'Edge' by Sylvia Plath
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The woman is perfected
Her dead
Body wears the smile of accomplishment,
The illusion of a Greek necessity
Flows in the scrolls of her toga,
Her bare
Feet seem to be saying:
We have come so far, it is over.
Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,
One at each little
Pitcher of milk, now empty
She has folded
Them back into her body as petals
Of a rose close when the garden
Stiffens and odors bleed
From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower.
The moon has nothing to be sad about,
Staring from her hood of bone.
She is used to this sort of thing.
Her blacks crackle and drag.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Edge by Sylvia Plath: A Deep Dive into the Dark Waters of the Human Psyche
Sylvia Plath's "Edge" is a haunting and enigmatic poem that delves into the murky depths of the human psyche, exploring themes of death, despair, and identity. Written in 1962, just two years before Plath's tragic suicide, "Edge" reflects the poet's preoccupation with mortality and her struggle to come to terms with her own inner demons.
The Poem: A Close Reading
Let us begin our journey into the heart of "Edge" by taking a close look at the poem itself.
The woman is perfected.
Her dead
Body wears the smile of accomplishment,
The illusion of a Greek necessity
Flows in the scrolls of her toga,
Her bare
Feet seem to be saying:
We have come so far, it is over.
Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,
One at each little
Pitcher of milk, now empty
She has folded
Them back into her body as petals
Of a rose close when the garden
Stiffens and odors bleed
From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower.
The moon has nothing to be sad about,
Staring from her hood of bone.
She is used to this sort of thing.
Her blacks crackle and drag.
At first glance, "Edge" seems to be a poem about a dead woman who has achieved some kind of perfection or fulfillment. The opening line, "The woman is perfected," suggests that the speaker regards the woman's death as a kind of completion or consummation. The next line, "Her dead/ Body wears the smile of accomplishment," reinforces this idea, as it implies that the woman has achieved some kind of goal or purpose in life.
However, the poem quickly takes a darker turn as we realize that the woman's "accomplishment" is her own death. The line "Each dead child coiled, a white serpent" suggests that the woman has killed her own children, or at least that they have died under her care. The image of the "white serpent" coils suggests a kind of cold, calculating cruelty that is chilling to contemplate.
The next lines, "One at each little/ Pitcher of milk, now empty" reinforce this sense of loss and emptiness. The woman's dead children are like empty vessels, drained of life and meaning. Yet the image of the "petals/ Of a rose close when the garden/ Stiffens and odors bleed/ From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower" suggests that the woman has somehow absorbed her children back into herself, as if they were never separate entities to begin with.
The last stanza of the poem seems to take a step back from the woman's personal tragedy and focus on the larger cosmic perspective. The moon, a timeless symbol of change and renewal, is "used to this sort of thing," implying that death and loss are simply part of the natural order of things. The final line, "Her blacks crackle and drag," suggests both the sound of bones cracking and the weight of mortality dragging us down.
Interpretation: A Journey into the Abyss
Now that we have examined the surface details of "Edge," let us dive deeper into its hidden meanings and subtext.
One of the most striking aspects of "Edge" is its depiction of the woman's dead children as white serpents. This image is rich with symbolic associations, from the serpent as a biblical symbol of evil and temptation to the serpent as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. In Plath's poem, the serpent seems to represent both the woman's own inner demons and her children's lost potential. The fact that the serpents are white suggests a kind of innocence or purity, which is ironic given their association with death and decay.
Another key element of "Edge" is the woman's apparent sense of accomplishment or completion. The fact that she wears a smile and her feet seem to say "We have come so far, it is over" suggests that she regards death as a kind of liberation or achievement. This attitude is both disturbing and fascinating, as it suggests that the woman has somehow reconciled herself to the inevitability of her own mortality.
Yet the final stanza of the poem suggests a more complex and ambivalent attitude towards death. The moon, with its "hood of bone," seems to represent the cold, impersonal forces of nature that are indifferent to human suffering. The fact that the moon "has nothing to be sad about" implies that sadness and grief are purely human emotions, which means that they are both a source of strength and a source of vulnerability.
In this context, the line "Her blacks crackle and drag" takes on a more ominous meaning. The word "blacks" can be read as a reference to mourning attire, but it also suggests a kind of darkness or negativity that is associated with death and despair. The fact that the blacks "crackle and drag" implies a sense of heaviness and decay, as if the weight of mortality is dragging us down into the abyss.
Conclusion: A Poem of Ambiguity and Complexity
In conclusion, "Edge" is a poem of great ambiguity and complexity, which reflects both the dark preoccupations of its author and the timeless themes of human suffering and mortality. Through its striking imagery and enigmatic language, "Edge" invites us to explore the depths of the human psyche and confront our own mortality with courage and honesty. Whether we regard the woman's death as a kind of fulfillment or a tragic loss, we cannot escape the fact that we are all mortal beings, subject to the same laws of nature and fate. As such, "Edge" remains a powerful and haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the eternal mysteries that lie beyond our comprehension.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Sylvia Plath's "Edge" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of death, despair, and the human condition. Written in 1962, just two years before Plath's tragic suicide, the poem is a reflection of the author's own struggles with mental illness and the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that she felt.
At its core, "Edge" is a meditation on the inevitability of death and the futility of human existence. The poem opens with the stark declaration that "The woman is perfected / Her dead / Body wears the smile of accomplishment." This image of a dead woman with a smile on her face is both eerie and unsettling, and sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
As the poem continues, Plath explores the idea that death is the ultimate release from the pain and suffering of life. She writes, "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." Here, Plath is using the image of the yew tree, a traditional symbol of death and mourning, to suggest that death is a natural and inevitable part of life. The moon, which is often associated with femininity and motherhood, represents the idea of rebirth and renewal.
Throughout the poem, Plath uses vivid and often disturbing imagery to convey the sense of despair and hopelessness that she feels. She writes, "The water I taste is warm and salt, like the sea, / And comes from a country far away as health." This image of warm, salty water is both sensual and unsettling, and suggests that even the most basic pleasures of life are tainted by the inevitability of death.
Plath also uses the image of a mirror to explore the idea of self-reflection and the fear of aging and mortality. She writes, "The mirror gives back a woman without deformity. / The mirror gives back a woman without deformity. / The grave is a mirror." Here, Plath is suggesting that death is the ultimate mirror, reflecting back to us the true nature of our existence and the futility of our struggles against mortality.
Despite the bleakness of its subject matter, "Edge" is a deeply moving and powerful poem that speaks to the universal human experience of mortality and the struggle to find meaning in life. Plath's use of vivid imagery and haunting language creates a sense of unease and discomfort that lingers long after the poem has ended.
In conclusion, Sylvia Plath's "Edge" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the themes of death, despair, and the human condition with a raw and unflinching honesty. Through her use of vivid imagery and haunting language, Plath creates a sense of unease and discomfort that speaks to the universal human experience of mortality and the struggle to find meaning in life. Despite its bleak subject matter, "Edge" is a deeply moving and powerful poem that continues to resonate with readers today.
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