From a global point of view, the passage of generations of the human race is a regular and natural cycle, one generation brings another generation into this world, while they themselves begin to leave him. From the individual's perspective, however, this cycle can result in a mix of feelings, from pride to depression, as they watch their own life fall second to that of their children. "My Son, My Executioner" by Donald Hall and "Daystar" by Rita Dove describe how the birth and raising of a child represents a huge turning point in a person's life and can be seen as both a continuation of one's legacy be like the withering of one's inheritance. one's life, depending on one's point of view. Donald Hall's "My Son, My Executioner" describes the speaker's recognition that the arrival of the speaker's son signals the beginning of the speaker's impending death, but reflects that the child will carry on their inheritance. The speaker holds the child “in [their] arms” (line 4) and reflects on the situation. The speaker refers to their son as their “instrument of immortality” (line 6), his “cries and hunger” (line ...