Poetry of Fatherhood

Having a child is among the most exciting and intense experiences a person, male or female, can have. It is not surprising, then, that many have written about becoming a parent. Here is a collection of poetry specifically related to fatherhood. Read one of the poems and respond to it. How did it make you feel? If you are a parent, did you connect with the emotions or experiences the author describes? If you do not have children, did reading the poem make you want to become a parent? Think about writing your own poem, either about having children or the anticipation of it.

Fatherhood and Motherhood

This site is the companion to a PBS documentary on motherhood. Look around it a little bit and try to get a sense of the perspective and information it has. Think about how the experience of motherhood and the experience of fatherhood compare. Are they very similar? What are the major differences? Was one of your parents more involved in your life when you were a child? How do you think this shaped your up-bringing?