U: 2020]
Sylvia Plath’s (1932-1963) poem “Crossing the Water” was written around 1960–61 and published after her death in 1971 in the collection Crossing the Water. On the surface, the poem is about two people crossing a dark lake. In a deeper sense, it is a journey into the speaker’s troubled mind, where we can see darkness, sadness, isolation, uncertainty, and fear. Let us critically appreciate the poem below.
Crossing the Water—A Journey into Plath’s Mind: The poem begins with a description of the black lake, the black boat, and the two black, cut-paper people. They are crossing a black lake on the boat. We can assume that Plath herself is the speaker, and she is also one of the travelers. She writes:
“Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people.”
She repeats the word “black” three times in the first line. It means her world is really black: full of sadness and without hope. The trees and their shadows seem huge. The shadows even “cover Canada.” A little light appears through the water flowers. It is like little hope. The leaves of these flowers do not want the travelers to hurry. They give them “dark advice.” It means the poet’s mind is full of bad advice or warnings. The beautiful water flowers and “little light” do not give her any real hope or comfort. The “spirit of blackness” is inside everything. She writes:
“The spirit of blackness is in us, it is in the fishes.”
It is in the poet, in the fish, in the environment. It means everything is sad and scary for the speaker. A dead tree branch sticks out of the water like a “pale hand,” as if to say goodbye. This scene is full of fear. This is just like the speaker's mind, which is full of fear. In the end, stars appear, and beautiful lilies float. But they offer no comfort. The lilies are compared to “expressionless sirens.” In Greek myth, sirens look beautiful, but they lure sailors into the sea to be drowned. So, the journey ends in a world of danger and silence.
We know that Sylvia Plath suffered from depression, and she was not happy. She tragically died by suicide in 1963. So, “Crossing the Water” seems to be a portrayal of her troubled mind, which was full of sadness, isolation, uncertainty, and fear of death.
Form, Meter, Rhyme Scheme: Plath wrote this poem in four tercets. Tercets are three-line stanzas. So, the poem has 12 lines. It is written in free verse, so there is no fixed rhythm scheme or meter. Though the poem has no rhyme scheme, it creates rhythm through literary devices like repetition and alliteration.
Use of Imagery and Literary Devices: Plath uses strong visual imagery to create the haunting atmosphere of the lake. Everything is black there: the lake, the boat, the people, and even the trees. In the first stanza, Plath uses repetition. She uses the word “black” to show that the speaker’s world is really black: full of sadness and without hope. We also find personification.
“They are round and flat and full of dark advice.”
Here, Plath personifies the leaves of the water flowers. She describes them as if they are giving bad advice or warnings.
Language and Tone: Plath uses simple but highly visual language in the poem. She uses a dark, fearful, and mysterious tone. It is as if the “spirit of blackness” is also in the tone of the poem. With her language and tone, she successfully creates a dark and surreal atmosphere on the lake.
In conclusion, “Crossing the Water” is a powerful poem. It gives us an insight into the poet’s mind through a boat journey on a dark lake. Plath’s wonderful poetic technique and the dark atmosphere still surprise the readers.
Continue Reading
Subscribe to access the full content
Upgrade to Premium