How to Say Babylon: A Memoir

Safiya meets with the Old Poet, and they discuss her reading habits and her poem “Daddy,” which is inspired by Plath’s poem. Safiya’s “Daddy” is a persona poem—or, one written from the perspective of a character. Her speaker is a girl Safiya heard about who died by suicide after she was molested by her father. She didn’t warn Howard before he read it, and was happy to see him so upset by its subject matter.

The Old Poet gives Safiya a copy of the Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins; they will meet weekly for private lessons and Safiya will also join his weekly poetry workshop for free. The two email privately, and the Old Poet often flirts with Safiya.

Safiya goes to live with Sweet P so she can get to her private lessons and workshops with the Old Poet more easily. She reads and writes voraciously during this period, feeling free for the first time in a long time. Safiya memorizes poems for the Old Poet, reciting them at workshop meetings. The workshops are made up of middle-aged women who take on a familial aunt role for Safiya. The women giggle when Safiya writes a love poem about the Old Poet, but the Old Poet refuses to discuss the poem with Safiya, telling her his biggest fear is being written about.