Poem Reflection: "We Shall Bring Forth New Life"

After Sydney’s peer lesson on the poem, “We Shall Bring Forth New Life,” by Sadako Kurihara, I thought that it demonstrated courage, service, and sacrifice. Kurihara says that an individual even at their lowest point in life is still obligated to not think of their own poor death but instead think about the life that can’t protect themselves. I learned that acting selfless in the most crucial moments of our lives is rewarding not only to us but appreciated by anyone who values life.

            In the poem the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima has just hit, and the people are feeling the deathly aftermath. But, through all this “candle less darkness,” (3) and “the stench of death,” (5) there is still “a wondrous voice” (6) saying that the baby is coming. I think that is just beautiful. In this frenzy of anger, death, blood, hate, tears, and basically the worst day of these people’s lives Kurihara describes the cry of life as wondrous. As if it is the saving grace to their problems, and this proclamation of life is to an extent is hope fighting to be conceived and nurtured. I have learned we cannot give up in life, and that there will always be hope in the next day we see and in the next breathe just as long as we see it as “wondrous”.  

            As the poem progresses from the announcement of the women going into labor the people begin to forget about their problems to help the woman and the birth of her child, because that is what is most important. All the Japanese are emotionally and physically suffering and yet they all forget their pain to help, “The others forgot their own pain in their concern: What could they do for her having not even match to bring light to the darkness?” (11-12) Every person in the poem was not thinking selfishly about themselves, but they wanted to do anything to help this woman and her baby. This really just proves how humanity is worth fighting and dying for. I have conceptions all the time that people are just selfish and only motivated to do things for their own benefit, but after reading this poem it really proves to me that we shouldn’t give up on our morals yet. I should not judge others before they prove who they really are, because in the poem you are tempted to only think about the people melting in the streets and all you hear is suffering. But this poem doesn’t embody the suffering, it wants to focus on the courage of the people to forget about their lost brothers and the sacrifice they are all willing to give in exchange for one innocent other to live the next day.

            At the end of the poem, the midwife steps in and helps the woman deliver her baby. “And so life was born in the darkness of that living hell.” (17-18) And so the baby is born and the midwife dies. As Sydney said in her presentation, “It’s death vs. life, and life is born and conquers.” The midwife gave the ultimate sacrifice for a baby she doesn’t know, and she proves in the mist of all this chaos and destruction life still triumphs death and will prevail. This poem showed me that there always will be hope for a new and better life.