Morning Song Questions
Morning Song Questions
1. In your own words, outline what two aspects of motherhood are depicted in the poem.
Stanzas 1-3 are purely the birth of the child and are not emotional and a sense of detachment between the mother and the child is evident, whereas the last three are the baby crying in the night and the other helping the baby, these stanzas show the more nurturing and happy aspects of motherhood.
2. The title of the poem is morning song. What figurative expression does Plath use to suggest morning? What figurative expression does she use to suggest song?
Morning- "The window square” and “Whitens and swallows its dull stars"
Song- "The clear vowels rise like balloons” and “Your handful of notes”
3. What is the morning song referred to in the title?
The title “Morning Song” is referring to the baby crying of a morning.
4. The opening and closing lines of the poem clearly establish the mother’s affection for her new born child. What language devices does Plath use to do this?
A simile is utilised within the opening line and creates a sense of the mother’s love and affection for the child and compares it to that of a “fat gold watch”. This affection is further instilled in the minds of the readers in the closing line which is "The clear vowels rise like balloons" this is symbolic of the joy that the speaker has whilst listening to her baby.
5. Explain in your own words, what you understand the following similes and metaphors to mean:
"We stand round blankly as walls"
Feeling of detachment and lack of emotional understanding towards the baby.
"A far sea moves in my ear"
She is adapting to her new lifestyle as a mother and is worrying about her baby and is her baby is okay.
"I stumble from my bed, cow heavy"
Her baby has woken her up and this quote is symbolic of her lack of energy due the labour intensive job of being a mother.
"Your mouth opens clean as a cat's"
Cat’s mouths are clean as they use them to clean themselves, it
1. In your own words, outline what two aspects of motherhood are depicted in the poem.
Stanzas 1-3 are purely the birth of the child and are not emotional and a sense of detachment between the mother and the child is evident, whereas the last three are the baby crying in the night and the other helping the baby, these stanzas show the more nurturing and happy aspects of motherhood.
2. The title of the poem is morning song. What figurative expression does Plath use to suggest morning? What figurative expression does she use to suggest song?
Morning- "The window square” and “Whitens and swallows its dull stars"
Song- "The clear vowels rise like balloons” and “Your handful of notes”
3. What is the morning song referred to in the title?
The title “Morning Song” is referring to the baby crying of a morning.
4. The opening and closing lines of the poem clearly establish the mother’s affection for her new born child. What language devices does Plath use to do this?
A simile is utilised within the opening line and creates a sense of the mother’s love and affection for the child and compares it to that of a “fat gold watch”. This affection is further instilled in the minds of the readers in the closing line which is "The clear vowels rise like balloons" this is symbolic of the joy that the speaker has whilst listening to her baby.
5. Explain in your own words, what you understand the following similes and metaphors to mean:
"We stand round blankly as walls"
Feeling of detachment and lack of emotional understanding towards the baby.
"A far sea moves in my ear"
She is adapting to her new lifestyle as a mother and is worrying about her baby and is her baby is okay.
"I stumble from my bed, cow heavy"
Her baby has woken her up and this quote is symbolic of her lack of energy due the labour intensive job of being a mother.
"Your mouth opens clean as a cat's"
Cat’s mouths are clean as they use them to clean themselves, it