# Family Separation and Loss in Poetry

> Theme guide for Poetry by Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis.

The poems mourn the forced separation of mothers from children, families torn apart by slavery, and the deep, lasting grief of losing loved ones to the slave trade.

## Where it surfaces

- [Past Joys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/past-joys): The poem centers on the irreversible loss of family and home, describing the enslaved person's grief as a 'lasting grief' with no healing.
- [The Slave Girl’s Farewell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/chapters/the-slave-girl-s-farewell): The poem centers on the forced separation of a daughter from her mother, highlighting the cruelty of slavery.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/themes/family_separation_and_loss
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_20_se/themes