Morning Song

Morning Song — Key Facts

General

Author
Sylvia Plath
Genre
Confessional lyric poem
Tone
Distant, then slowly warm and wondering

Dates

Year written
1961
Year published
1965
Time setting
Birth night through early morning

Locations

Primary setting
Home; bedroom and nursery

People

Protagonist
The mother (speaker)
Narrator and POV
First person; the mother

Structure

Verse form
Free verse
Stanza structure
Six tercets (three-line stanzas)
Climax
Baby's voice rises like balloons at dawn
Major conflict
Mother feels distant yet drawn to her baby

Themes

  • New motherhood
  • Identity and selfhood
  • Nature and new life
  • Wonder and fear