'Full Fathom Five' by Sylvia Plath
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Old man, you surface seldom.
Then you come in with the tide's coming
When seas wash cold, foam-
Capped: white hair, white beard, far-flung,
A dragnet, rising, falling, as waves
Crest and trough. Miles long
Extend the radial sheaves
Of your spread hair, in which wrinkling skeins
Knotted, caught, survives
The old myth of orgins
Unimaginable. You float near
As kneeled ice-mountains
Of the north, to be steered clear
Of, not fathomed. All obscurity
Starts with a danger:
Your dangers are many. I
Cannot look much but your form suffers
Some strange injury
And seems to die: so vapors
Ravel to clearness on the dawn sea.
The muddy rumors
Of your burial move me
To half-believe: your reappearance
Proves rumors shallow,
For the archaic trenched lines
Of your grained face shed time in runnels:
Ages beat like rains
On the unbeaten channels
Of the ocean. Such sage humor and
Durance are whirlpools
To make away with the ground-
Work of the earth and the sky's ridgepole.
Waist down, you may wind
One labyrinthine tangle
To root deep among knuckles, shinbones,
Skulls. Inscrutable,
Below shoulders not once
Seen by any man who kept his head,
You defy questions;
You defy godhood.
I walk dry on your kingdom's border
Exiled to no good.
Your shelled bed I remember.
Father, this thick air is murderous.
I would breathe water.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Full Fathom Five: A Masterpiece by Sylvia Plath
What makes a poem great? Is it the complexity of the language? Is it the depth of the meaning? Or is it simply the way it captures a moment in time and space, and makes us feel something deep inside our hearts? Full Fathom Five, written by Sylvia Plath, is all of these things and more. It is a masterpiece that speaks to us on many levels, and it is a testament to the incredible talent of one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.
Background
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist, and short-story writer, born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932. She is best known for her confessional poetry, which often dealt with themes of death, depression, and personal struggle. Plath's work is characterized by its intense imagery, its use of stark, often brutal language, and its deeply personal nature. She is widely considered to be one of the most important poets of the 20th century, and her work has had a profound influence on the literary world.
Full Fathom Five was written by Plath in 1961, during a particularly tumultuous period in her life. She had recently separated from her husband, the poet Ted Hughes, and was struggling with depression and feelings of isolation. The poem is a haunting meditation on death, and it is one of Plath's most famous and enduring works.
Literary Analysis
Full Fathom Five is a deceptively simple poem. It is only six lines long, and the language is straightforward and unadorned. However, the depth of meaning in these six lines is profound, and the imagery is hauntingly beautiful.
The poem begins with the line, "Full fathom five thy father lies." This line is a reference to Shakespeare's play The Tempest, in which the character Ariel sings a song that includes the line "Full fathom five thy father lies; / Of his bones are coral made." Plath's use of this line is significant, as it immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The play is about a father who is presumed dead but is actually alive, and Plath uses this reference to explore the theme of death and the uncertainty that surrounds it.
The next line of the poem is "Of his bones are coral made." This line is a striking image, and it serves to reinforce the idea of the father's death. Coral is a hard, unyielding substance, and the bones of the father are compared to this substance to emphasize their finality. The image of coral also suggests a sense of timelessness, as coral is something that grows slowly over many years. This reinforces the idea that death is a permanent state, and that the father will never return.
The third line of the poem is "Those are pearls that were his eyes." This line is a reference to another line from The Tempest, in which Ariel says "Those are pearls that were his eyes: / Nothing of him that doth fade, / But doth suffer a sea-change / Into something rich and strange." Plath's use of this line is significant, as it suggests that the father's death has transformed him into something new and different. The image of pearls is particularly striking, as pearls are valuable and precious, and they suggest a sense of beauty and elegance.
The fourth line of the poem is "Nothing of him that doth fade." This line is a repetition of the line from The Tempest, and it serves to emphasize the idea that the father's death has transformed him into something new and different. The repetition of this line also suggests a sense of finality, as if the transformation is complete and irreversible.
The fifth line of the poem is "But doth suffer a sea-change." This line is a reference to the idea of metamorphosis, and it suggests that the father's death has caused him to undergo a profound transformation. The image of a sea-change is particularly striking, as it suggests a sense of fluidity and movement. The sea-change is something that happens slowly over time, and it suggests that the father's transformation is ongoing and never-ending.
The final line of the poem is "Into something rich and strange." This line is a reference to the line from The Tempest, and it serves to reinforce the idea that the father's death has transformed him into something new and different. The use of the words "rich and strange" is significant, as they suggest a sense of mystery and wonder. The father has become something that is both beautiful and unfamiliar, and the speaker of the poem is left to wonder what that might be.
Interpretation
Full Fathom Five is a poem about death and transformation. It explores the idea that death is not an end, but rather a beginning, and that it has the power to transform us into something new and different. The poem is also deeply personal, and it reflects Plath's own struggles with depression and feelings of isolation.
The use of imagery in the poem is particularly powerful. The image of coral is a striking one, and it serves to reinforce the idea of finality and permanence. The image of pearls is also significant, as it suggests a sense of beauty and elegance that is at odds with the idea of death. The image of a sea-change is perhaps the most striking of all, as it suggests a sense of movement and fluidity that is at odds with the idea of death as a final state.
The poem is also significant for its use of literary allusion. The reference to Shakespeare's The Tempest serves to set the tone for the rest of the poem, and it suggests a sense of timelessness and universality that is at odds with the personal nature of the poem. By using this reference, Plath is able to explore the theme of death in a way that is both personal and universal, and she is able to create a work that is both deeply personal and deeply meaningful.
Conclusion
Full Fathom Five is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It is a work that speaks to us on many levels, and it is a testament to the incredible talent of Sylvia Plath. The poem explores the theme of death and transformation in a way that is both personal and universal, and it does so with a depth of imagery and language that is truly remarkable. Full Fathom Five is a work that will continue to be read and studied for many years to come, and it is a reminder of the enduring power of great poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Full Fathom Five: A Deep Dive into Sylvia Plath’s Classic Poem
Sylvia Plath is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, known for her confessional style and haunting imagery. Her poem Full Fathom Five is a prime example of her mastery of language and her ability to convey complex emotions through simple yet powerful words. In this 2000-word analysis, we will take a deep dive into the poem, exploring its themes, symbols, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the line “Full fathom five thy father lies,” which immediately sets a mournful tone. The phrase “full fathom five” refers to a depth of five fathoms, or thirty feet, which is the traditional depth at which a body is buried at sea. The use of the word “thy” suggests that the speaker is addressing someone directly, perhaps the person who has lost their father. The repetition of the “f” sound in “full fathom five” creates a sense of finality and closure, as if the father’s death is an immutable fact.
The next line, “Of his bones are coral made,” introduces a powerful symbol that runs throughout the poem. Coral is a living organism that grows in the ocean, and its hard, branching structure is often used in jewelry and decorative objects. By saying that the father’s bones are coral made, the speaker is suggesting that he has become part of the ocean itself, his body transformed into something beautiful and enduring. This image is both comforting and unsettling, as it suggests that death is not an end but a transformation.
The third line, “Those are pearls that were his eyes,” continues the theme of transformation and introduces another powerful symbol. Pearls are formed inside oysters as a response to an irritant, such as a grain of sand. Over time, the oyster coats the irritant with layers of nacre, creating a smooth, lustrous pearl. By saying that the father’s eyes are pearls, the speaker is suggesting that even in death, he has created something beautiful and valuable. The use of the word “were” suggests that the father’s eyes are no longer his own, but have been transformed into something else.
The fourth line, “Nothing of him that doth fade,” reinforces the idea that the father’s transformation is permanent. The use of the word “nothing” suggests that there is no trace of the father left behind, except for the coral and pearls that he has become. The phrase “that doth fade” suggests that everything else in the world is subject to decay and impermanence, but the father’s transformation is eternal.
The second stanza of the poem shifts focus from the father to the speaker, who says “But doth suffer a sea-change.” The phrase “sea-change” refers to a profound transformation, often brought about by exposure to the sea. The speaker is suggesting that they too have been transformed by the father’s death, perhaps in ways that are not yet fully understood. The use of the word “suffer” suggests that this transformation is not necessarily a positive one, but one that is painful and difficult.
The next line, “Into something rich and strange,” introduces another powerful symbol. The phrase “rich and strange” suggests that the transformation is both valuable and mysterious. The speaker is suggesting that they have become something new and different, something that is not easily understood or categorized. The use of the word “something” suggests that the speaker is not yet sure what they have become, but that it is something worth exploring.
The final line of the poem, “Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell,” introduces a new element of mystery and ambiguity. The phrase “sea-nymphs” suggests that the speaker is not alone in their transformation, but is part of a larger, mystical world. The use of the word “hourly” suggests that the transformation is ongoing, and that the father’s death continues to have an impact on the speaker and their surroundings. The phrase “ring his knell” suggests that the father’s death is being commemorated or celebrated in some way, but the exact nature of this celebration is left open to interpretation.
In terms of literary devices, Full Fathom Five is rich with imagery, symbolism, and alliteration. The repetition of the “f” sound in “full fathom five” creates a sense of finality and closure, while the repetition of the “s” sound in “something rich and strange” creates a sense of mystery and ambiguity. The use of symbols such as coral and pearls reinforces the theme of transformation and suggests that even in death, there is beauty and value to be found. The use of the phrase “sea-change” is a nod to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, which also explores themes of transformation and the power of the sea.
Overall, Full Fathom Five is a powerful and haunting poem that explores themes of transformation, mortality, and the power of the sea. Through its use of vivid imagery and powerful symbols, it conveys complex emotions in a simple yet profound way. As with much of Plath’s work, the poem leaves many questions unanswered, inviting the reader to explore its themes and symbols in their own way.
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