Nothing more tragic or painful can befall a woman, than
separation from her child. Done being “a child pretending”, Joni Mitchell in
her short poem “Little Green”, conveys the importance of responsibility
and maternity through a repetitive use of symbolic imagery, simple but potent
characterization, allusions to her past via personification, and powerful
personal experience.
“Little Green” the title,
actually refers to Mitchell’s own child whom at the age of 20 she decided, for
the sake of her daughter, to put up for adoption. She uses the color green as a
dualistic symbol to portray the innocent, new life of her child and the season
of spring, “Call her green and the winter cannot fade her.” She draws a
connection between green representing spring or an inextinguishable symbol of
life versus winter, a symbol/metaphor for the struggles and adversity of
life. Envy could also be a motive behind
her use for the color as a result of herself: being the opposite incarnation of
her child’s innocence and actually being envious of the child’s purity.
A
simplistic characterization is used by Mitchell to portray the image and
background of the mother (Mitchell herself), the father, and the child “Little
Green”. As the poem starts off, in the very 2nd line, Mitchell
indicates her position with her child- “Choose her a name she will answer to.” Although this line may confuse when it is initially
read due to Mitchell’s odd choice of point of view (in 3rd person),
it indicates her position as a mother
who will not be raising her newborn child, but instead instructing, or rather
asking another to do so in her stead. In a single line, Mitchell defines one
side of herself and her life. The father is drawn as someone careless, selfish,
“he’s a non-conformer.” Any man who
would leave their daughter, and head “-to California” “Hearing that everything’s
warmer there” is more than just a non-conformer; Mitchell may have even used
sarcasm in that line. “Little Green”, in contrast to her less than ideal
parents, is a symbol for life, spring, and the true goodness of the world.
Mitchell then concludes her characterization with herself, with- “You’re sad,
and you’re sorry, but you’re not ashamed”. It serves as true demonstration of
her own emotions. She felt sadness, and remorse, but not guilt, for she knew by
giving her up she would also in turn be giving her “a happy ending”, something that
as a mother she can take pride and happiness in. And in another single line,
she defined the side of herself she always wanted to be, the side she wanted
others to see.
Although
not as prominent as her symbolism or use of characterization, Mitchell also further
defines herself as well as “Little Green” through the use of personification. “Like
the color when the spring is born”
shows the direct connection between “Little Green” and her birth, to the birth
and the rebirth of the world through spring. It is clear and simple yet very
potent and meaningful. Through allusion as well as personification, Mitchell
additionally ties in her past native Canada as well as extending “Little Green’s”
symbolism-“Like the nights when the Northern Lights perform”. She attaches
beauty and awe to her child through her own experiences of this natural
phenomenon from her childhood in Canada.
In the end,
after the decision Mitchell made, she found happiness by atonement through music.
She freed herself of the child’s burden and the burden of misguidance and
misfortune the child would have carried. Mitchell pushed through the
difficulties of life and came out with an understanding of its goodness. There
will be times of joy -“And sometimes there’ll be sorrow”, a tenet Joni Mitchell
not only learned, but experienced.
Generals gathered in their masses