Child
by Sylvia Plath
Your clear eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing.
I want to fill it with color and ducks,
The zoo of the new
Whose names you meditate ---
April snowdrop, Indian pipe,
Little
Stalk without wrinkle,
Pool in which images
Should be grand and classical
Not this troublous
Wringing of hands, this dark
Ceiling without a star.
Personal Reaction: I enjoyed “Child” by Sylvia Plath because the poem transitioned from positive hopes and dreams for her child into the negative experiences she didn’t want them to go through. My favorite part about the poem was the contrast between the first and last sentences. The first was cheerful and spirited, whereas the last is slightly disturbing and depressing. Additionally, I admired her use of diction. Words such as, “grand”, “classical”, “troublous”, and “wringing” are all descriptive and eloquent because they helped me create specific images in my head.
Literary Analysis: The poem, “Child” by Sylvia Plath is about her son or daughter, which is obvious because of the title. In it, she expresses her desire to have her child continue to live a bright and happy life, unlike her own. In the first line of the poem she says, “Your clear eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing.” The phrase, “clear eye” usually refers to having a mind that isn’t affected by fear or doubt, and within this line she shows her admiration for their purity by calling this characteristic, “absolutely beautiful”. Line 7 of the poem states, “Stalk without wrinkle”. She wants the child to, “stalk” or proceed in life while keeping the innocence addressed in the beginning, which is why she adds, “without wrinkle” to represent the process of aging and losing that innocence. In lines 8-9 Plath says, “Pool in which images should be grand and classical”. By this she means that she wants them to view the world and take part in amazing opportunities. Words such as grand and classical refer to something being outstanding and pleasant, which is what she wants their lives to be like. Towards the end, she uses her own life as an example of what she doesn’t want for them. In last stanza it says, “Not this troublous wringing of hands, this dark ceiling without a star.” The word, “this” implies that she is talking about herself and her own, “troublous wringing of hands”. Troublous means troubling or disturbing and wringing hands is what people normally do when they’re anxious or paranoid about something, so it seems as though she’s referring to her own troubling anxiety. The ceiling with no light from the star shows a lack of brightness and initiates a depressed or dispirited mood. The hands and the ceiling are symbols used to represent Plath’s struggles in her own life. After listing her hopes and dreams for them, she ends the poem by focusing on what she doesn’t want in her child’s future and how she wishes it ends up nothing like hers.
by Sylvia Plath
Your clear eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing.
I want to fill it with color and ducks,
The zoo of the new
Whose names you meditate ---
April snowdrop, Indian pipe,
Little
Stalk without wrinkle,
Pool in which images
Should be grand and classical
Not this troublous
Wringing of hands, this dark
Ceiling without a star.
Personal Reaction: I enjoyed “Child” by Sylvia Plath because the poem transitioned from positive hopes and dreams for her child into the negative experiences she didn’t want them to go through. My favorite part about the poem was the contrast between the first and last sentences. The first was cheerful and spirited, whereas the last is slightly disturbing and depressing. Additionally, I admired her use of diction. Words such as, “grand”, “classical”, “troublous”, and “wringing” are all descriptive and eloquent because they helped me create specific images in my head.
Literary Analysis: The poem, “Child” by Sylvia Plath is about her son or daughter, which is obvious because of the title. In it, she expresses her desire to have her child continue to live a bright and happy life, unlike her own. In the first line of the poem she says, “Your clear eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing.” The phrase, “clear eye” usually refers to having a mind that isn’t affected by fear or doubt, and within this line she shows her admiration for their purity by calling this characteristic, “absolutely beautiful”. Line 7 of the poem states, “Stalk without wrinkle”. She wants the child to, “stalk” or proceed in life while keeping the innocence addressed in the beginning, which is why she adds, “without wrinkle” to represent the process of aging and losing that innocence. In lines 8-9 Plath says, “Pool in which images should be grand and classical”. By this she means that she wants them to view the world and take part in amazing opportunities. Words such as grand and classical refer to something being outstanding and pleasant, which is what she wants their lives to be like. Towards the end, she uses her own life as an example of what she doesn’t want for them. In last stanza it says, “Not this troublous wringing of hands, this dark ceiling without a star.” The word, “this” implies that she is talking about herself and her own, “troublous wringing of hands”. Troublous means troubling or disturbing and wringing hands is what people normally do when they’re anxious or paranoid about something, so it seems as though she’s referring to her own troubling anxiety. The ceiling with no light from the star shows a lack of brightness and initiates a depressed or dispirited mood. The hands and the ceiling are symbols used to represent Plath’s struggles in her own life. After listing her hopes and dreams for them, she ends the poem by focusing on what she doesn’t want in her child’s future and how she wishes it ends up nothing like hers.