Hart is a published writer and former teacher. In this essay, she examines the contradictory emotions in “Daughter-Mother-Maya-Seeta” to show how the poet uses the emotions to accentuate one another.

“Daughter-Mother-Maya-Seeta” is full of conflicting emotions, which are at the same time often understated. Perhaps conflicting does not fully describe their mission. It is possible that the poet uses oppositional emotions to highlight one another or to emphasize one over another, much in the way a painter uses dark colors to make the lighter hues stand out. Pairing emotions in this way demonstrates how one feeling can work as shadow, making the other stand out as if lit by a blazing sun.

The exact meaning of the first four lines of stanza 1 of Vazirani's poem is not clear. The underlying feelings are, in order, frustration, release, and celebration. It is as if these emotions were being expressed...