"Nick and the Candlestick" - Sylvia Plath
I believe this was a dramatic monologue. I really enjoyed
it. It was so dark and the imagery was really intense. I think it’s about a
mother in a room with a candle burning and she is looking at her son Nick? (not
to sure though) I did have to read the poem about 5 times to really have a good
understanding. After the line “the earthen womb” I got the vibe it has to do
with a mother. But the dark imagery like “wrap me, raggy shawls, cold
homicides” leads me to believe something bad happened maybe like an abortion or
this speaker’s child has died? But I also got this theme of religion and the
line “O love, how did you get here? O embryo?” makes me think of like the Virgin
Mary and then the last line “You are the baby in the barn” could be another
reference to like Jesus in the manger? Other words like “religion” and “Christ”
and “first communion” and then like “your crossed position.” But then the lines
“I have hung our cave with roses, with soft rugs” really confused me.
I agree, I think that the mother in the piece may have lost her child, the candle and the shadows could represent like a ghost or something
ReplyDeleteThe part about roses and soft rugs also confused me. I feel like they might be symbols of comfort? Maybe she had a miscarriage, or abortion as you mentioned, and needs the comfort at this time. At some parts it seems like an internal monologue directed at the spirit of her deceased child which may also be comforting if she has somehow lost the baby.
ReplyDelete