Crossing the Water
Poetry
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Sylvia Plath
Crossing The Water Full Poem
Crossing The Water
By Sylvia Plath (1932 – 1963)
Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people.
Where do the black trees go that drink here?
Their shadows must cover Canada.
A little light is filtering from the water flowers.
Their leaves do not wish us to hurry:
They are round and flat and full of dark advice.
Cold worlds shake from the oar.
The spirit of blackness is in us, it is in the fi...
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Crossing the Water Key Info
Key Facts
Title: Crossing the Water
Poet: Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
Written Date: Around 1960–1961
Publication Date: It was published after her death in her 1971 collection Crossing the Water.
Form: Plath wrote this poem in four tercets. Tercets are three-line stanzas. So, the poem has 12 lines.
Meter and Rhyme Scheme: It is written in free verse, so there is no fixed rhythm scheme or...
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Crossing the Water Summary
Summary
Crossing a Black Lake: Two black people, the speaker and his companion, are crossing a black lake on their boat. Everything is black there. “Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people.” The lake, the boat, and even the travelers are black. The travelers are like “cut-paper.” It means they are lifeless and fragile. The huge black trees drink from the lake. Their shadows are so larg...
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Notes
Explore 5 detailed notes related to Crossing the Water. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.