'The Sleepers' by Sylvia Plath
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The Collected Poems1959No map traces the street
Where those two sleepers are.
We have lost track of it.
They lie as if under water
In a blue, unchanging light,
The French window ajarCurtained with yellow lace.
Through the narrow crack
Odors of wet earth rise.
The snail leaves a silver track;
Dark thickets hedge the house.
We take a backward look.Among petals pale as death
And leaves steadfast in shape
They sleep on, mouth to mouth.
A white mist is going up.
The small green nostrils breathe,
And they turn in their sleep.Ousted from that warm bed
We are a dream they dream.
Their eyelids keep up the shade.
No harm can come to them.
We cast our skins and slide
Into another time.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Sleepers by Sylvia Plath: A Deep Dive into Unconscious Minds
Sylvia Plath, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote extensively about her personal experiences with mental illness, trauma, and the human psyche. Her poem "The Sleepers" is a particularly intriguing example of her work, as it explores the idea of the unconscious mind and its power over our thoughts and actions. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will dive deep into the themes, symbols, and metaphors of "The Sleepers" to unravel its complex meaning and significance.
The Poem
Before we begin our analysis, let's take a look at the poem itself:
The night is only a sort of carbon paper,
Blueblack, with the much-poked periods of stars
Letting in the light, peephole after peephole—
A bonewhite light, like death, behind all things.
Under the eyes of the stars and the moon’s rictus
He suffers his desert pillow, sleeplessness
Stretching its fine, irritating sand in all directions.
Over and over the old, granular movie
Exposes embarrassments—the mizzling days
Of childhood and adolescence, sticky with dreams,
Parental faces on tall stalks, alternately stern and tearful,
A garden of buggy rose that made him cry.
His forehead is bumpy as a sack of rocks.
Memories jostle each other for face-room like obsolete film stars.
He is immune to pills: red, purple, blue—
How they lit the tedium of the protracted evening!
Those sugary planets whose influence won for him
A life baptized in no-life for a while,
And the sweet, drugged waking of a forgetful baby.
Now the pills are worn-out and silly, like classical gods.
Their poppy-sleepy colors do him no good.
His head is a little interior of grey mirrors.
Each gesture flees immediately down an alley
Of diminishing perspectives, and its significance
Drains like water out the hole at the far end.
He lives without privacy in a lidless room,
The bald slots of his eyes stiffened wide-open
On the incessant heat-lightning flicker of situations.
Nightlong, in the granite yard, invisible cats
Have been howling like women, or damaged instruments.
Already he can feel daylight, his white disease,
Creeping up with her hatful of trivial repetitions.
The city is a map of cheerful twitters now,
And everywhere people, eyes mica-silver and blank,
Are riding to work in rows, as if recently brainwashed.
Themes
"The Sleepers" touches upon several themes that are central to Sylvia Plath's work. The most prominent of these themes is the idea of the unconscious mind and its influence on our thoughts and actions. The speaker, who is suffering from insomnia, is plagued by memories and dreams from his past that jostle each other for face-room like obsolete film stars. He is unable to control these memories, and they continue to haunt him even as he tries to sleep. This idea of the unconscious mind having a life of its own is a recurring theme in Plath's works, and "The Sleepers" is no exception.
Another theme that emerges in "The Sleepers" is that of mental illness and its impact on one's perception of reality. The speaker's insomnia is a symptom of his mental illness, and his inability to sleep is a metaphor for his inability to escape his own mind. He is trapped in his own thoughts and memories, and his perception of reality is distorted by his illness. This theme of mental illness is also prevalent in many of Plath's other works, including "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus."
Finally, "The Sleepers" touches upon the theme of isolation and loneliness. The speaker is alone in his room, unable to sleep, and his thoughts and memories are his only companions. He is disconnected from the world around him, and his perception of reality is filtered through his own experiences and emotions. This theme of isolation and loneliness is also present in many of Plath's other works, and it speaks to the universal human experience of feeling disconnected from others.
Symbols and Metaphors
One of the most striking aspects of "The Sleepers" is its use of symbols and metaphors to convey its themes. The most prominent of these symbols is the night itself, which is described as "only a sort of carbon paper" that lets in the light "peephole after peephole." This metaphor suggests that the night is a veil that separates the conscious and unconscious minds, and that the light of the stars and the moon allows us to peek into the depths of our own psyche.
Another powerful symbol in "The Sleepers" is the desert pillow that the speaker suffers on. This metaphor suggests that the speaker's mind is a barren and inhospitable place, where nothing can grow or thrive. The sand that stretches in all directions is a metaphor for the endless expanse of the speaker's thoughts and memories, which he is unable to escape.
The use of color in "The Sleepers" is also significant. The pills that the speaker takes are described as "red, purple, blue," and their "poppy-sleepy colors" suggest a sense of artificiality and emptiness. The colors of the pills do nothing to ease the speaker's insomnia, and they are compared to "classical gods" that have lost their power and significance.
Finally, the howling cats in the granite yard are a powerful metaphor for the speaker's own inner turmoil. The cats are described as "invisible," suggesting that the speaker's own demons are hidden from view. The fact that they are howling like women or damaged instruments suggests a sense of pain and suffering, and the fact that they are in the granite yard suggests a sense of permanence and immovability.
Conclusion
"The Sleepers" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the depths of the human psyche. Through its use of symbols and metaphors, it conveys the themes of the unconscious mind, mental illness, and isolation with great power and intensity. Sylvia Plath's mastery of language and her ability to create vivid images and metaphors make "The Sleepers" a timeless work of art that continues to resonate with readers today.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Sleepers by Sylvia Plath is a classic poem that explores the themes of death, sleep, and the afterlife. Plath, who is known for her dark and introspective poetry, uses vivid imagery and metaphors to create a haunting and dreamlike atmosphere in the poem.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a group of sleepers lying in their beds, seemingly unaware of the world around them. The sleepers are described as being "wrapped in old newspapers" and "tucked in with a shovel." These images suggest that the sleepers are dead and have been buried, but are still somehow present in the world.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to describe the sleepers in more detail. She notes that they are "like children" and "like angels," suggesting that they are innocent and pure. However, she also notes that they are "like the dead," suggesting that they are not truly alive.
The speaker then begins to describe the world around the sleepers. She notes that the "stars go out" and the "moon disappears," suggesting that the world is becoming darker and more ominous. She also notes that the "wind howls" and the "trees creak," suggesting that the world is becoming more chaotic and dangerous.
Despite the darkness and chaos, the sleepers remain peaceful and serene. The speaker notes that they are "smiling in their sleep" and "dreaming of each other," suggesting that they are connected in some way. She also notes that they are "waiting for me," suggesting that the speaker is somehow connected to the sleepers.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most haunting. The speaker notes that the sleepers are "waiting for the sun" and "waiting for me." She then asks the question, "What are they waiting for?" The answer is left unsaid, but the implication is clear: the sleepers are waiting for death, and the speaker is perhaps waiting to join them.
The Sleepers is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of death, sleep, and the afterlife. Plath's use of vivid imagery and metaphors creates a dreamlike atmosphere that is both beautiful and eerie. The poem is a reminder that death is a natural part of life, and that we are all connected in some way, even in death.
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