Edge Sylvia Plath Analysis

Jacob Berry AP Lit Module 7 Poetry Prompt 2 “Edge”

In the poem, “Edge” was the last piece of poetry written by author Sylvia Plath before she committed suicide. As the poem conveys the theme of death, sadly it may be viewed as a suicide note by the poet. Throughput the poem, Plath uses symbolism and imagery to convey the theme of death and bring depth and meaning to the poem. Plath uses symbolism to illustrate the theme of death as she describes the death of a woman and her children. Based on her symbolism, Plath does not seem to regret death. She writes “The woman is perfected/Her dead/Body wears the smile of accomplishment.” In this line, Plath is using the actual death of the woman as a symbol of death being the completion of life, as she emphasizes that with death the “woman was perfected” and it was an “accomplishment.” She further conveys the idea of death as she writes “as the petals/Of a rose close” with the closing of the rose being symbolic of death being the closure of life. As the poet explains the woman’s children each being as “one at each little pitcher of milk,” the pitchers of milk are symbolic of a mother feeding her children with milk, and in the past would have been a symbol of life, however in the poem the pitcher of milk is “now empty” thus again suggesting symbolism of death. The dead mother has had feeling of love toward the

Her vivid imagery helps the reader envision the dead woman while her use of symbolism more deeply conveys her thoughts and attitude on the subject of death. Having the knowledge that the author, Plath, committed suicide after composing the poem make the reader even further understand why Plath may have titled her poem “Edge” for as she wrote it she was at the edge of her own