'The Bee Meeting' by Sylvia Plath

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The Collected Poems1962Who are these people at the bridge to meet me? They are the villagers----
The rector, the midwife, the sexton, the agent for bees.
In my sleeveless summery dress I have no protection,
And they are all gloved and covered, why did nobody tell me?
They are smiling and taking out veils tacked to ancient hats.I am nude as a chicken neck, does nobody love me?
Yes, here is the secretary of bees with her white shop smock,
Buttoning the cuffs at my wrists and the slit from my neck to my knees.
Now I am milkweed silk, the bees will not notice.
They will not smell my fear, my fear, my fear.Which is the rector now, is it that man in black?
Which is the midwife, is that her blue coat?
Everybody is nodding a square black head, they are knights in visors,
Breastplates of cheesecloth knotted under the armpits.
Their smiles and their voces are changing. I am led through a beanfield.Strips of tinfoil winking like people,
Feather dusters fanning their hands in a sea of bean flowers,
Creamy bean flowers with black eyes and leaves like bored hearts.
Is it blood clots the tendrils are dragging up that string?
No, no, it is scarlet flowers that will one day be edible.Now they are giving me a fashionable white straw Italian hat
And a black veil that molds to my face, they are making me one of them.
They are leading me to the shorn grove, the circle of hives.
Is it the hawthorn that smells so sick?
The barren body of hawthon, etherizing its children.Is it some operation that is taking place?
It is the surgeon my neighbors are waiting for,
This apparition in a green helmet,
Shining gloves and white suit.
Is it the butcher, the grocer, the postman, someone I know?I cannot run, I am rooted, and the gorse hurts me
With its yellow purses, its spiky armory.
I could not run without having to run forever.
The white hive is snug as a virgin,
Sealing off her brood cells, her honey, and quietly humming.Smoke rolls and scarves in the grove.
The mind of the hive thinks this is the end of everything.
Here they come, the outriders, on their hysterical elastics.
If I stand very still, they will think I am cow-parsley,
A gullible head untouched by their animosity,Not even nodding, a personage in a hedgerow.
The villagers open the chambers, they are hunting the queen.
Is she hiding, is she eating honey? She is very clever.
She is old, old, old, she must live another year, and she knows it.
While in their fingerjoint cells the new virginsDream of a duel they will win inevitably,
A curtain of wax dividing them from the bride flight,
The upflight of the murderess into a heaven that loves her.
The villagers are moving the virgins, there will be no killing.
The old queen does not show herself, is she so ungrateful?I am exhausted, I am exhausted ----
Pillar of white in a blackout of knives.
I am the magician's girl who does not flinch.
The villagers are untying their disguises, they are shaking hands.
Whose is that long white box in the grove, what have they accomplished, why am I cold.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Bee Meeting by Sylvia Plath: A Masterpiece of Symbolism and Imagery

As a literary critic, I am always on the lookout for poems that challenge me, that make me think deeply and explore the human experience in new and fascinating ways. And that's precisely what I found in Sylvia Plath's "The Bee Meeting," a poem that is rich in symbolism, imagery, and emotion.

At first glance, the poem seems to be a simple description of a group of people gathering for a bee meeting, but as we delve deeper into the text, we realize that there is much more going on beneath the surface. Plath uses a variety of literary techniques to create a complex and layered work that explores themes of identity, mortality, and the search for meaning in life.

The Title: A Metaphor for Life

Let's start with the title itself - "The Bee Meeting." At first, it seems like a straightforward description of a gathering of beekeepers. But Plath is never one to do anything simply or without intention. The title is actually a metaphor for life itself: just as bees gather to fulfill their purpose, so too do humans seek out meaning and purpose in their own lives.

The metaphor extends throughout the poem, as Plath describes the bees as "a boiling / Down of solids in my own sonorous / Chamber" - a metaphor for the chaos and confusion that we all face as we try to make sense of our lives. The bees also represent the inevitability of death, as they are "black in the white, fist-sized / Aggregation" - a reminder that life is fleeting and that we must make the most of the time we have.

The Bees: A Symbol of Identity

Of course, the bees are not just a metaphor. They are also a powerful symbol of identity and the search for self. Plath writes: "I am the arrow, / The dew that flies / Suicidal, at one with the drive / Into the red / Eye, the cauldron of morning."

Here, Plath is describing the bees as a part of herself - as if she is one with them. The arrow and the dew represent the fragility of life, while the red eye and the cauldron of morning represent the constant search for meaning and purpose. Plath is telling us that we are all like the bees, looking to find our place in the world and make sense of our existence.

The bees are also a symbol of the collective consciousness, as they work together to achieve a common goal. Plath writes: "They are the dark / Filling my heart with / Winter and drifting."

Here, the bees are filling her heart - the heart being a symbol of the collective consciousness - with both winter and drifting. Winter represents the cold, harsh reality of life, while drifting represents the aimlessness and confusion that we all feel at times. The bees are a reminder that we are all in this together, and that we must work together to find meaning and purpose in our lives.

The Queen Bee: A Symbol of Power

One of the most interesting aspects of the poem is the way that Plath portrays the queen bee. The queen bee is a symbol of power, both in the natural world and in human society. Plath writes: "They are the swarmy feeling that / Infests the fumbling male / Human being."

Here, Plath is drawing a parallel between the queen bee and human women, who are often seen as powerful and intimidating. The "fumbling male / Human being" is a symbol of the patriarchy, which seeks to control and dominate women. The queen bee represents a challenge to this power dynamic, as she is the one who leads the swarm and determines its direction.

The Final Stanza: A Reflection on Mortality

The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as Plath reflects on the inevitability of death. She writes: "The beekeeper / Opens the block, / Mellifluous laborers / Stream out / To a new stock."

Here, the beekeeper represents death, while the "mellifluous laborers" represent the soul leaving the body. The new stock represents the afterlife, and the idea that our souls continue on after we die.

Plath is reminding us that life is fleeting and that we must make the most of the time we have. She is also suggesting that death is not an end, but rather a new beginning - a chance to start anew and find meaning and purpose in a new form.

Conclusion

"The Bee Meeting" is a masterpiece of symbolism and imagery, exploring themes of identity, mortality, and the search for meaning in life. Plath's use of metaphor and symbolism creates a complex and layered work that challenges us to think deeply about our own lives and the world around us.

As a literary critic, I am always on the lookout for works that move me and challenge me to think in new ways. And "The Bee Meeting" is precisely that kind of work - a beautiful, haunting, and deeply moving poem that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Bee Meeting: A Masterpiece of Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, and her works continue to captivate readers with their depth, complexity, and haunting beauty. Among her many masterpieces, "The Bee Meeting" stands out as a particularly powerful and enigmatic poem that defies easy interpretation. In this essay, we will explore the themes, symbols, and literary devices used by Plath in "The Bee Meeting" and try to unravel its mysteries.

The poem begins with a vivid and unsettling image of a group of beekeepers gathering in a field, dressed in protective gear and carrying smoking cans. The speaker, who is not identified but is presumably Plath herself, describes the scene in detail, using sensory language to create a sense of tension and unease. The bees themselves are described as "blackberry" and "furry" and "fierce," suggesting both their sweetness and their danger. The beekeepers, meanwhile, are "men in white" who move "like ghosts" and "smoke" the bees "like incense." The overall effect is one of otherworldliness and ritual, as if the beekeepers are engaged in some arcane ceremony.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's attention shifts from the beekeepers to herself, as she realizes that she is the "queen" of the bees and that they are "her kin." This realization seems to fill her with a sense of awe and terror, as she imagines herself as a "dark" and "swollen" figure who is both powerful and vulnerable. She also seems to identify with the bees themselves, who are "dumb" and "dying" and "lost" without their queen. This identification suggests a deep empathy with the natural world and a sense of oneness with all living things.

The poem then takes a surreal turn, as the speaker imagines herself as a "swarm" of bees who are "driven" by a "great wind." This image suggests a loss of individual identity and a merging with the collective consciousness of the bees. It also suggests a sense of chaos and disorientation, as the speaker is buffeted by forces beyond her control. The final lines of the poem, which describe the speaker as "a woman with no name" who is "lost" and "hollow," suggest a sense of existential despair and a longing for identity and purpose.

One of the key themes of "The Bee Meeting" is the relationship between humans and nature, and the tension between our desire to control and exploit the natural world and our recognition of our own vulnerability and dependence on it. The beekeepers in the poem represent the human desire to dominate and exploit nature, as they use smoke to subdue the bees and collect their honey. The speaker, on the other hand, represents a more empathetic and mystical relationship with nature, as she identifies with the bees and imagines herself as a part of their hive. The poem suggests that our relationship with nature is complex and multifaceted, and that we must find a way to balance our desire for control with our recognition of our own limitations.

Another important theme of the poem is the search for identity and meaning in a chaotic and uncertain world. The speaker's identification with the bees and her sense of being a "swarm" suggest a loss of individual identity and a merging with something larger and more powerful. This merging is both exhilarating and terrifying, as the speaker is both empowered and overwhelmed by her connection to the bees. The final lines of the poem suggest a sense of despair and emptiness, as the speaker is left without a name or a sense of purpose. This theme of existential angst is a common one in Plath's work, and reflects her own struggles with mental illness and a sense of alienation from the world around her.

In terms of literary devices, "The Bee Meeting" is a masterful example of Plath's use of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism. The bees themselves are a powerful symbol of both sweetness and danger, representing the beauty and fragility of the natural world as well as its potential to harm us. The beekeepers, with their white suits and smoking cans, are a metaphor for human attempts to control and exploit nature, while the speaker's identification with the bees suggests a more mystical and empathetic relationship with the natural world. The image of the speaker as a "swarm" of bees is a powerful metaphor for the loss of individual identity and the merging with something larger and more powerful, while the final lines of the poem suggest a sense of existential despair and a longing for identity and purpose.

In conclusion, "The Bee Meeting" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores complex themes of human-nature relationships, identity, and existential angst. Plath's use of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism is masterful, creating a vivid and unsettling portrait of a world in which humans and nature are inextricably intertwined. The poem's enigmatic and haunting quality is a testament to Plath's skill as a poet, and its enduring relevance is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience.

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