Oh Baby!

Sylvia Plath's poem, Metaphors, initially left me confused. Consequently, I shut my literature book and brooded over it for several hours. After making no progress, I took a deep breath and reopened the book to Plath's poem. This time around I decided to implement "the chunking method." After successfully breaking down the poem, I had gotten nowhere. With no other route available, I chose to hone in on the first line which claimed her poem was a riddle. Then a sudden epiphany occurred like a lightbulb flicking on above the head of an animated character in Sunday morning cartoons. Each line consists of nine syllables. 

The realization opened a floodgate of understanding for me. Plath was speaking about herself during a pregnancy. Once I understood this, every line became clear and brilliant. "A melon strolling on two tendrils," (717) was referring to the melon as her baby and the legs as the two tendrils. However, shift happens beginning on line seven and from that point on, the poem grows darker. Plath then identifies herself as "... a means, a stage..."(717) which suggests Plath is far from joyous and potentially considers herself to be independent of her child and doesn't feel a connection. "Metaphors" is a wonderfully crafted poem, but depressing too.

Reading about Plath's life eased me into a sullen mood, so today I am including a quote which will hopefully fix that. 

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score." -Bill Copeland