The Deliverer by Tishani Doshi

Welcome to your study guide for "The Deliverer" by Tishani Doshi. This is one of the most emotionally moving poems in your Poems of the Decade collection. It tells the story of a baby girl’s journey from being abandoned at birth in India to being adopted by a family in America. It explores heavy themes like gender, motherhood, and the value of human life.

Don't worry if the poem feels a bit overwhelming or sad at first. By breaking it down into smaller parts, you will see how Doshi uses a very simple, almost detached style to make a powerful statement about how society treats the most vulnerable.

Understanding the Narrative

The poem is divided into three distinct parts, following the "delivery" of a child from one world to another:

  • The First Part: Describes a convent in India where babies (mostly girls) are abandoned. It highlights the grim reality of how these children are sometimes discarded before they are found by the sisters at the convent.
  • The Second Part: Focuses on the transition. The speaker’s mother is the "deliverer" who transports the baby to the airport. We see the physical movement from the "darkness" of the origins to the "light" of a new future.
  • The Third Part: Describes the arrival in America. The baby is met by her new adoptive parents. The poem ends by reflecting on the biological mother who had to give the baby up, highlighting a cycle of tradition and suffering.

Key Themes

1. Gender and Discrimination

The poem focuses specifically on the fate of female infants. Doshi suggests a society where male children are prized and female children are seen as a burden. The way the babies are described as being left in "garbage" or "bags" shows a shocking lack of value for female life. This is a central theme: the dehumanization of girls based on cultural preference.

2. Motherhood and "Delivering"

There are three types of "mothers" in this poem:
- The biological mother, who is trapped by social expectations and must give up or abandon her child.
- The nuns (Sisters) and the speaker’s mother, who act as "deliverers" or bridges between two worlds.
- The adoptive mother, who provides the love and home the child was originally denied.

3. Cultural Contrast

Doshi creates a sharp contrast between the stark, survivalist reality of the Indian setting and the domestic, emotional reality of the American setting. One world is characterized by "dirt" and "abandonment," while the other is characterized by "video cameras" and "crying" with joy.

Analysis of Form and Structure

Stanza Structure: The poem is written in tercets (three-line stanzas). This creates a very regular, almost clinical feel. The short lines and frequent use of enjambment (where one line runs into the next) make the poem move quickly, perhaps reflecting the efficiency of the adoption process or the frantic nature of survival.

The Shift in Tone:
- At the start, the tone is flat and journalistic. Doshi uses simple verbs to describe horrific things, which actually makes the impact stronger because it doesn't "sugar-coat" the tragedy.
- Toward the end, the tone becomes more introspective. The final lines focus on the physical pain and emotional hollowness of the women who are forced to give up their children.

Use of Partitions: The poem uses subheadings (the names of locations) to mark the journey. This helps the reader track the geographical and emotional distance the baby travels.

Language and Imagery

The Imagery of Objects

Throughout the first section, the babies are described using language normally reserved for objects or waste. They are found in "bags" or among "rubbish." By using this imagery, Doshi emphasizes how the girls have been stripped of their humanity by the society they were born into.

The Body and Pain

In the final section, the language becomes very visceral (focused on the physical body). The poet describes the biological mothers through their physical features—their "hips" and the way they "lie down." This reminds us that behind the "delivery" of a baby, there is a human woman experiencing real physical and emotional trauma.

Light and Dark

Notice the use of "darkness" at the beginning of the poem. It represents both the literal night and the metaphorical "blindness" of a society that discards its children. This contrasts with the "flash" of the video cameras in the American airport, symbolizing a different kind of exposure.

Did you know? The title "The Deliverer" has a double meaning. It refers to someone who rescues another from danger, but it also refers to the physical act of "delivering" a baby during birth.

Making Connections (AO4)

When writing your essay, you will need to compare "The Deliverer" with another poem from the Poems of the Decade anthology. Here are some ideas:

  • Compare with "Giuseppe" (Roderick Ford): Both poems look at how humans can treat others as "less than human" during times of hardship or because of social "rules." Both use a detached, storytelling voice to describe cruelty.
  • Compare with "Material" (Ros Barber): Both poems explore motherhood and the shifting roles of women across different generations or cultures.
  • Compare with "The Gun" (Vicki Feaver): Both poems explore the idea of something being "brought into the house" and how it changes the atmosphere and the people involved.

Quick Review: Key Points to Remember

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't assume the poem is only about the baby. The ending shifts the focus back to the biological mothers, suggesting that the problem is a systemic, repeating cycle, not just an individual story.

Summary Box:
- Voice: Detached, observant, and eventually empathetic.
- Structure: Short tercets, divided into three geographical stages.
- Central Conflict: The value of a child vs. cultural/gender expectations.
- Key Image: The contrast between a baby in a garbage bag and a baby in a new parent's arms.

Final Tip: When analyzing this poem, look closely at the verbs. Doshi uses very simple actions—"toss," "find," "trudge"—to convey a sense of routine. This "ordinariness" is what makes the subject matter so chilling!