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About

Genius Annotation

The title, we can assume, refers to the imagery in the poem, the ideas that convey “messages” to the poet about her relationship. It brings to the mind the phrase “mixed messages,” but the messages the speaker receives are not at all mixed. The poem portrays the harsh realities of a ruined relationship.

Structure
The poem consists of six two-line stanzas or couplets and one single line concluding stanza at the end. There is no rhyme scheme.

Language and Imagery
Each stanza begins with a statement: a noun and adjectives or adjectival phrase to describe it. It is followed by an explanation or contrasting idea. The imagery, as usual with Plath’s poetry, demands thought and there are always multiple interpretations.

Mood
We can assume the speaker is Plath and she is describing her failed relationship with Ted Hughes. The tone is mournful; full of grief. Feminists have been said to have “appropriated” Sylvia Plath’s death, attributing her suicide to mistreatment by her husband. Frieda Hughes, their daughter, has been appalled by this, as this interview explains. In terms of literary criticism, we should beware of autobiographical assumptions. Her work should stand alone and be interpreted without judgment of her personal life about which, as Frieda Hughes asserts, we can know nothing.

The poem progresses through stages of betrayal by a lover, the disintegration of her relationship, and the shattering effect on the ‘self’ of the poet. There is a cyclical process, from ‘sun’ to the wintry ‘frost on a leaf’ to represent her grief.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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