The Speaker

The speaker is the character named directly in the title, the daughter of a selkie woman and a human man. She displays a deep love for her mother, yet that love isn’t completely returned in the same way. Because the speaker exhibits some of the same physical markings as their otherworldly parent, they are caught between two worlds and likely face stigma and suspicion throughout their life. Inadvertently, the speaker becomes responsible for sending their mother away and rupturing their home. By the end of the poem, they have attained a deeper understanding of who their mother truly was and that they themselves will never belong.

The Selkie

The speaker’s mother is a selkie, a mythical creature who can transform between human and seal forms. Traditionally, it was believed that they would remove their outer sealskin and hide it while they walked on land. If...