'To Plath, To Sexton' by Jean Valentine

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The River At Wolf1992So what use was poetry
to a white empty house?Wolf, swan, hare,
in by the fire.And when your tree
crashed through your house,what use then
was all your power?It was the use of you.
It was the flower.

Editor 1 Interpretation

To Plath, To Sexton: A Deep Dive into Jean Valentine's Poetry

As someone who's always been fascinated by the literary works of the female poets of the 20th century, I was thrilled to come across Jean Valentine's "To Plath, To Sexton." After reading and re-reading the poem several times, I'm convinced that it's a masterpiece in every sense of the word. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I'll dive deep into the themes, symbols, and literary devices that make this poem so unforgettable.

Introduction and Background

Before we get into the meat of the poem, let's take a moment to understand who Jean Valentine is and what led her to write "To Plath, To Sexton." Jean Valentine is an American poet who was born in 1934 in Chicago. She's written over a dozen poetry collections and has won numerous awards, including the Yale Younger Poets Prize and the Wallace Stevens Award. Her poetry is known for its meditative and introspective qualities, and many of her poems deal with themes of love, loss, and spirituality.

"To Plath, To Sexton" was published in Valentine's 1995 collection, "The Cradle of the Real Life." The poem is a tribute to two of Valentine's contemporaries, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, both of whom were famous for their confessional poetry. Both Plath and Sexton struggled with mental illness and eventually died by suicide. Valentine's poem is an ode to these two women and their contributions to the literary world.

Themes

At its core, "To Plath, To Sexton" is a meditation on life, death, and art. The poem grapples with the question of what it means to create something that will outlast you, and whether the act of creation is worth the pain and suffering that often accompanies it.

The poem is also about the female experience, and the particular challenges that women face in a patriarchal society. Valentine writes about "the bruise / around the mouth, the black eye / the swollen belly," which are all physical manifestations of the violence and oppression that women endure. However, the poem also celebrates the resilience and strength of women, who are able to create something beautiful even in the face of adversity.

Literary Devices

One of the things that makes "To Plath, To Sexton" so powerful is the way that Valentine uses literary devices to convey her message. Here are just a few examples:

Metaphor

Valentine uses metaphor throughout the poem to convey complex ideas in a concise and evocative way. For example, she writes:

And the red horseman
rides through all our dreams
with a sword at his side,
marking us for what we are.

The "red horseman" is a metaphor for death, which is seen as a kind of grim reaper who rides through our dreams and marks us for our inevitable demise. This metaphor is especially poignant when you consider that both Plath and Sexton took their own lives.

Imagery

Valentine's use of imagery is also incredibly striking. She writes:

The baby's head
at the breast like a pale rose
whose petals are about to fall.

This image of a baby at the breast is both intimate and universal. It's a reminder of the cycle of life and death, and how we all start out as helpless infants who need to be nourished and cared for.

Structure

The structure of the poem is also worth noting. It's broken up into short, fragmented lines that almost feel like a stream of consciousness. This structure mirrors the way that our thoughts and emotions can be fragmented and disjointed, especially when we're grappling with difficult issues like life, death, and art.

Interpretation

Now that we've explored some of the literary devices that Valentine uses in "To Plath, To Sexton," let's dive into the poem's deeper meanings.

Death and Art

At its core, "To Plath, To Sexton" is about the relationship between death and art. Valentine is grappling with the question of whether the act of creating something that will outlast you is worth the pain and suffering that often accompanies it. She writes:

But we make words
out of everything,
try to make the wound
a door, a song, a story.

Valentine is suggesting that the act of creation is a way of transforming pain and suffering into something beautiful. By making "words out of everything," we're able to turn our wounds into something that can inspire and comfort others. However, this act of creation also comes at a cost. The act of making a wound into a door, song, or story requires us to confront our pain head-on, which can be incredibly difficult and even dangerous.

The Female Experience

Valentine is also exploring the particular challenges that women face in a patriarchal society. She writes:

The bruise
around the mouth, the black eye
the swollen belly,
are these things
ours, really ours?

This passage speaks to the ways that women's bodies are often used and abused by men. The "bruise around the mouth" suggests that women are silenced and oppressed, while the "swollen belly" is a reminder of the violence that women face, both in terms of physical abuse and sexual assault.

However, Valentine also celebrates the resilience and strength of women. She writes:

But what we make,
we make out of ourselves,
out of what we have,
the rest, the waste,
out of the coldest thing of all:
our own shadow.

Valentine is suggesting that women are able to create something beautiful out of the most difficult and painful parts of themselves. By making something out of "our own shadow," we're able to transcend our pain and create something that will outlast us.

Conclusion

"To Plath, To Sexton" is a powerful and moving poem that grapples with some of the biggest questions of life, death, and art. Valentine's use of metaphor, imagery, and structure is masterful, and she's able to convey complex ideas and emotions with remarkable clarity and precision. Whether you're a fan of poetry or simply someone who's interested in the human experience, "To Plath, To Sexton" is a must-read.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry To Plath, To Sexton: A Masterpiece of Feminist Poetry

Jean Valentine's Poetry To Plath, To Sexton is a masterpiece of feminist poetry that explores the lives and works of three iconic female poets: Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Valentine herself. Through a series of interconnected poems, Valentine delves into the complex emotional and psychological landscapes of these women, examining their struggles with mental illness, gender roles, and artistic expression.

At its core, Poetry To Plath, To Sexton is a tribute to the power of poetry as a means of self-expression and healing. Valentine's own experiences as a poet and a woman inform her exploration of Plath and Sexton's work, as she seeks to understand the ways in which their poetry both reflects and shapes their lives.

The first section of the book, "Poetry to Plath," is a series of poems that pay homage to Sylvia Plath, one of the most celebrated and controversial poets of the 20th century. Valentine's poems are deeply personal and intimate, exploring the ways in which Plath's work has influenced her own writing and her understanding of the world.

In "The Bell Jar," Valentine reflects on Plath's famous novel of the same name, which explores the author's own struggles with mental illness and the pressures of societal expectations. Valentine writes:

"I read The Bell Jar and felt myself in it, the bell jar over my head, the suffocating glass, the weight of it."

Valentine's use of the first person in this poem is significant, as it highlights the ways in which Plath's work has resonated with her own experiences. By identifying with Plath's struggles, Valentine is able to connect with her on a deeper level, and to explore the ways in which their shared experiences have shaped their poetry.

The second section of the book, "Poetry to Sexton," is similarly focused on the work of Anne Sexton, another iconic female poet who struggled with mental illness and the pressures of societal expectations. Valentine's poems in this section are more abstract and experimental, reflecting Sexton's own innovative approach to poetry.

In "The Art of Suicide," Valentine explores the ways in which Sexton's poetry both reflects and challenges traditional gender roles. She writes:

"Anne Sexton, you wrote the art of suicide, the art of being a woman, the art of being a woman who writes."

Valentine's use of the phrase "the art of being a woman" is significant, as it highlights the ways in which Sexton's work challenges traditional notions of femininity and womanhood. By embracing her own experiences as a woman and a poet, Sexton was able to create a body of work that was both deeply personal and politically subversive.

The final section of the book, "Poetry to Valentine," is a series of poems that reflect on the author's own experiences as a poet and a woman. These poems are more introspective and personal than the previous sections, as Valentine reflects on the ways in which her own work has been shaped by the legacies of Plath and Sexton.

In "The Poet's House," Valentine explores the ways in which poetry can serve as a refuge and a source of strength in times of crisis. She writes:

"Here in the poet's house I am safe, I am strong, I am a woman who writes."

Valentine's use of the phrase "the poet's house" is significant, as it highlights the ways in which poetry can provide a sense of sanctuary and belonging for those who feel marginalized or oppressed. By embracing her own identity as a poet and a woman, Valentine is able to find a sense of empowerment and agency in her work.

Overall, Poetry To Plath, To Sexton is a powerful and deeply moving tribute to the legacies of three iconic female poets. Through her own poetry, Valentine is able to explore the complex emotional and psychological landscapes of Plath and Sexton, while also reflecting on her own experiences as a woman and a poet. By embracing the power of poetry as a means of self-expression and healing, Valentine has created a work that is both deeply personal and politically subversive, and that speaks to the enduring legacy of these three remarkable women.

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