Blackberrying Analysis

Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries,
Blackberries on either side, though on the right mainly,
A blackberry alley, going down in hooks, and a sea
Somewhere at the end of it, heaving. Blackberries
Big as the ball of my thumb, and dumb as eyes
Ebon in the hedges, fat
With blue-red juices. These they squander on my fingers.
I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me.
They accommodate themselves to my milkbottle, flattening their sides.

Overhead go the choughs in black, cacophonous flocks --
Bits of burnt paper wheeling in a blown sky.
Theirs is the only voice, protesting, protesting.
I do not think the sea will appear at all.
The high, green meadows are glowing, as if lit from within.
I come to one bush of berries so ripe it is a bush of flies,
Hanging their bluegreen bellies and their wing panes in a Chinese screen.
The honey-feast of the berries has stunned them; they believe in heaven.
One more hook, and the berries and bushes end.

The only thing to come now is the sea.
From between two hills a sudden wind funnels at me,
Slapping its phantom laundry in my face.
These hills are too green and sweet to have tasted salt.
I follow the sheep path between them. A last hook brings me
To the hills' northern face, and the face is orange rock
That looks out on nothing, nothing but a great space
Of white and pewter lights, and a din like silversmiths
Beating and beating at an intractable metal.

.: Life :.

Basically Plath was depressed and suicidal and this is reflected in the poem. It starts quite nicely and she seems happy. This could represent her childhood. However the second verse seems to show signs of things that seem to upset her. For example the repitition of "protesting" emphasises what she hears. It could also have connitations with one of her memories. Also we all tink flies are disgusting and here they have spoilt a whole "bush of berries". Its become a "bush off flies" and this creats a quite grotesque image in ones head.
The final verse is the most depressing. Its starts as "the only thing to come now is the sea". The sea is endless. It goes on forever and its quite a daunting image. Theres also a large lexus of abuse in the poem - she uses the words "slapping" and "beating" in the last verse. This saddens the reader because it instantly creates the image of it happening to Plath.
Where she says she can see the "white and pewter lights", it links with people reporting near death experiences where they see the light. Plath can see "nothing" but this light showing that, at this stage, she can not imagine going on.

| Posted on 2008-05-17 | by a guest