Write a critical appreciation of the poem “Crossing the Water.”

Answer

Write a critical appreciation of the poem “Crossing the Water.” [NU: 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