Part 1 of Essay
In this poem, Booth teaches his young daughter a lesson about life. At the beginning he tells her to put her faith in someone she can trust, whether that person is him, (her earthly father), a mentor (a coach or teacher), or her Heavenly Father for support. He tells her to “Spread your arms wide,” to open herself to all ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... an athlete beginning a season, or a student beginning a course of study. The poet is telling the novice to build on what she has learned in the past, to continue to set her goals high and to open herself up to help from a higher being, which may be herself, her father, a mentor, or God, to help her achieve her goals. Booth is saying in this poem that the first lesson one needs to learn in life is that we must prepare ourselves for the future. In doing so, we must rely on a “higher being” for support, becau ....