Sylvia plath essay

The poems that I will discuss in which these poetic cuisines are present are Finisher, Morning Song and The Arrival of the Bee Box. Finisher, being a landscape poem, uses the power of imagery to reflect a mood of fear and also death. The world of Finisher, as told by Plate, is seen as being terrifying. “ Black, admonitory cliffs” is synonymous with Plate warning us of the danger these cliffs possess. The ocean is presented as a terrifying, vast “ exploding” force “ with no bottom” that “ canons” into the coastline, making an endless overwhelming sound.

These images associate Finisher with an invading army, reinforcing our sense of its frightening powerfulness. Whilst Plate uses words that may not have ominous connotations when used on their own, black and white both underline the sinister mood of the poem; white being associated with faces of the dead while the “ peasant woman in black” symbolizes mourning and death, the statue offering her no solace or comfort. By utilizing imagery, Plate presents us with a terrifying world, one that we would enter with caution. Similes and adaptors play a big part in creating a strange world in Morning Song. Plate offers us a brutally honest insight into the world of motherhood. The very first line, when read first, comes across as strange and inapplicable to a newborn baby but as we delve deeper into the simile, we begin to understand that perhaps it makes sense.

“ Love set you going like a fat gold watch”. It is interesting that Plate uses the word “ love” over a more carnal image. It tells us that the baby was conceived from an intimate bond which immediately rates a positive connection between mother and child. The word “ fat” insinuates the cumbersome nature of the baby, while the word “ gold” is representative of the value and preciousness of the child. The word “ watch” relates to the never-ending task of raising a child. Although this simile can be comprehended, it is still strange and atypical of a poem about motherhood. Typically, we would be given only the joyful side of raising a baby but Plate steps outside sentimental conventions and provides us with both the positive ND the negative elements, creating a strange world.

The very first line can read as Plate suggesting to us that a baby can be both a hindrance and a jewel. The metaphor which is perhaps the most interesting and strange line of the poem is that where Plate states that she is “ no more your mother/Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect/Effacement at the wind’s hand”. This creates estrangement and unease as she feels she has nothing more to Offer the infant. The Arrival of the Bee Box is very likely to be the best example of sing poetic techniques to create a strange and dangerous world. To read it on a literal level is presenting us with the danger of bees, while the allegorical meaning of the poet’s unconscious mind presents us with the danger of inner demons. The box, which she compares to a “ coffin of a midget”, exerts a horrifying fascination over her as she tells us it is “ dangerous” yet she “ can’t stay away from it”.

The danger is again highlighted when she creates a sense of claustrophobia by stating that there is “ no ex.?’ on the box. This is made veer the more dangerous when reading the poem on a symbolic level as it suggests that Plate has no way out of her mental state. Plate again uses a simile to reinforce the danger of this world. Plate says that the bees are “ like a Roman mob”.

It is a terrifying but interesting comparison as it reveals Plash’s fears about the bees. This poetic technique is clever as it reminds us that one Roman citizen was powerless but as a rioting group, they could threaten the entire government. Likewise, one bee is harmless while a whole swarm could potentially sting someone to death.