'The Moon And The Yew Tree' by Sylvia Plath
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The Collected Poems1961This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary
The trees of the mind are black. The light is blue.
The grasses unload their griefs on my feet as if I were God
Prickling my ankles and murmuring of their humility
Fumy, spiritous mists inhabit this place.
Separated from my house by a row of headstones.
I simply cannot see where there is to get to.The moon is no door. It is a face in its own right,
White as a knuckle and terribly upset.
It drags the sea after it like a dark crime; it is quiet
With the O-gape of complete despair. I live here.
Twice on Sunday, the bells startle the sky ----
Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection
At the end, they soberly bong out their names.The yew tree points up, it has a Gothic shape.
The eyes lift after it and find the moon.
The moon is my mother. She is not sweet like Mary.
Her blue garments unloose small bats and owls.
How I would like to believe in tenderness ----
The face of the effigy, gentled by candles,
Bending, on me in particular, its mild eyes.I have fallen a long way. Clouds are flowering
Blue and mystical over the face of the stars
Inside the church, the saints will all be blue,
Floating on their delicate feet over the cold pews,
Their hands and faces stiff with holiness.
The moon sees nothing of this. She is bald and wild.
And the message of the yew tree is blackness -- blackness and silence
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Moon And The Yew Tree: A Haunting Poem by Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath’s “The Moon and the Yew Tree” is one of her most enigmatic and haunting poems. It is a powerful exploration of the human psyche, mortality, and the nature of existence. The poem is often interpreted as a meditation on death and the afterlife, but there are many other layers to it that make it a fascinating and complex work of art. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will examine the poem in detail and try to uncover some of its many meanings and symbols.
The Setting: A Haunted Landscape
The poem is set in a haunted landscape, which is evoked in vivid and sometimes unsettling imagery. The yew tree, for example, is a powerful symbol of death and the underworld. It is an evergreen tree that can live for thousands of years and is often found in old churchyards and graveyards. In the poem, the yew tree is “black”, “gnarled”, and “venerable”, suggesting its ancient and ominous presence. It is also portrayed as a kind of gatekeeper, a sentinel that guards the entrance to the underworld. The speaker of the poem sees the yew tree as a “huge, hurt, hallucination / Of a tree” that is both “inanimate” and “death-proud”.
The moon, on the other hand, is a symbol of spirituality, femininity, and the unconscious. It is a recurring image in Plath’s poetry, and in this poem, it is described as “cold” and “remote”. The moon is also associated with the sea, which is another symbol of the unconscious and the depths of the human psyche. The speaker of the poem describes the moon as “A chalky, slow / Withdrawal” that is “Dragging the sea after it” like a “dark crime”.
Together, the yew tree and the moon create a haunting and eerie atmosphere that permeates the entire poem. They suggest a world that is both timeless and haunted, where death and the afterlife are never far away.
The Speaker: A Fragmented Self
The speaker of the poem is a fragmented self, a persona that embodies different aspects of Plath’s personality. She is both the observer and the observed, the subject and the object, the living and the dead. She describes herself as “I”, “she”, and “you”, suggesting a shifting and unstable sense of identity. The speaker is also haunted by memories and regrets, which appear as fragmented images throughout the poem.
For example, she remembers the “old woman” who used to live in the house, who is now dead and buried in the churchyard. She also recalls the “blackness and silence” of the sea, which suggests a traumatic or unsettling experience. These memories are not presented in a linear or logical sequence, but rather in a fragmented and disjointed manner. This suggests that the speaker’s sense of self is also fragmented and disjointed, reflecting the psychological trauma and instability that Plath experienced throughout her life.
The Themes: Mortality and the Afterlife
The main themes of the poem are mortality and the afterlife. The speaker is preoccupied with the idea of death and what comes after it. She describes the yew tree as a symbol of death and the afterlife, a “huge, hurt, hallucination / Of a tree” that is “death-proud”. She also sees the moon as a symbol of the afterlife, a “chalky, slow / Withdrawal” that is “Dragging the sea after it” like a “dark crime”.
There is a sense of unease and anxiety throughout the poem, as the speaker contemplates her own mortality and the inevitability of death. She asks, “Is there no great love, only tenderness?” suggesting a fear of death and the unknown. She also describes the yew tree as a “blackness” that “removes me from the mind”, suggesting a fear of oblivion and the annihilation of the self.
Despite the fear and anxiety, however, there is also a sense of acceptance and resignation in the poem. The speaker acknowledges that death is inevitable and that there is no escaping it. She describes the yew tree as a “venerable” presence that is part of the natural cycle of life and death. She also suggests that death is not the end, but rather a transition to something else, when she says, “The moon is no door”.
The Symbols: Yew Tree, Moon, Sea
The yew tree, moon, and sea are three powerful symbols in the poem, each with its own rich and complex associations. The yew tree, as we have seen, is a symbol of death and the afterlife, but it is also associated with rebirth and regeneration. It is a tree that can live for thousands of years and is often used in pagan rituals and ceremonies.
The moon, as we have seen, is a symbol of spirituality and the unconscious, but it is also associated with femininity and fertility. It is a recurring image in Plath’s poetry, and is often used to represent the divided self, the conscious and unconscious minds.
The sea, as we have seen, is a symbol of the unconscious and the depths of the human psyche, but it is also associated with the unknown and the mysterious. It is a vast and powerful force that can both sustain and destroy life.
Together, these symbols create a rich and complex web of associations that give the poem its haunting and mysterious quality. They suggest a world that is both familiar and strange, where the boundaries between life and death, reality and imagination, are never clear-cut.
The Style: Rhythmic and Imagistic
The poetic style of “The Moon and the Yew Tree” is rhythmic and imagistic. Plath uses repetition, alliteration, and other sound devices to create a hypnotic and dreamlike quality. She also uses vivid and sometimes startling imagery to evoke the haunted landscape and the fragmented self of the speaker.
For example, she describes the yew tree as a “huge, hurt, hallucination / Of a tree” and the moon as a “chalky, slow / Withdrawal”. These images are both vivid and unsettling, suggesting a world that is both beautiful and terrifying.
The overall effect of the style is to create a sense of unease and anxiety, which adds to the theme of mortality and the afterlife. The poem is not a comforting or reassuring one, but rather a haunting and enigmatic one, that leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
Conclusion: A Powerful and Enigmatic Poem
In conclusion, “The Moon and the Yew Tree” is a powerful and enigmatic poem that explores some of the deepest and most fundamental aspects of human existence. It is a meditation on mortality and the afterlife, but also an exploration of the fragmented self and the haunted landscape of the human psyche. Through its rich and complex imagery, symbols, and style, the poem creates a haunting and unsettling world that leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Despite its darkness and anxiety, however, there is also a sense of acceptance and resignation in the poem, suggesting a deeper wisdom and understanding of the human condition.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Moon And The Yew Tree: A Haunting Poem by Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, known for her confessional style and haunting imagery. Her poem, The Moon And The Yew Tree, is a perfect example of her unique voice and style. In this poem, Plath explores themes of death, loneliness, and the search for meaning in life. The poem is a powerful and evocative piece of writing that has captivated readers for decades.
The poem begins with a description of a moonlit night, with the moon shining down on a yew tree. The yew tree is a symbol of death and mourning, as it is often found in graveyards and is associated with funerals. The moon, on the other hand, is a symbol of light and hope, but in this poem, it seems to be a cold and distant presence.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with its eerie and unsettling imagery. Plath writes, "This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary / The trees of the mind are black. The light is blue." The use of color imagery is particularly effective here, with the cold blue light of the moon contrasting with the blackness of the trees. The trees of the mind are a metaphor for the dark and mysterious corners of the human psyche, and the blue light of the moon represents the cold and distant nature of the universe.
In the second stanza, Plath describes the yew tree in more detail, saying that it is "not a tree at all, / But an upturned boat with its name / Painted on the stern." This image is both eerie and beautiful, as the yew tree is transformed into a ghostly vessel that seems to be sailing through the night sky. The name painted on the stern is a reminder of the transience of life, as everything eventually fades away and is forgotten.
The third stanza is perhaps the most haunting of all, as Plath describes the "ghosts" that haunt the yew tree. She writes, "The yew's blackness is not blackness, something else / Hauls it deeper into the night, a hand / Or a hook / Or a man made out of darkness / Who doesn't want to disturb the silence." The use of the word "ghosts" is particularly effective here, as it suggests that the yew tree is a place where the dead come to rest. The idea of a man made out of darkness is also a powerful image, as it suggests that there is something sinister lurking in the shadows.
In the fourth stanza, Plath shifts her focus to the moon, describing it as a "white god" that is "cold and caustic." The moon is a symbol of the divine, but in this poem, it seems to be a distant and uncaring deity. Plath writes, "The moon is no door. It is a face in its own right, / White as a knuckle and terribly upset." The use of the word "knuckle" is particularly effective here, as it suggests that the moon is a hard and unyielding presence.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most enigmatic, as Plath writes, "I have fallen a long way. Clouds are flowering / Blue and mystical over the face of the stars. / Inside the church, the saints will all be blue, / Floating on their delicate feet over the cold pews, / Their hands and faces stiff with holiness." The image of the clouds flowering is a beautiful one, suggesting that even in the midst of darkness and despair, there is still beauty to be found. The saints floating over the cold pews is also a powerful image, as it suggests that even in death, there is still a sense of grace and transcendence.
In conclusion, The Moon And The Yew Tree is a haunting and powerful poem that explores themes of death, loneliness, and the search for meaning in life. Plath's use of imagery is particularly effective, with the yew tree and the moon serving as powerful symbols of the human condition. The poem is a testament to Plath's unique voice and style, and it remains a powerful and evocative piece of writing that continues to captivate readers to this day.
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