'I Am Vertical' by Sylvia Plath
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But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.
Tonight, in the infinitesimal light of the stars,
The trees and flowers have been strewing their cool odors.
I walk among them, but none of them are noticing.
Sometimes I think that when I am sleeping
I must most perfectly resemble them--
Thoughts gone dim.
It is more natural to me, lying down.
Then the sky and I are in open conversation,
And I shall be useful when I lie down finally:
The the trees may touch me for once, and the flowers have time for me.
Editor 1 Interpretation
"I Am Vertical" by Sylvia Plath: A Poem of Despair and Hope
Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, and her poem "I Am Vertical" is a hauntingly beautiful expression of her struggle with depression and her longing for death. In this 4000 word literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the themes, imagery, and symbolism of this classic poem.
The Background of the Poem
"I Am Vertical" was written by Sylvia Plath in the winter of 1961, just a few months before her first suicide attempt. Plath had been struggling with severe depression for most of her adult life, and her poetic output during this period was heavily influenced by her emotional turmoil. "I Am Vertical" is one of the most powerful examples of this influence, as it lays bare the poet's innermost thoughts and feelings.
The Meaning of the Title
The title "I Am Vertical" is a statement of fact, but it is also a metaphor. The poet is not just describing her physical posture; she is also describing her state of mind. To be vertical is to be standing upright, to be alive and alert. But Plath's use of the present tense also suggests a certain fragility and vulnerability. She is vertical for now, but she knows that she could easily fall.
The Tone of the Poem
The tone of "I Am Vertical" is one of deep despair, but it is also shot through with a sense of hope. Plath is not simply wallowing in her own misery; she is struggling against it. The poem is an expression of her determination to survive, to keep standing upright in the face of her own despair.
The Imagery of the Poem
The imagery of "I Am Vertical" is both vivid and unsettling. Plath uses metaphors and similes to convey the depth of her despair, and to create a sense of unease in the reader. For example, she compares herself to a tree that has been stripped of its leaves:
The leaves Fall, fall,
Slowly as the trees
Settle themselves down
To the long winter
Under the beneficence
Of the moon.
This image is both beautiful and tragic. The leaves falling from the tree suggest a kind of death or decay, but the moon shining down on the scene adds a note of transcendence. Plath is suggesting that even in the midst of her despair, there is still something beautiful and meaningful in the world.
The Symbols of the Poem
One of the key symbols in "I Am Vertical" is the moon. Plath uses the moon to represent both the light and the darkness in her life. On the one hand, the moon is a source of light and hope, shining down on the poet even in her darkest moments. On the other hand, the moon is also a symbol of death, casting its cold, unfeeling light on everything around it.
Another important symbol in the poem is the bed. Plath refers to her bed several times throughout the poem, and each time she does so, it takes on a different meaning. At first, the bed represents comfort and safety:
The bed is not very big, a white
Childish cry
Underneath the huge
Mountains of the moon.
But later, the bed becomes a symbol of death:
Now I
Am witness to
The terrible thing:
The she
Is in bed with me.
The bed is no longer a place of comfort; it is a place of darkness and despair.
The Structure of the Poem
"I Am Vertical" is a free verse poem, which means that it does not follow any particular rhyme or meter. This gives Plath a great deal of freedom to express her emotions in a raw, unfiltered way. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which is composed of several short, fragmented lines. This structure mirrors the poet's state of mind, which is fragmented and disjointed.
The Message of the Poem
At its core, "I Am Vertical" is a poem about the struggle for survival. Plath is expressing her deep despair, but she is also fighting against it. She is determined to keep standing upright, even when everything around her seems to be falling apart. The poem is a message of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is still something beautiful and meaningful in the world.
Conclusion
"I Am Vertical" is a powerful and haunting poem that captures Sylvia Plath's struggle to survive in the face of overwhelming despair. Through vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, Plath creates a world that is both beautiful and tragic, a world in which hope and despair are inextricably intertwined. Ultimately, the poem is a message of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is still something worth fighting for.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
I Am Vertical: A Poem of Life and Death
Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, known for her confessional and deeply personal style of writing. Her poem "I Am Vertical" is a haunting and powerful exploration of life and death, and the struggle to find meaning in the face of mortality.
The poem begins with the speaker declaring, "I am vertical," a simple statement that belies the complexity of the emotions and ideas that follow. The speaker is not just standing up straight, but is also acknowledging their existence in the world, their place in the grand scheme of things. This is a theme that runs throughout the poem, as the speaker grapples with the idea of their own mortality and the fleeting nature of life.
The second line of the poem, "But I would rather be horizontal," immediately introduces a sense of conflict. The speaker seems to be suggesting that being horizontal, or lying down, is preferable to being vertical, or standing up. This could be interpreted as a desire for rest or escape from the pressures of life, or it could be seen as a metaphor for death itself. The speaker goes on to describe the feeling of lying down in the grass, "the blades cutting the back of my neck," which could be seen as a symbol of the harsh realities of life, or the pain and discomfort that comes with living.
The third and fourth lines of the poem, "Saying nothing / And looking upwards," suggest a sense of resignation or acceptance. The speaker seems to be content to simply exist, to look up at the sky and contemplate the mysteries of the universe. This could be seen as a form of meditation or spiritual practice, a way of finding meaning in the face of mortality.
The fifth and sixth lines of the poem, "The white clouds / Shutting and opening on me like doors," introduce a sense of movement and change. The clouds are a symbol of the passing of time, the constant flux of life and death. The image of the clouds opening and shutting like doors suggests the idea of opportunities and possibilities, of moments of clarity and understanding that come and go.
The seventh and eighth lines of the poem, "Or a music / The great bones of my life stirring and falling," introduce the idea of music as a metaphor for life. The speaker suggests that their life is like a piece of music, with its own rhythms and melodies. The image of the "great bones" of their life stirring and falling suggests the idea of growth and decay, of the cycle of life and death.
The ninth and tenth lines of the poem, "And I am listening / Stillness and tears of rain," introduce a sense of sadness and loss. The speaker seems to be mourning the passing of time, the inevitability of death. The image of tears of rain suggests a sense of grief and mourning, a recognition of the fragility of life.
The eleventh and twelfth lines of the poem, "Stirring the air, / Bruising the grass," introduce a sense of violence and destruction. The speaker seems to be suggesting that life itself is a force that can be both beautiful and destructive, that the very act of living can cause harm to the world around us.
The thirteenth and fourteenth lines of the poem, "A million flowers / Full of rotting flesh," introduce the idea of decay and death. The flowers, which are typically associated with beauty and life, are here described as being full of rotting flesh, a symbol of the inevitable decay that comes with the passage of time.
The fifteenth and sixteenth lines of the poem, "And I don't move, / Traveller, love, O chariot," introduce a sense of longing and desire. The speaker seems to be addressing someone or something, perhaps a lover or a higher power, and expressing a desire to be taken away from the pain and suffering of life.
The final line of the poem, "Let me go," is a powerful statement of resignation and acceptance. The speaker seems to be acknowledging the inevitability of their own death, and expressing a desire to be released from the burdens of life.
Overall, "I Am Vertical" is a powerful and complex exploration of life and death, of the struggle to find meaning in the face of mortality. The poem is filled with rich imagery and metaphor, and the language is both beautiful and haunting. It is a testament to Plath's skill as a poet, and a reminder of the power of poetry to capture the deepest emotions and ideas of the human experience.
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