Crossing the Water

Poetry | Sylvia Plath
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“Stars open among the lilies, / Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens? / This is the silence of astounded souls.”- Explain

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“Stars open among the lilies, / Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens? / This is the silence of astounded souls.”- Explain

These lines are from Sylvia Plath’s poem "Crossing the Water," published in 1971. Plath uses vivid and evocative imagery to convey a sense of wonder and amazement in the face of natural beauty and stillness.

"Stars open among the lilies" - Here, Plath describes a scene where stars emerge in the night sky and reflect on the black water among the lilies. This imagery suggests a moment of quiet natural beauty, where the stars shine brightly among delicate, white lilies. The contrast between the heavenly and the earthly creates a sense of wonder.

"Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens?" - The speaker questions whether their companion is not captivated by the beauty of this scene. The term "e

xpressionless sirens" is paradoxical; sirens are typically associated with seductive and alluring qualities, but here, they are described as "expressionless," emphasizing the silent and enigmatic allure of the stars and lilies.

"This is the silence of astounded souls." - In the final line, Plath suggests that the stillness and beauty of the scene leave a profound effect on the souls of those who witness it. The silence here is not empty but filled with the astonishment and wonder of those beholding the stars and lilies.

These lines convey a sense of the sublime in nature. The beauty of the stars and lilies is so powerful that it makes the speaker and their company momentarily speechless and surprised by the grandeur of the natural world.

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Sylvia Plath
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from Crossing the Water