Sylvia Plath Poem Critical appreciation of " The Morning Song"

Critical appreciation of
" Morning Song"

INTRODUCTION AND THEME
The poem MORNING SONG is called part of confessional poetry. It has been written in the 1950 ’s, the poem is presented in the mode of verses, which shows reflects the poet’s own personal life and experiences. This poem is definitely not the part of the collection of poems related to the theme of death and pessimism.

The theme of the poem celebrates the birth of a newborn child. In this poem, the thirst of motherly love in Plath's poetry is evident. The poet expresses her motherly love and passionate love for the newly born baby.


CRITICAL COMMENTARY

FIRST STANZA

The first stanza begins with the word LOVE, showing the birth of a baby of the poet, as she shares her experiences within the poem. Love may be the reason for the baby coming into this world. The newborn baby is compared to the GOLD WATCH, while the adjective GOLD gives the importance of the baby in the eyes of the poet. The word FAT may refer to the shape of the newborn baby.

LOVE SET YOU GOING LIKE A FAT GOLD WATCH
The midwives slap the buttocks or the foot soles of the baby when the baby is born, which helps them breath as they start crying. The crying of the baby is shown as BALD CRY, all this proves him to be the part of this world. The elements may be the natural elements, of which the world is composed.

THE MIDWIFE SLAPPED YOUR FOOTSOLES AND YOUR BALD CRY
TOOK ITS PLACE AMONG THE ELEMENTS

SECOND STANZA

OUR VOICES ECHO MAGNIFYING YOUR ARRIVAL. NEW STATUE
IN A DRAFTY MUSEUM YOUR NAKEDNESSThese words show the happiness brought to the parents and relatives of the birth of a baby. The child is described as STATUE which is the source of amusement for all the relatives and parents. The nakedness of the baby is compared to the statue. Moreover, the relatives, as well as the parents of the baby, surround him with a purpose of securing the baby, looking towards him with amusement and surprise.

WE STAND ROUND BLANKLY AS WALLS

THIRD STANZA

THAN THE CLOUD THAT DISTILLS A MIRROR TO REFLECTED ITS OWN SLOW
EFFACEMENT AT THE WIND’S HAND
Here the CLOUD word may refer to the mother, and REFLECT may be the baby, which is actually the reflection of his mother. Similarly, the baby belongs to the world. As the time passes by, the mother losses her possession over the baby, as he grows and develops in his life. He may become a part of the world community and will possess his own individuality. The WIND’S HAND may refer to this concept that with the passage of time, the mother loses her possession of the baby as he gains his own individuality.

FOURTH STANZA

ALL NIGHT YOUR MOTH-BREATH
FLICKERS AMONG THE FLAT PINK ROSES

These lines explain the worry of the mother as the baby sleeps. The breath of the mother is expressed as MOTH BREATH, this comparison gives the idea of the speed of the baby’s breath as he sleeps. Moths are the nocturnal insects and their wings move very fast. So the fast movement of their wings is compared to the rhythm of the breath of the baby at night when it sleeps.

This breath is expressed as FLICKERING AMONG THE FLAT PINK ROSES, it may be the decoration of the wallpapers of the room where the baby sleeps.

AFAR SEA MOVES IN MY EAR
The mother’s worry and attention are expressed when she says that she wakes to listen to this breath and the sound that comes to her is said to be like the sound of the sea that moves in her ears. This description of the sound gives an idea of the rhythm of the breathing of baby, similar to that of the sound of the sea.

FIFTH STANZA

ONE CRY AND I STUMBLE FROM BED, COW HEAVY AND FLORAL

These lines show the state of alertness of mother as whenever she hears a cry of her baby, she stumbles from the bed, in a clumsy way, to approach the baby. The term COW HEAVY may express the feed for the baby. She approaches her baby to feed him instantly.

YOUR MOUTH OPENS CLEAN AS A CAT’S

The mouth of the baby as it cries is described as the cat’s mouth, this comparison may be because of the child’s longing for food like that of a cat.

SIXTH STANZA

THE WINDOW SQUARE
WHITENS AND SWALLOWS ITS DULL STARS
It is said that the window square whitens, the daylight is coming, and she tells of the view in a very poetic way,

THE CLEAR VOWELS RISE LIKE BALLOON

Then she describes the beginning of the baby’s day. It starts babbling. This is a description of the baby’s attempts to produce sound. The first sound produced by the baby is mostly similar to the sound of vowels. These sounds are giving an idea of the rising of balloons.

IMAGERY, STYLE, AND TECHNIQUE

This poem reflects the brighter side of the personality of SYLVIA PLATH, as well as her creativity. Her poetry is a complex texture of conflicting passions. Her creativity and poetic qualities can be assumed by the utilization of imagery and technique in her poems. As she uses imagery of statue, comparing its uniqueness and nakedness to that of the baby, she enhances the charm of the baby, considering it a source of amusement for others. There is also the usage of metaphors and similes within the poem. As the word CLOUD may be a metaphor for the mother and REFLECT as a baby. There is also IRONY in the character of PLATH, as she describes the passionate motherly love for the baby in the poem, but In reality, she did not prove to be a good mother, as she suicides only when her children were infants. She also presents the last stanza as the challenging one.

CONCLUSION

We can conclude the poem as the discussion of motherly sincerity, love, and attachment for her newly born baby. The poem describes her feelings as she also uses a number of comparisons and metaphors. The poem reflects the joyous mood of the poet. It presents the charming and happy feeling of a young devoted mother towards her baby, for whom the baby is the center of her happiness and pleasure.

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