Finding Joy in the Minutiae of Life
In most of her poems, Shapcott places an intense amount of focus on the seemingly small and insignificant details of life. In the wake of her cancer diagnosis, it’s clear from her poems that Shapcott realized that sometimes, the smallest things in life really are the most remarkable. In “Mutability,” for example, she describes a series of experiences and objects, including chandeliers, eclipses, learning folksongs and astrophysics, and fishing. In this way, she is making a point: sometimes, it is the smallest and seemingly insignificant details of life that have the biggest and most lasting impacts. In all of her poems, Shapcott urges her readers to appreciate the minutiae of life, because life is inevitably short and it is this collection of memories and experiences that will result in a complete and joyous life.
The Nature of Change
When Jo Shapcott was diagnosed with breast cancer, she underwent a very drastic physical change as a result of the treatment for breast cancer. Due to the change—both physical and emotional—that Shapcott experienced, the theme of change is very prominent in her poems. In “My Life Asleep,” for example, Shapcott addresses both how her body physically changed after her cancer diagnosis and how her view of the world physically changed. Often, this theme presents itself in the narrator’s renewed understanding of or appreciation for the smaller things in life. In short, through this theme, Shapcott captures the idea that humans are adaptable creatures and are meant to undergo change—whether that be a physical change, a change in ideologies, or a change in perspective.
Mortality
After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2004, poet Jo Shapcott was forced to look at life through a new lens. As a result of her renewed take on life, mortality is an idea that finds its way into many of Shapcott’s poems. In “Mutability,” for example, the narrator comments on the fact that, despite the varied experiences, memories, and objects conferred upon all humans on Earth, death is an inevitability that cannot be ignored or postponed. In each of her poems, Shapcott addresses her own mortality—and the general mortality of humanity—in a blasé way. In short, her poems address the inevitability of mortality and humanity. She approaches the subject within the context that death is unavoidable, and as such should be embraced and not feared. This theme plays a prominent role in almost all of Shapcott’s poems.
