In "Poem to My Daughter in a Red Coat," by Anne Stevenson, what do you think the poet is saying about motherhood in general? Refer to words and...

Interestingly, this short poem sounds to be more like the
capturing of a moment than a note on motherhood in general.  As a result, I think you
could argue that Anne Stevenson means to to speak of motherhood through this poem as a
collection of moments.  In this case, images of Fall are used to show motherhood as
something that is as natural as seasons, grows and changes, and dies too
quickly.

The first two stanzas use images of a common walk
in the park.  The mention of the "light and dark" caused by trees and shadows paints a
clear contrast between the youth of her daughter and the age of the "shriveled women" on
the "cold benches."  There is a feeling that death is nearby.  In the same way that Fall
gives way to Winter, this little girl will eventually grow old, as the speaker herself
and then as the older women onlookers.

The final stanza
seals the comparison of youth and age with the lines "you come so fast" and "you violate
the past."  This little girl is the reminder of youth and, perhaps worse, the quickness
with which life seems to pass.  The speaker has a view of the bigger picture of the
seasons of life.  It seems she is watching her daughter as the little girl she once was
and watching the older women as the woman she will become.  There is a quaint beauty in
the imagery, but a certain sense of sadness in the diction.  Perhaps the resulting
message is that motherhood, in a moment, can bring together all the seasons of life, and
serve as a reminder that it really is far too short.