Hidden Meanings and Autobiographical Hints
Sylvia Plath loves making her readers work. This poem is a prime example, as it's through and through a poem of metaphors and riddles. When you read Plath, you might find yourself stopping again and again to visualize some of the crazy (but cool) metaphors she uses, and digging around to imagine what she might be talking about beneath the surface. It's generally not too difficult to figure it out by the end of the poem, as Plath gives her readers plenty of clues, but sometimes, a little digging is necessary. So, before you read a Plath poem, grab your shovel, and get ready to do some work to uncover the little treasures and notes from her own life, which she hides throughout her poetry.