Plath’s Work Is “Intense, Deeply Personal and Quiet Disturbing”, Discuss.

Q. Plath’s work is “intense, deeply personal and quiet disturbing”, discuss. I agree with the above statement that Plath’s poetry is “intense, deeply personal and quite disturbing” as it deals with the darker aspects of the human psyche. I also like how her vivid and violent imagery linger in the mind long after I have read the poems, which is very intense. There is certainly an unsettled and disturbing atmosphere that pervades Plath’s theme.
‘Black Rook in Rainy Weather’ is a prime example of the intense and deeply personal features in Plath’s poetry. The theme scrutinized in Black Rook is her lack of inspiration. Here the poet is looking for that spark of inspiration yet her surroundings are depressing and dreary, “this dull, ruinous landscape”. This bold statement is quite a negative and defeated line. Plath is in an intensely emotional state of exhaustion “Trekking through this season of fatigue”. The deeply personal nature of the poem is evident here. Plath is terrified of being on her own even though she cuts herself off from the world, “Although, I admit, I desire,
Occasionally, some backtalk from the mute sky”. She has a deep desire for love and acceptance. Although she is finding it difficult to find that inspiration she is still hopeful, “I shall patch together a content”. This portrays the poets possessive determination to achieve inspiration. It is ironic that she writes such a creative poem about the failure to be inspired. This irony illustrates her intelligence and brilliance as a poet. In ‘Poppies in July’ Plath uses stark images of foreboding to portray her insecurity and tendency to self-harm. This is a physic landscape which represents her troubled mental state. The poet is portraying self-destructive tendencies, “A mouth just bloodied”. In her extreme agitated state of mind she uses several violent and disturbing comparisons to describe poppies; For example instead of viewing flowers as beautiful she sees them as unattractive, dangerous and fascinating. She only sees two ways out of her depression: Firstly, to experience physical pain “If I could bleed” or secondly to slip into a drug-induced trance “nauseous capsules”. This poem is extremely intense. The poet compares the blazing red poppies to “little hell flames” before directly confronting them “Do you do no harm?” Personally I feel that these lines give a sense of urgency at the beginning of the poem. It is clear she is distressed which is very personal and disturbing. The poet develops more anguish in the third stanza, “I put my hand among the flames. Nothing burns” This exemplifies to the reader that the poet desires for self-destruction as she can no longer cope with the anxieties in her mind. Her personal torment is obvious in the line “It exhausts to me to watch you” – again we seen another example of her intense emotional exhaustion. (Plath is being very personal here and she is referring to herself). Ironically the more vivid the poppies are the more lethargic she feels. This contradiction is exceptionally disturbing as she can see no other way to numb the pain. The disturbed mood increases in the fourth stanza with two startling images both personifying the flowers. She compares the poppy to a “mouth just bloodied” this suggests recent violence and physical suffering. The reference to “bloody skirts” is equally harrowing in its connotations of miscarriage or maybe infidelity and it also draws attention to the fact that often women suffer most as a result of breakups so this is a deeply personal reflection on a very difficult time in her life.
‘Morning Song’ is a deeply personal poem focusing on Plath’s mixed senses of apprehension and awe upon the birth of her first-born child. However both of these senses create conflicting feelings of separation and affection that test the strength of her maternal bond. While most new mothers pretended all was well, Sylvia published her feelings and I admire her bravery. Society in the 1960s held that all new mothers should be filled with immense joy after giving birth, but it does not mean that they actually were. The first line of the poem, “love set you going like a fat gold watch” depicts the intense and personal emotional forces conflicting within the poets mind. The word “fat” alludes to the clumsy or healthy nature of the baby; the word “gold” represents the child as precious and valued, and “watch” brings to mind the seemingly endless task of raising a child. In the second stanza Plath makes a point about her child merely being an object, “Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue. In a drafty museum your nakedness shadows are safety”. I found this comparison quiet disturbing but also very personal and realistic. Here the baby is called a “statue”, it is new, it is exciting, but it is implied that the baby is just something to look at, this is very personal as it reflects the real confused and conflicted emotions of a new mom or one experiencing post natal depression. This stanza shows the infant as the new attraction in a “drafty museum”. In my opinion this illustrates that the baby is simply new addition to an old collection. This is disturbing as you wouldn’t expect this from a new mother. As the poem evolves we see the poet becoming more involved in the mothering role with a quote that illustrates she can laugh at herself, “One cry and I stumble from bed cow heavy”. Plath is not merely invoking the imagery of motherhood, but speaks of it in its plainest sense. She appreciates that motherhood will be immensely laborious to raise a child, “A far sea moves in my ear” however nothing will over shadow the unconditional love she has for her child.
Plath’s deeply personal writing re-occurs in her poem ‘Child’ which was written shortly after her sons first birthday. It is a beautifully composed poem in which a mother expresses her frustrated wishes for her child, nevertheless I found is very disturbing. She writes about the love she has for her child while also revealing her inner torment. The first line shows the poets appreciation of childhood innocence, “Your clear eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing”. The tone at first is hopeful. Her love for her child is generous and unconditional. “I want to fill it with colour”. The childhood language is lively and playful. Plath plans to give her child the happiest of time filled with, “colour and ducks”. The vigorous rhythm and animated internal rhyme in the phrase “the zoo of the new” capture the sense of youthful wonder. However, Plath’s disillusionment with the world is also implied and she seems concerned that she cannot protect her child from the tainted world. The final images are stark and powerful- the pathetic “wringing of hands” gives emphasis to her helplessness, I found this quiet disturbing. The last line poignantly portrays the paradox of the tension between Plath’s dreams for her child in the face of the despair she feels about the oppressive world; this “ceiling without a star”. I found that this dark mood is in sharp contrast with the rest of the poem. The early celebration has been replaced by a disturbing anguish and an overwhelming sense of failure. Plath’s suicide two weeks after writing this poem adds to its poignancy. Sadly we realiseonly too late the disturbing demons in her mind.
For me, Plath’s poetry stands apart because of its sheer intense emotional power. In poems like those discussed above, there is a deeply personal emotional intensity absent from any other poetry I have studied. Reading Plath’s poetry the personal nature of it was palpable. It made it seem to me like she was talking to me. The powerful imagery, like that of “Morning Song” and the disturbing field of poppies, will remain with me for the rest of my life. Ironically she used her suffering to create beauty. She could recognise the beauty of her poems but she could not see the beauty of her own life. She described life as being "magically run by two electric currents" and these she names "joyous positive and despairing negative”. There is little doubt that Plath’s poetry is intense deeply personal and disturbing.

By Erin O’ Driscoll.