Comparing Poe's Poem 'My Son, My Executioner'

The poem “My Son, My Executioner” speaks of realizations a young father has when he has his first child. It emphasizes how life as it was before, is over. He is not immortal like he believed and he is now an adult. The first line, “My son, my executioner” is representing the newborn son as an executioner ending the life that this young parent had before. The parents who are young and used to have a care free life are now having to revolve their lives completely around caring for this child. The father sees his son as being the executioner of his previous care free life.
The next couple of lines tell of how the father holds this tiny new life in his hands and warms the child with his own body. This symbolizes the protection he will give his

child with all his might. He now lives through his child and worries only about his sons welfare, everything else seems insignificant. He must now have his whole being be about caring for this child; this is now what his life is completely about. He will do or give anything to make sure their child is safe.
“Sweet death, small son” compares the son to death and is saying how the parents have now realized they have began to age and get closer to death by his birth. It is not seen as a negative thing which is clear by using the words “sweet death”, it is a positive, natural death and a rebirth into the world of being a parent. By also comparing the infant as an “instrument of immortality” it seems to say that the father sees this child he created as a passing on of his immortality. He is now able to be fully immortal with his blood running through his sons veins and continuing through life even after his won death.
This young child needs his parents and shows this through his “cries and hunger” which is aging this once carefree boy and giving him the responsibility of raising a baby. Giving this realization to the father is “documenting [his] bodily decay.” The great responsibility of raising a child is extremely wearisome and shows through aging. When the baby cries it is telling you that it needs something. With every cry and every time the baby is hungry it is reminding the father of the responsibility and giving more to worry and work for. His son grows every day learning more and becoming more lively while he only becomes weaker and more aware of how much age has effected him.
When it says “we twenty two and twenty five, who seemed to live forever,” it is showing how people at a young age live as if they are immortal and have nothing to worry about. They are living life like there is no tomorrow with no responsibilities. The parents life was all about caring about themselves and each other. When they “observe enduring life in [their son] and start to die together” they can see how their old life is dead and over with and a new life is starting. They can no longer live the lifestyle they previously lived and all responsibility and commitment goes to raising the baby. When you are young it does not seem like life is coming to an end, but when you see something so small and innocent grow physically and mentally in front of you, it gives a big realization of how fast and how much time goes by.
The theme of this poem is how life changes drastically and . This was time when there was not as much to worry about and things were much easier. Death is represented as beautiful and a new start throughout this poem.
My son, my executioner
I take you in my arms
Quiet and small and just astir
and whom my body warms
Sweet death, small son,
our instrument of immortality,
your cries and hunger document
our bodily decay.
We twenty two and twenty five,
who seemed to live forever,
observe enduring life in you
and start to die together.