones, reflecting the difficulty in finding these remnants.

"at least I know their marriage by my hands."

The speaker's hands provide a concrete and enduring record of the parents' union, offering a sense of continuity and permanence.

Lines 10-13

I shape a chapel where a steeple stands.

And when I turn it over,

my father's by my fingers, my mother's by my palms

demure before a priest reciting psalms.

"I shape a chapel where a steeple stands."

The speaker forms a church steeple with their hands, symbolizing the unity of their parents' marriage.

"And when I turn it over,"

By flipping their hands, the speaker reveals the different aspects of their parents' traits.

"my father's by my fingers, my mother's by my palms / demure before a priest reciting psalms."

The image of the parents standing before a priest evokes their wedding ceremony, reinforcing the connection between the speaker's hands and the parents' union.

Lines 14-15

My body is their marriage register.

I re-enact their wedding with my hands.

"My body is their marriage register."

The speaker's body serves as a living record of the parents' marriage, carrying their traits and legacy.

"I re-enact their wedding with my hands."

The speaker symbolically recreates the parents' wedding, highlighting the enduring impact of their relationship.

Lines 16-17

So take me with you, take up the skin's demands

for mirroring in bodies of the future.

"So take me with you, take up the skin's demands"

The speaker addresses their partner, expressing a desire to continue the cycle of inheritance by having children.

"for mirroring in bodies of the future."

The phrase suggests that having children is a natural extension of their genetic legacy, reflecting themselves in future generations.

Lines 18-19

I'll bequeath my fingers, if you bequeath your palms.

We know our parents make us by our hands.