Ol’ Higue
A dramatic monologue giving voice to a folkloric figure, exploring compulsion, blame, and the darker sides of human nature
The simile "like cane-fire" emphasizes intensity and rapid consumption, suggesting that her existence is exhausting and destructive. The rhetorical question conveys frustration and establishes a defensive tone.
The rhetorical question minimizes the reward, highlighting how irrational and burdensome her actions are, reinforcing her resentment.
This reflects her desire to be normal. The contrast between raw blood and cooked food emphasizes her alienation from human society.
References to salt and rice act as folkloric constraints, showing how she is constantly obstructed. The exaggeration emphasizes her physical suffering and frustration.
The repetition functions as repetition "soft, soft", emphasizing the irresistible lure of the babies. The metaphor "pure blood running in new veins" represents vitality and youth, which she is drawn to.
The metaphor "sweet song of life" presents life as something musical and alluring. The metaphor "holding her final note" suggests she is prolonging her existence unnaturally, resisting death.
The metaphor "fresh pulse" represents living vitality, reinforcing the contrast between youth and decay.
The rhetorical question shifts focus, suggesting her role extends beyond personal compulsion to societal function.
The metaphor "murder inside your head" implies suppressed violent thoughts or guilt within mothers, suggesting the Ol’ Higue serves as a scapegoat.
The statement reflects inevitability. Her existence is sustained by human fear and guilt, making her effectively immortal.
Click any line to reveal its analysis below.
28 lines
About the poem
Author: Mark McWatt (1938– ) Context: Caribbean folklore; explores the Ol’ Higue (soucouyant) as both myth and psychological construct
Core idea: The Ol’ Higue is not just a supernatural figure but a symbol of human fear, guilt, and suppressed impulses, existing because society needs something to blame.
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Main themes
- Supernatural belief and folklore
- Temptation and compulsion
- Fear and guilt
- Mortality and survival
- Blame and scapegoating
- Human nature and hidden impulses
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Mood: Irritable and tense, with underlying bitterness
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Tone: Defensive, argumentative, and ultimately resigned
- Ol’ Higue is both real and symbolic
- She represents compulsion, not pure evil
- Mothers’ fear creates her as much as folklore does
- “Murder inside your head” is key. It shifts blame from her to humans
- Final line shows she is sustained by human fear, not just myth