Introduction
Morning Song, by Sylvia Plath, sets the tone and prepares the reader for a celebration of life and the beginning of a new day. The poem is written in free verse, which means it fails to follow a specific structure, and this emphasizes the natural flow of the speaker’s voice. Nonetheless, it has a cohesive narrative and themes, including motherhood, love, identity, and the cyclical nature of life, which are conveyed through the use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and simile.
The title of the poem helps to connect the broader tradition of morning poems in literature, which often celebrate the beauty of the natural world at the beginning of a new day. However, in Morning Song, Plath subverts this tradition by focusing on the birth of a child and the intense emotions and experiences that come with motherhood. Morning Song explores the complexity of motherhood through vivid imagery, revealing the conflicting emotions and attitudes that can arise in the wake of childbirth.
Stanza Analysis
Stanza 1
In the opening stanza, Plath uses vivid and striking imagery to describe the birth of the child. The word “love” in the first stanza highlights the theme of motherhood and attachment toward the newborn baby (Plath 1.1). Additionally, the simile “like a fat gold watch” suggests the child’s birth is a momentous occasion that is precious and valuable (Plath 1.1).
The image of the midwife “slapping” the child’s “footsoles” creates a sense of urgency and physicality, emphasizing the harshness and reality of the birth process (Plath 1.1). This use of imagery creates a clear picture of the birth scene. Plath further uses language that connects the child to the natural world in this stanza.
However, the poet uses imagery in “your bald cry” to emphasize the child’s vulnerability and fragility (Plath 1.2). Further, the phrase “Took its place among the elements” suggests that the child is part of the natural world and emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things (Plath 1.3). The imagery in this stanza works to convey the significance and universality of the experience of birth, creating a sense of awe and wonder toward a new life.
Stanza 2
In stanza two, Plath uses imagery and metaphor to convey the child’s newness, vulnerability, and sense of responsibility. The metaphor of the child as a “New statue” emphasizes the child’s stillness, while “In a drafty museum” creates a sense of unease and discomfort (Plath 2.1, 2.2). The phrase “your nakedness / Shadows our safety” creates a powerful image of the child’s fragility and the speaker’s protectiveness (Plath 2.2, 2.3). Conversely, “We stand round blankly as walls” conveys a sense of detachment and emptiness, emphasizing the speaker’s sense of confusion and disorientation in the face of the child’s newness and sensitivity (Plath 2.3). Therefore, the stanza highlights the complex emotions and responsibilities that come with parenthood.
Stanza 3
The speaker creates a sense of distance and ambivalence toward motherhood in the third stanza. The phrase “I’m no more your mother” implies detachment and uncertainty towards the child (Plath 3.1). However, the metaphor of the cloud emphasizes the speaker’s sense of being a part of something larger and more powerful than themselves. The phrase “to reflect its own slow / Effacement at the wind’s hand” suggests a sense of impermanence and decay, further revealing the speaker’s mixed feelings toward motherhood (Plath 3.2-3.3). The use of metaphor and imagery in this stanza creates a sense of tension between the speaker’s sense of responsibility towards the child and their struggle to come to terms with their new role as a mother.
Stanza 4
The author uses vivid imagery and personification in stanza four to describe the atmosphere in the room as the speaker listens to the child’s breathing. The use of the phrase “moth-breath” creates a sense of fragility and delicacy, while the image of the “flat pink roses” emphasizes stillness and beauty (Plath 4.1, 4.2). The repetition of certain sounds adds a soft and gentle quality to the stanza.
The phrase “I wake to listen” conveys the speaker’s attentiveness and awareness (Plath 4.2). On the other hand, the metaphor of a “far sea” moving in the speaker’s ear describes the sound of the child’s breathing (Plath 4.3). Overall, this stanza creates a sense of intimacy while emphasizing the child’s separateness as an individual entity.
Stanza 5
In the fifth stanza, the author uses vivid imagery and similes to describe the speaker’s reaction to the sound of the child’s cry. The words “cow-heavy and floral” create an image of the speaker’s bulkiness and suggest her exhaustion (Plath 5.1). Additionally, the use of the term “Victorian nightgown” provides a historical context and reinforces the idea of the speaker being weighed down by tradition and expectations (Plath 5.2). The simile “Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s” presents the child as pure and innocent (Plath 5.3).
Likewise, the use of the word “clean” in the simile “Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s” reinforces the idea of the child’s purity and innocence (Plath 5.3). The imagery of the “window square” suggests a sense of isolation that symbolizes the boundary between the speaker’s private world and the outside world (Plath 5.3). Furthermore, the repetition of the “o” sound in “cow-heavy,” “floral,” and “opens” creates a sense of heaviness and slowness, emphasizing the speaker’s reluctance to leave her bed (Plath 5). Overall, the stanza provides a vivid picture of the speaker’s physical and emotional state as she responds to the child’s cry.
Stanza 6
In the sixth stanza, Plath describes the sound of the child’s vocalization. For example, the use of the word “try” suggests that the child is learning to vocalize (Plath 6.1), and the phrase “Your handful of notes” portrays that the child’s voice is still tentative and uncertain (Plath 6.2). The simile “The clear vowels rise like balloons” creates an image of the child’s voice floating and soaring, light and free (Plath 6.3).
In addition, the word “clear” stresses that the child’s voice is pure and unspoiled (Plath 6.3). Likewise, the image of the “balloons” reinforces a sense of joy and playfulness and symbolizes the child’s growing independence and ability to express themselves (Plath 6.3). The repetition of the “s” sound in “swallows” and “stars” further produces a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility (Plath 6). Nonetheless, the order of the lines emphasizes the child’s vocalization as a natural and organic part of the cycle of life part of the cycle of life following the breaking of dawn and the fading of the stars.
Conclusion
In summary, Morning Song explores the complex emotions associated with motherhood. The poem employs various literary devices, including metaphor, personification, and allusion, to convey the speaker’s feelings and experiences. Plath emphasizes the themes of love, wonder, and detachment through the repetition of certain words and sounds. The contrast between the literal experience of caring for a baby and the figurative meanings and emotions associated with motherhood suggests the complexity of the experience. Ultimately, Morning Song is a powerful portrayal of the joys and challenges of motherhood and the beauty of new life.
Work Cited
Plath, Sylvia. Morning Song. Collected Poems. Edited by Ted Hughes, HarperCollins Publishers, 1981. Web.
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