Introduction: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
“Elm” by Sylvia Plath, first appeared in 1963 in her posthumously published collection, Ariel, is popular for its vivid imagery and haunting tone, the poem explores themes of mortality, decay, and the relentless passage of time. Plath uses the elm tree as a metaphor for the human body, emphasizing its vulnerability to disease, destruction, and the inevitable process of aging. The poem’s central idea is the fragility of life and the stark contrast between beauty and decay.
Text: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
For Ruth Fainlight
I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root:
It is what you fear.
I do not fear it: I have been there.
Is it the sea you hear in me,
Its dissatisfactions?
Or the voice of nothing, that was your madness?
Love is a shadow.
How you lie and cry after it
Listen: these are its hooves: it has gone off, like a horse.
All night I shall gallop thus, impetuously,
Till your head is a stone, your pillow a little turf,
Echoing, echoing.
Or shall I bring you the sound of poisons?
This is rain now, this big hush.
And this is the fruit of it: tin-white, like arsenic.
I have suffered the atrocity of sunsets.
Scorched to the root
My red filaments burn and stand, a hand of wires.
Now I break up in pieces that fly about like clubs.
A wind of such violence
Will tolerate no bystanding: I must shriek.
The moon, also, is merciless: she would drag me
Cruelly, being barren.
Her radiance scathes me. Or perhaps I have caught her.
I let her go. I let her go
Diminished and flat, as after radical surgery.
How your bad dreams possess and endow me.
I am inhabited by a cry.
Nightly it flaps out
Looking, with its hooks, for something to love.
I am terrified by this dark thing
That sleeps in me;
All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity.
Clouds pass and disperse.
Are those the faces of love, those pale irretrievables?
Is it for such I agitate my heart?
I am incapable of more knowledge.
What is this, this face
So murderous in its strangle of branches?——
Its snaky acids hiss.
It petrifies the will. These are the isolate, slow faults
That kill, that kill, that kill.
Annotations: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
| Line Number | Line | Annotation |
| 1 | I know the bottom, she says. | The elm tree speaks, perhaps representing a part of Plath’s psyche. “Bottom” likely symbolizes the depths of the unconscious or the underworld. |
| 2 | I know it with my great tap root: | The elm’s roots, deeply embedded in the earth, represent a connection to the subconscious or primal instincts. |
| 3 | It is what you fear. | The tree suggests that the speaker’s fear is rooted in the depths of her being. |
| 4 | I do not fear it: I have been there. | The tree claims to have confronted and overcome the fear associated with the “bottom.” |
| 5 | Is it the sea you hear in me, | The elm’s voice implies a connection to the sea, which can symbolize both life and death. |
| 6 | Its dissatisfactions? | The sea’s “dissatisfactions” could represent the restlessness or unfulfillment experienced by the speaker. |
| 7 | Or the voice of nothing, that was your madness? | The elm questions if the speaker’s madness is a product of a void or emptiness. |
| 8 | Love is a shadow. | The tree suggests that love is fleeting and insubstantial. |
| 9 | How you lie and cry after it | The speaker is depicted as yearning for love, but it remains elusive. |
| 10 | Listen: these are its hooves: it has gone off, like a horse. | Love is compared to a horse, implying its wild and unpredictable nature. |
| 11 | All night I shall gallop thus, impetuously, | The elm continues the horse metaphor, suggesting a relentless pursuit of love or something else. |
| 12 | Till your head is a stone, your pillow a little turf, | The speaker’s emotional state is depicted as hardening and becoming lifeless. |
| 13 | Echoing, echoing. | The repetition of “echoing” suggests a sense of emptiness or hollowness. |
| 14 | Or shall I bring you the sound of poisons? | The elm offers the possibility of harmful or destructive influences. |
| 15 | This is rain now, this big hush. | The rain symbolizes cleansing or renewal, but also potentially a sense of overwhelmingness. |
| 16 | And this is the fruit of it: tin-white, like arsenic. | The fruit of the rain is described as poisonous, suggesting a negative outcome or consequence. |
| 17 | I have suffered the atrocity of sunsets. | The elm reveals a painful experience, perhaps related to the beauty of nature turning into decay. |
| 18 | Scorched to the root | The tree’s roots, representing its foundation or core, are damaged. |
| 19 | My red filaments burn and stand, a hand of wires. | The elm’s internal structure is described as damaged and exposed. |
| 20 | Now I break up in pieces that fly about like clubs. | The tree is fragmented and chaotic, suggesting a breakdown or disintegration. |
| 21 | A wind of such violence | The elm’s experience is characterized by a powerful force that is destructive. |
| 22 | Will tolerate no bystanding: I must shriek. | The tree feels compelled to express its pain and suffering. |
| 23 | The moon, also, is merciless: she would drag me | The moon, often associated with femininity and emotion, is described as cruel. |
| 24 | Cruelly, being barren. | The moon’s barrenness suggests a lack of nurturing or compassion. |
| 25 | Her radiance scathes me. Or perhaps I have caught her. | The elm is both harmed and empowered by the moon’s light. |
| 26 | I let her go. I let her go | The elm releases its connection to the moon, perhaps symbolizing a letting go of pain or suffering. |
| 27 | Diminished and flat, as after radical surgery. | The elm’s experience is compared to a traumatic medical procedure, suggesting a deep wound or loss. |
| 28 | How your bad dreams possess and endow me. | The elm’s experiences are connected to the speaker’s nightmares, suggesting a shared or intertwined suffering. |
| 29 | I am inhabited by a cry. | The elm’s inner being is filled with a mournful sound. |
| 30 | Nightly it flaps out | The cry is described as a living entity, searching for something to connect with. |
| 31 | Looking, with its hooks, for something to love. | The cry’s desperate search for love echoes the speaker’s own longing. |
| 32 | I am terrified by this dark thing | The elm fears the unknown or hidden aspect of itself. |
| 33 | That sleeps in me; | The darkness within is described as dormant but potentially dangerous. |
| 34 | All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity. | The darkness is both subtle and threatening. |
| 35 | Clouds pass and disperse. | The natural world continues its cycle, indifferent to the elm’s suffering. |
| 36 | Are those the faces of love, those pale irretrievables? | The elm wonders if the fleeting clouds represent lost opportunities for love. |
| 37 | Is it for such I agitate my heart? | The elm questions the reason for its internal turmoil. |
| 38 | I am incapable of more knowledge. | The elm acknowledges its limitations in understanding its experiences. |
| 39 | What is this, this face | The elm is confronted with a disturbing or frightening image. |
| 40 | So murderous in its strangle of branches?—— | The face is described as violent and destructive. |
| 41 | Its snaky acids hiss. | The face’s presence is corrosive and harmful. |
| 42 | It petrifies the will. These are the isolate, slow faults | The face paralyzes the elm’s ability to act or resist. |
| 43 | That kill, that kill, that kill. | The elm’s final words emphasize the destructive nature of the internal forces it faces. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
| Device | Definition | Example from “Elm” | Explanation |
| Alliteration | Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. | “Scorched to the root” | The repetition of the “r” sound creates emphasis and a sense of sharpness. |
| Allusion | An indirect reference to something outside the text. | “Is it the sea you hear in me” | This may allude to vast, uncontrollable emotions, comparing them to the sea. |
| Anaphora | Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of clauses. | “I let her go. I let her go” | The repeated phrase emphasizes the speaker’s resignation and detachment. |
| Assonance | Repetition of vowel sounds within words. | “I have been there.” | The repetition of the “e” sound ties the line together and creates a musical quality. |
| Caesura | A pause in a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation. | “I must shriek.” | The short, abrupt sentence breaks the flow, mirroring the speaker’s emotional outburst. |
| Consonance | Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words. | “The sound of poisons” | The “s” sound recurs, creating a hissing effect, emphasizing the toxicity mentioned. |
| Diction | The choice of words and their connotations. | “atrocity of sunsets” | The harshness of “atrocity” gives a negative and violent connotation to something typically beautiful. |
| Enjambment | The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line. | “The moon, also, is merciless: she would drag me / Cruelly, being barren.” | The sentence flows over the line break, creating a sense of continuous suffering. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. | “All night I shall gallop thus, impetuously” | Exaggerates the intensity of the speaker’s emotions by suggesting continuous, frantic action. |
| Imagery | Descriptive language that appeals to the senses. | “tin-white, like arsenic” | Vividly describes the poisonous fruit in both color and substance, creating a toxic, sickly image. |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality. | “Love is a shadow.” | The speaker presents love not as positive or fulfilling, but as something elusive and haunting, contrary to expectations. |
| Metaphor | A direct comparison between two unlike things. | “Love is a shadow” | Compares love to a shadow, suggesting it is fleeting, intangible, and elusive. |
| Mood | The emotional atmosphere of a text. | The overall mood is one of dread and melancholy. | The poem’s dark imagery, word choices, and subject matter create an oppressive, fearful mood. |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate the sounds they describe. | “Its snaky acids hiss.” | The word “hiss” mimics the sound of something snake-like, enhancing the sinister tone. |
| Personification | Giving human traits to non-human things. | “The moon, also, is merciless: she would drag me” | The moon is given the human trait of cruelty, intensifying the speaker’s sense of suffering. |
| Repetition | Reusing a word or phrase for emphasis or effect. | “Echoing, echoing.” | The repetition of “echoing” mimics the sound of an echo, reinforcing the sense of emptiness and hollowness. |
| Rhetorical Question | A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered. | “Is it the sea you hear in me?” | The speaker poses this question not for an answer, but to reflect on their own inner turmoil. |
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as”. | “tin-white, like arsenic” | Compares the whiteness of the fruit to arsenic, reinforcing the idea of something poisonous and deadly. |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts. | The sea represents uncontrollable emotion or madness. | The sea in the poem symbolizes the depth of the speaker’s emotional struggle and possible madness. |
| Tone | The poet’s attitude toward the subject. | The tone is bitter, reflective, and distressed. | Through word choice and imagery, the speaker conveys emotional anguish, fear, and frustration. |
Themes: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
· Mortality and Decay: The elm tree in Plath’s poem serves as a powerful metaphor for the human body, highlighting the inevitability of death and decay. The tree’s roots, symbolizing its foundation or core, are damaged, reflecting the vulnerability of the human body to disease and aging. Its branches become fragmented and chaotic, mirroring the disintegration of the physical self over time. The poem’s imagery evokes a sense of dread and the fear of the unknown that accompanies the prospect of mortality.
· The Search for Love and Connection: The elm’s relentless pursuit of love and connection is a central theme in the poem. The tree’s cry, described as “flapping out” looking for something to love, reflects the human longing for companionship and intimacy. Despite its persistent search, the elm remains isolated and unfulfilled, mirroring the challenges of finding meaningful relationships in life.
· The Power of the Unconscious: The poem delves into the depths of the elm’s subconscious, revealing the powerful influence of the mind’s hidden recesses. The “bottom” and the “great tap root” symbolize the unconscious, suggesting that our deepest fears and desires often lie buried beneath the surface. The elm’s experiences are shaped by these unconscious forces, highlighting the importance of understanding our inner selves.
· The Destructive Nature of Suffering: The elm’s suffering is depicted as overwhelming and destructive, reflecting the devastating impact of pain and loss on the human psyche. The tree’s physical pain, emotional anguish, and psychological turmoil lead to a sense of fragmentation and despair. The poem highlights the isolating and debilitating effects of suffering, emphasizing its potential to erode one’s sense of self and connection to the world.
Literary Theories and “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
| Literary Theory | Key Concepts | References in “Elm” |
| Psychoanalysis | The unconscious mind, repression, symbolism, dreams | The elm’s deep-rooted fears, the cry that “flaps out” looking for love, the imagery of decay and disintegration |
| Feminism | Gender roles, societal expectations, female experiences | The elm’s vulnerability and suffering, the imagery of the moon as a symbol of femininity and power |
| Deconstruction | Binary oppositions, language, meaning | The contrasting images of life and death, beauty and decay, the questioning of the meaning of love and existence |
Critical Questions about “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
- What does the “elm” tree symbolize in the poem, and how does it reflect the speaker’s internal struggle?
- The elm tree in Plath’s poem serves as both a literal and symbolic presence, representing strength, endurance, and deep-rooted pain. The line “I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root” suggests the tree’s deep connection to the earth, which mirrors the speaker’s profound understanding of suffering and her inability to escape it. The tree’s awareness of the “bottom” also hints at a confrontation with the darkest parts of human experience, possibly referencing depression or emotional trauma. The elm, being both sturdy and battered by external forces (e.g., wind and moon), symbolizes the speaker’s emotional resilience despite the suffering that threatens to overwhelm her.
- How does the use of natural imagery in the poem contribute to the theme of emotional and psychological turbulence?
- Nature imagery in “Elm” reflects the speaker’s emotional volatility and the uncontrollable forces within her. For instance, the sea, which “dissatisfactions” the speaker hears, suggests a vast, unmanageable force of emotion or madness. Similarly, the imagery of the moon as “merciless” and dragging the speaker “cruelly” implies an external force that exacerbates her internal suffering. The violent wind, which causes the speaker to “break up in pieces,” further emphasizes how natural elements represent the overwhelming emotions that fragment her sense of self. These references to nature highlight the uncontrollable and destructive nature of psychological distress in the poem.
- What role does the motif of love play in “Elm,” and how is it depicted as both elusive and destructive?
- In “Elm,” love is portrayed as something elusive, unattainable, and ultimately harmful. The line “Love is a shadow” conveys its intangibility, suggesting that it is fleeting and impossible to grasp fully. The metaphorical comparison to a “horse” that gallops away reinforces the idea that love is beyond reach, disappearing before it can be captured. Furthermore, the reference to “its hooves” as the sound of its departure emphasizes the pain of longing for something that has already escaped. The speaker’s emotional turmoil is compounded by this inability to find solace in love, which only exacerbates her sense of loss and alienation.
- How does the poem explore the theme of madness, and what is its relationship to the speaker’s identity?
- Madness is a recurring theme in “Elm,” and it is closely tied to the speaker’s sense of self. The speaker asks, “Is it the sea you hear in me, / Its dissatisfactions?” linking the tumultuous and dissatisfying sea to the possibility of internal madness. This madness is also described as something that “inhabits” the speaker, suggesting that it is not external but an intrinsic part of her identity. The line “I am inhabited by a cry” reflects how madness has taken over her inner life, to the point that she feels consumed by its presence. The poem’s exploration of madness suggests that it is not only an emotional disturbance but also something that fundamentally shapes the speaker’s existence.
Literary Works Similar to “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
- “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath: Both poems explore deep personal trauma, emotional suffering, and complex relationships, using vivid, intense imagery and metaphors.
- “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot: Like “Elm,” Eliot’s poem delves into themes of emotional desolation and existential crisis, with fragmented imagery and a sense of inner turmoil.
- “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas: This poem shares with “Elm” a fierce defiance against overpowering forces, such as death and despair, conveyed through vivid, dramatic language.
- “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath: Another of Plath’s poems, “Mirror” similarly explores themes of self-perception, identity, and internal conflict, using reflection as a central metaphor.
- “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats: Yeats’s poem, like “Elm,” evokes a sense of looming chaos and destruction, with symbolic imagery representing inner and external turmoil.
Representative Quotations of “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “I know the bottom, she says.” | The elm tree, speaking metaphorically, acknowledges its connection to the depths of the unconscious. | Psychoanalysis |
| “It is what you fear.” | The elm suggests that the speaker’s fear is rooted in the depths of her being. | Psychoanalysis |
| “Love is a shadow.” | The elm implies that love is fleeting and insubstantial. | Deconstruction |
| “All night I shall gallop thus, impetuously, Till your head is a stone, your pillow a little turf, Echoing, echoing.” | The elm’s relentless pursuit of love is depicted as exhausting and ultimately futile. | Feminism (reflecting the speaker’s desire for love and connection) |
| “I have suffered the atrocity of sunsets.” | The elm reveals a painful experience, perhaps related to the beauty of nature turning into decay. | Psychoanalysis (exploring the speaker’s internal conflicts and anxieties) |
| “Now I break up in pieces that fly about like clubs.” | The elm’s fragmentation suggests a breakdown or disintegration. | Deconstruction (questioning the stability of identity and meaning) |
| “The moon, also, is merciless: she would drag me Cruelly, being barren.” | The moon, often associated with femininity, is depicted as harsh and unyielding. | Feminism (examining the power dynamics between men and women) |
| “I am inhabited by a cry.” | The elm’s inner being is filled with a mournful sound, reflecting the speaker’s emotional turmoil. | Psychoanalysis (exploring the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior) |
| “I am terrified by this dark thing That sleeps in me;” | The elm fears the unknown or hidden aspect of itself. | Psychoanalysis (examining the unconscious mind and its potential for both creativity and destruction) |
| “Its snaky acids hiss. It petrifies the will.” | The destructive forces within the elm are described as powerful and overwhelming. | Deconstruction (questioning the stability of identity and meaning) |
Suggested Readings: “Elm” by Sylvia Plath
- Plath, Sylvia. The Collected Poems. Harper & Row, 1981.
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-collected-poems-sylvia-plath - Axelrod, Steven Gould. “Sylvia Plath: The Wound and the Cure of Words.” American Literary History, vol. 2, no. 3, 1990, pp. 535–551.
https://doi.org/10.1093/alh/2.3.535 - Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 2000.
- Butscher, Edward. Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness. Seabury Press, 1976.