Sylvia Plath’s use the theme of motherhood in her poem Morning Song

Answer

“Morning Song” depicts a new mother’s conflicting, ambivalent emotions about motherhood. Elucidate.

Or, How does Sylvia Plath use the theme of motherhood in her poem “Morning Song”?

Or, How does Sylvia Plath present motherhood in her poem “Morning Song?”

Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) wrote “Morning Song” in 1961 after the birth of her first child, Frieda. It was later published in Ariel (1965). The poem describes the arrival of a baby and the first days of motherhood. Plath does not show only the joy of a mother. She shows strangeness, distance, confusion, tiredness, tenderness, and the slow growth of a bond between mother and child.

Motherhood is a Mixed Feeling at First: “Morning Song” begins with the baby’s birth. The mother says,

“Love set you going like a fat gold watch.”

Here, the baby’s life is compared to a watch that starts ticking. She also says the baby is a “New statue.” These images suggest her sense of detachment from the baby. She sees the baby as a beautiful, lifeless object. Plath shows that she is still unable to connect with the baby emotionally.

Surprise and Helplessness: In the second stanza, Plath describes how the parents react. The mother calls the baby a “New statue.” It means the baby is beautiful and naked. But still she is unable to connect with her baby emotionally. The parents’ voices echo in the room as they look at their child. The echo seems to welcome the arrival of the child. However, this is a completely new experience for the parents. They do not seem to know what to do. They just stand helplessly. As the mother says:

“We stand round blankly as walls.”

Mother’s Feeling of Distance: The mother then speaks about her own feelings. She expresses her feelings of distance. She says she does not fully feel like the baby’s mother.

“I’m no more your mother

Than the cloud that

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