ASSIGNMENT

Topic Critical analysis of Morning

Song,Bee Meeting,You`re
And Arrival Of Bee Box

Submitted By Arslan Ayub

Submitted To Mam Zahida Rehman

Roll NO 13565

Semester 6th (EVE)

Class American Literature II

BS ENGLISH LITERATURE

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LITERATURE

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UNIVERSITY FAISALABAD

Critical Analysis of Sylvia Plath Poems Morning Song,Bee Meeting,You`re
and Arrival Of Bee Box
Introduction
Sylvia Plath was an American Poet, Novelist, and Writer of short stories. She was born in
Boston, Massachusetts. She was the first child of Otto and Aurelia Plath.Otto was a German
entomologist  and a professor of biology at Boston University, while Aurelia was a second-
generation American whose grandparents had emigrated from Austria. Three years later, their
son Warren was born, and the family moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts, in 1936.  Plath
published her first poem at age eight in the Boston Herald’s children’s section. She continued
writing and publishing in several local magazines and papers, and she won prizes for her writing
and artwork. When she was eight, her father died from complications after a foot amputation
related to long-untreated Dibetes. Aurelia Plath then moved their entire family, including her
parents, to the nearby Wellesley, where Plath attended high school. Around the same time as her
high school graduation, she had her first nationally published piece appear in the Christian
Science Monitor.In February 1956, Plath met Ted Hughes, a fellow poet whose work she
admired. they married in London in June 1956. Plath’s writing deals with fairly dark themes,
particularly surrounding mental illness and suicide. Although her early poetry uses more natural
imagery, it is still shot through with moments of violence and medical images.Her most notable
achievements came in the genre of confessional poetry, which often reflected her intense
emotions and her battle with depression. Although her career and life were complicated, she won
a posthumous Pulitzer Prize and remains a popular and widely studied poet.

Morning Song

Sylvia plath wrote morning song shortly after the birth of plath`s first child.it explores both
Plath's long-seated ambivalence towards motherhood and her growing love for her child.
Exploring the strangeness and unnaturalness latent in the mother and infant relationship, she
steps outside sentimental conventions. This poem is optimistic as compared to other poems of
the poet, however, it is also autobiographical. It reveals the personal life story of poet, her
relation with infant and her thinking with regarding social problems to be faced by her daughter.
Critical Analysis

Poem starts with a beautiful mother and child relationship. The poet talks about security of the
child. She compares her with a golden watch, which is symbol of her child’s worth. love set

you going like a fat gold watch. She knows the importance of child in a mother’s life.
Starting lines of the poem illustrate the ultimate joy of a mother on the birth of a baby, no matter
boy or girl, a baby always gives happiness to mother and completes a family.  Sylvia suffered a
lot and in those days her life was not up to her expectations yet arrival of child filled her life with
happiness and gave her hope. She directly addresses her child and talks about the precautions
when the child was in her womb. She, while expressing her feelings for her says that you were
kept like a gold watch; meaning thereby, she is talking about the problems, which she has faced
when she was pregnant. She had to take care of her health along with the health of her child. The
child is highly important thing of her life.  she is remembering her old days, she also was once a
child. Initial lines of the poem are the psychological representation of a mother’s mind on the
birth of child. She again addresses her child and uses the word “you”. Of course, the child could
not understand what she is saying but her words are very important. When the child wept and
came in the world, it had given joy to her. This joy is delightful not only for her child but also for
other people around her. She proceeds further and says that we are standing here for you. She is
assuring the child that they will take care of her. “We stand around blankly as walls”
suggests that the poet promises her child a strong protection against the cruel world.in third
stanza she wants to take retirement from her duties.she thinks time of her duties has come to an
end. I am no more your Mother .these lines are ironic. In previous stanza,she talks about
protection of her child.now she is withdrawing from her duties.she wants her child to face the
difficulties with his own power.but she also knows that her child is weak. In a drafty

museum your nakedness means that child is unsafe in this world.in fourth stanza,she is
concerned about her child future. She says that when she listens to her child, she sees a new
world, a world which is full of wonders, a world which is mysterious, the world which is
informative simultaneously terrifying. She attentively listens her child. Although the child cannot
speak anything yet she understands her feelings. “One cry and I stumble from bed,

cow-heavy and floral…”. The poet knows that it is her responsibility to care of her child. It
is difficult for her to get up and console her in “Victorian nightgown” and in “cow-

heavy and floral” even then she gets up on her single cry and solves her troubles. “Your
mouth opens clean as a cat’s” has frankly been used by the poet to express the innocence
of child. Last lines of the poem are traditional, the poem closes with dark attitude of the poet.
Happiness on the birth of child no more exists. The poet knows that journey of life is much
difficult. She knows that her child will suffer the same as she suffered in her entire life.  “dull

stars” is referring the upcoming gloomy situation in the life of child. The poet is seeing
reflection of her own life in the fate of child, therefore, she is not happy at all on her fate. She
concludes the poem while comparing the good and bad aspects of life.

Conclusion

This poem is an autobiographical poem.she knows that being a girl,the child is insecure and
unsafe yet there is a very little hope.the status of her child in this world and futuristic difficulties
are main themes of this poem.

Bee Meeting

The poem THE BEE MEETING is basically Sylvia Plath’s desperate attempt to recover her lost
identity. The bee meeting described in the poem is a beekeeper's ritual. The occasion is a transfer
of swarm of bees from one box to another. It takes place with the change of rule. The old queen
is killed and succeeded by the new queen. After the death of the old queen, the old box is
deserted and the swarm shifts to another box.

Critical Analysis

The poem is very narrative in its nature. The central figure of the poem is the poetess herself.
The usage of the first-person image represents the poetess as a woman. The queen bee is also a
metaphor of a woman who has developed a hatred for male dominating society. The mode of
narration is based on the sensitive perception of a certain situation. The poem is highly packed
with metaphors and similes. Each line requires deep understanding at the surface level. The
metaphors used include QUEEN, VIRGINS etc. These lines are also full of images and
comparisons. The description of the bean flowers reflects the perfect imagery.The tone of the
poem is very feminine in nature. The way of expressing the movements of bees is also full of
feminine or female impressions. There is also a pessimistic expression which reflects the inner
despair and depressions of the poetess.The poem represents the life of women in the west. The
affairs, marriage, and divorces, disloyalty of male lovers and the resulting frustration are
reflected in the poem. The poem is of confessional type. The poet describes her own experiences
and events of life that she was forbearing in her life. The bee poem gives the poets relation to her
neighbors, children, husband, other women and herself. poem is constructed in a gothic and
gloomy tone. The confused state of mind of the poet is evident by her confused questions, her
inability to recognize familiar faces, repetitions which shows her confused state of mind. She
also utilizes themes of violence and death. She discusses metaphors of violence, a mixed
description of the atmosphere of both death, funeral, ritual and cerermony.

In my sleeveless summry dress

Confusion and gloomy tone

The poem opens and closes with questions and is riddled with questions throughout. Most of the
stanzas include questions. Through much of the poem, the speaker tries to answer them herself,
but when the last line closes the poem with yet another question, obviously it cannot be answered
in this poem.

Who are these people at the bridge to meet me?

Which is the rector now,is it that man in black?

Which is midwife,is that her blue coat?

Such confused questions reflect her inner conflict and disorientation. Her sense of alienation
from her neighbors shows that she can not tolerate them. As a poet, isolation is necessary in
order to achieve their own identity. In this manner, she might explore and pursue a new
direction. The questions show that she is in fear of something invisible. The poet feels that she is
in endangered by the villagers. But there is no such description of the actions of the villagers that
might appear suspicious, it is that she believes her dealings with the villagers in the collective
life as the disaster. Her own perceptions are exaggerated with a dangerous and frightening
expression. The theme of death and darkness is an integral part of her poetry. She believes
herself as the old queen bee who has to be either killed or expelled from the hive in which she
lives.

She is Old,Old,Old

she misinterprets the actions of the villagers of smoking the hive, while there is no apparently
suspicious action of the villagers

SMOKE ROLLS AND SCARVES IN THE GROVE

THE MIND OF THE HIVE THINGS THIS IS THE END OF EVERYTHING

Rather than choosing herself to be killed by others, she opts to die herself. Her own suicidal
attempt is similar to the killing of the queen bee, as she had put her head in the gas stove, while
the gas was on. She expresses her exhaustion from her unsuccessful married life as she says;

I AM EXHAUSTED, I AM EXHAUSTED

Conclusion

The poem THE BEE MEETING is basically the representation of the gathering at the funeral as
well as a marriage procession, in order to watch the killing of the old queen bee and help in the
installation of the new one. The atmosphere of the poem is fearful, frightening and the end it
turns gloomy. Such a description shows the mental disorder of the poet due to her self-created
exaggeration and personal or inner conflict. It may also reflect her hatred against the Patriarchal
society.

You`re

In this poem,the speaker is addressing the unborn child. It is a relatively accessible poem and is
packed with dense, powerful imagery that takes the reader on a visual journey into the womb and
out to the cosmos via Mexico and Australia. Sylvia Plath had a love-hate relationship with the
idea of childbirth.
Critical Analysis

The poem starts with word clownlike. Clownlike,happiest on your hand .  She has
compared her child to a clown not to degrade him but to describe the happiness of her child. A
clown always pretends to be happy. The child is also happy and giggling just like a clown. The
simile has been used just to indicate happiness. Furthermore, a clown always entertains people. It
is his job to satisfy every person, who is looking at him. Similarly, a child just like a clown
makes his mother happy and gives her pleasure.she has used number of similies like moon,fish
and spool in order to describe physical appearance of child.According to an eminent critic.

“This means that either Plath was a really good guesser or she has composed
the poem with hindsight after her baby was born.”

She is clear about her unborn baby. Perhaps, she can feel him in her womb. She compares her
child’s face with a moon and explains her presence as “gilled like a fish”. Further, she thinks
that her child is wrapped up just like a spool. She has described the position of child in her
womb. The child has very less room and he cannot move nor can he fit there, therefore, he has
wrapped himself just like a spool. The imagination of the poet is very impressive and is very
much closed to reality. Child’s status is not invisible to her but the same is unclear. He is far
away from the poet. She is waiting for him just like a person waits for a mail. She is curious to
see him but has no other option except to just sit and wait. “Snug as a bud and at home”
reveals that the child is quite safe and enjoying the warmth and comfort of his cozy abode. Next
lines also contain similes and they are used just to clear the illustration of child. Every child
seems “Jumpy as Mexican bean”, “Right, like a well-done sum” and “Like a

sprat in a pickle jug” to his mother. According to a critic, there is nothing new in it.
Children are born in this way.

Conclusion

This poem is a mixture of joy and curiosity.  A mother is imagining her child before his birth.
She is curious to listen his giggling. She wants to play with him but she has to wait for a long
time. The poem is not only the representation of feelings Slyvia Plath but universal description of
every mother’s emotions. Every simile used in the poem describes her unborn child in poet’s
womb. Each object, metaphor and simile has a child like amusement in it. The poem is highly
imaginative, emotional and creative.

Arrival of Bee Box

This poem was written in 1962.It is very complex poem.this poem depicts the plath`s typical
depressed state of mind.she describes the complex feelings of power and powerlessness
associated with beekeeping.

Critical Analysis

The poem begins with plath trying to gain power over the bee box that has been delievered to her
house.  She claims that she is the one that ordered for the box to be sent to her house, claiming
that this fact give her power over the creatures within.

“I ordered this, clean wood box"

She talks about the box in positive terms in this poem by trying to believe herself that the box
really is not as threatening as she is making it out to be. However, these positive terms soon
canceled by the  strange imagery she used to describe the box.

"Coffin of a midget or a square baby"

Here the word coffin is related to death. She loved her husband so much she doesn't want to live
without him. But he left her with two kids for someone else. Now she can't manage her life
without him. She is broken from the inside. The overall description of The Bee box is strange
and disturbing. First, she shows her authority over the box but in the second stanza, she
highlights the Dark Side of the box. There is a change in her from powerful to powerlessness in
just 3 words,

"It is dangerous"

While thinking about authority she cannot stop herself to think about the Swarm of bees inside
the box. She is afraid of them. But there is no way for her to be free from her negative thoughts.

"I have to live with it overnight and I cannot keep away from it"
These words show her fear on the upper level but on a deeper level, these words describe the
Plath's emotions that neither she can live with her husband, nor she can keep herself away from
him. She loved her husband so much she cannot live without him, but he left her. There is no
way to bring him back. He does not want to live with her anymore because he now loves
someone else.

Plath trying to look into the hive to see the swarming bees but all she can see is only the
darkness. Plath depression is dangerous and very serious there is no way for her to escape from
her thoughts, from her torture. She has to live with her depression, she has to deal with it. There
are so many thoughts swarming in her head and she is unable to tackle her circumstances. The
Bees have been imprisoned inside The Bee box just like the Africans slaves packed in a small
place in a ship.

"I put my eye to the grid..... Black on black, angrily clambering"

Sylvia Plath is being imprisoned in her thought she wants to escape from her worries from her
thoughts and from her dull life.

"Black on black angrily clambering"  portrays a deathly scene where everything is dark
and the bees are climbing on one another awkwardly producing a lot of noise, a lot of
disturbance.in last stanza,she wants to free the bees. Symbolically, she is freeing her unbearable
and annoying thoughts. Perhaps, she is thinking to free her soul from the body because in next
lines death is highly glorified by her. Moreover, “they might ignore me immediately. …

I am no source of honey.” The poet thinks that after her death she will be ignored as she is
not beneficial for anyone. She does not consider herself a valuable thing, therefore, people will
not consider her precious. What may be the case, the poet fears that people will forget her soon
after her death.

Conclusion

The poem ends with the freedom from enslaved thoughts. The poet has conceded the power of
creature and gives up on her own powers in front of them. The poem is not autobiographical but
universal. The strange, morbid images of coffins and Square babies hint to just how ill she was at
the time, while the din at the Bees could suggest the voices inside her head.