Title - Effects

• The Title 'Effects' refers to the personal belongings of the speaker's mother, which are mentioned in the closing lines of the poem; this symbolises the physical remnants of her life, reduced to a few tangible items that represent her identity and history - This underscores the transient nature of material possessions and their role in encapsulating memories and identity
• The Title 'Effects' also alludes to the emotional impact and consequences of the mother's life and death on the speaker; the poem intricately explores the profound grief, guilt, and regret felt by the speaker, reflecting on the emotional 'Effects' that linger long after her passing - This interpretation highlights the lasting psychological and emotional residues of relationships and loss
• The Title 'Effects' subtly invokes the concept of Cause and Effect, suggesting a chain of events and their outcomes; the mother's life of hard work, dedication, and eventual decline is portrayed through a series of actions and their subsequent consequences - Her sacrifices and the impact of her husband’s death on her mental and physical state illustrate how past actions and events shape the present and future, encapsulating the cause-and-effect dynamic within familial relationships and personal history
• The Title 'Effects' philosophically prompts readers to reflect on the legacy one leaves behind - The poem raises questions about what remains after death and how a person's life is distilled into memories and objects - The mother's 'Effects' symbolise the enduring impact of her existence, suggesting that one's true legacy is not only in material possessions but also in the emotional and psychological imprints left on others
• The Title 'Effects' utilises deliberate ambiguity to encourage multiple interpretations, enriching the poem's thematic complexity - This ambiguity invites readers to ponder various dimensions of its meaning, from the tangible to the intangible, from the literal to the metaphorical
• The Title 'Effects' can also have an artistic or theatrical connotation, referring to the special effects used in performances to evoke certain emotions or create particular atmospheres; this can be seen as the mother’s life being a kind of performance, where her daily acts of love and sacrifice are the 'Effects' she creates for her family