Sylvia Plath

English Coursework

This essay is based on the popular confessional poet, Sylvia Plath. I will discuss and show how her poems show strong references and links to her family. The three poems I have chosen to compare are; Morning Song, You’re and Metaphors. I will examine both their differences and similarities.

In Morning Song, Plath is apprehensive about giving birth and now having to care for a newborn baby. Throughout the poem she shows the baby’s magnificence, and emphasizes on how much more important the baby is, “Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue.” New statue illustrates to us how magnificent and worshiped the baby is, magnifying shows us how she feels that the baby is huge and magnificent, also confirms how the baby belittles everyone else in the room. She shows her commitment and determination to be a good mother in the 5th stanza, “One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow heavy and floral” This demonstrates her love for the baby, as she is quick to her feet, showing her determination and anxiety about caring for the baby. “All night your moth-breath, flickers among the pink flat roses. I wake to listen: A far sea moves in my ear” Plath is obviously still amazed at her baby, and during the poem she proves how anxious she is to care for it. “I wake to listen: a far sea moves in my ear” suggests that Plath feels the baby’s breath is a soothing sound, like music. The poem shows her sudden awareness about how much the baby will transform her life, but also show’s contrast between her feelings of apprehension and excitement.

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Morning Song differs significantly from the poem You’re, You’re illustrates her happiness, “Clown like, happiest on your hands, feet to the stars, and moon-skulled” this shows her excitement for the baby, and illustrates how the baby is still not fully developed. The poem You’re focuses much more on the pregnancy, where as Morning Song concentrates more on the birth. “Vague as fog and looked for like mail” this suggests Plath doesn’t know what to expect, and her image of the baby is blurred, “vague” also implies that she is unsure, and doesn’t know what to expect from the baby. “Of July to all fools day… Bent-backed Atlas, our travelled prawn” This illustrates how the baby has been on a long journey. In a few ways the two poems show their similarities, “Right, like a well-done sum. A clean slate, with your face on it” this implies a new beginning, and perfectness, similar to Morning Song where she shows her fortitude in looking after the baby.

It becomes very clear, straight away, that the Plath poem Metaphors is about her pregnancy, “I’m a riddle in nine syllables” meaning nine months. The two poems Metaphors and You’re show various similarities throughout the poems, in Metaphors it says “This loaf's big with its yeasty rising” this is very similar to You’re where it says “O high-riser, my little loaf.” This makes it obvious that both poems are talking about the baby growing inside her. Plath gives the impression of being nervous, and apprehensive about being a mother in the poem Metaphors “.” Where as this differs hugely in You’re as she shows her excitement and happiness about becoming a mother “Right, like a well-done sum. A clean slate, with your own face on.” Throughout the poem You’re, Plath uses a variety of many similes.

All of her poems show strong references to her children, but very rarely is her husband mentioned. She illustrates her strong maternal instinct in her three poems; Morning song, You’re and Metaphors.

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