This poem doesn't have any rhyming involved, so there wasn't any focus on a single word or phrase when reading. Also, there was no alliteration or assonance. The rhythm to the poem was very flowing and easy to read. The only thing that affected the sound or the flow of the poem was the punctuation. This made for pauses and breaks in the poem. These breaks were logical and helped emphasize certain parts of the poem, mainly the marks the mother receives from her family.