The poem "Morning Song" by Sylvia Plath is a beautiful and poignant depiction of a mother's experience of childbirth and the early days of motherhood. Through a series of vivid and evocative images, Plath captures the raw, primal emotions that come with this life-changing event.
In the first line of the poem, Plath writes, "Love set you going like a fat gold watch." This line immediately sets the tone for the poem, conveying a sense of love and joy, but also a sense of time and the passage of time. The phrase "fat gold watch" suggests both the importance and the weight of this new role that the mother has taken on, as well as the ticking of the clock and the inevitable passage of time.
The next line, "The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry / Took its place among the elements," describes the birth itself, with the midwife's action and the baby's cry marking the beginning of this new life. The phrase "took its place among the elements" suggests the small, but significant, role that the newborn plays in the larger world, and the way that it is connected to the natural forces that surround it.
In the third line, Plath writes, "Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue." This line is rich with imagery and metaphor. The repetition of "echo" suggests the way that the birth of this child has resonated throughout the world, while the phrase "magnifying your arrival" conveys the sense of importance and significance that this event holds. The phrase "new statue" suggests the permanence and the timelessness of this moment, as well as the way that the mother and child are now forever connected.
The fourth line, "In the casket of my bedroom / You have your first look at the world." This line continues the metaphor of the child as a statue, with the bedroom serving as the casket in which the child is contained. The phrase "first look at the world" conveys both the innocence and the curiosity of the child, as well as the sense of awe and wonder that the mother feels as she watches her child take in the world for the first time.
In the final line of the poem, Plath writes, "I am the arrow, / The dew that flies / Suicidal, at one with the drive / Into the red / Eye, the cauldron of morning." This line is perhaps the most powerful and emotionally charged in the entire poem, with the metaphor of the arrow and the dew conveying the sense of movement and change that the mother is experiencing. The phrase "suicidal" suggests the way that the mother is sacrificing her own identity and sense of self in order to become a mother, while the phrase "cauldron of morning" suggests both the heat and intensity of this experience, as well as the sense of renewal and rebirth that it brings.
Overall, "Morning Song" is a beautifully written and deeply emotional poem that captures the joy, the pain, and the sense of transformation that come with motherhood. Through its vivid imagery and evocative language, Plath conveys the raw, primal emotions that come with this life-changing event, and the way that it forever changes the way that we see the world.
