I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.
- Sylvia Plath
There tends to be quite a bit of discussion on whether or not Plath was happy about pregnancy when she wrote this poem. There's all kinds of analysis available (that bag of green apples means she's suffering from Eve's curse, etc. etc.) I don't think it has to show either happiness or misery or be looked into too much beyond the fabulous metaphors - at this stage in pregnancy, it is what it is.
8 comments:
I agree. I remember reading this poem long ago and not getting it nearly so well as I do now!
I'd never heard of this poem before. It definitely strikes a chord! I find the words "yeasty rising" particularly descriptive! :)
Boarded the train there's no getting off...so true, so true!
It is what it is. I love it.
Man, I got all excited by the post title - I thought maybe the day had arrived! :)
I'll have to wait my turn to find out what this is like, I guess.
heavy the traiin lets us all off stll quite poem
The title of this poem is "Metaphor"
I've always loved this poem by Silvia Plath. I'm starting to feel like a melon with tendrils right about now!
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