In the Park Summary

From a limited third-person perspective, “In the Park” describes a mother of three young children who is dissatisfied with her life and wistful for the past. The poem begins with an unnamed woman sitting in a park while wearing “out of date” clothing. Two of her children bicker with each other and tug on her skirt, demanding her attention. Nearby, her third child draws in the dirt. The woman’s former lover then walks by and strikes up a conversation with her. They discuss how their lives have changed since they first met. As they talk, the woman imagines a thought bubble rising above the lover’s head, containing his pitying and condescending thoughts. Their conversation stretches on for “a while,” as the lights in the park flicker above them. The woman informs her former lover of her children’s names and birthdays; she professes her enjoyment of motherhood and claims that her children are thriving. Finally, the lover walks away with a smile on his face. After he leaves, the woman sits breastfeeding her youngest child while staring dejectedly at her feet. She says out loud to the passing wind that her children have “eaten” [her] alive.”