Letter In November by Sylvia Plath, Letter In November Summary, Letter In November Line by Line, PDF

Letter In November by Sylvia Plath.


 

Poem Structure: The poem consists of a series of free verse stanzas without a strict rhyme scheme or pattern.

Meter: The poem does not adhere to a specific meter. It is written in free verse, allowing for a more natural and varied rhythm.

Themes: Some of the themes explored in the poem include the transformative power of love, the beauty and fragility of nature, the contrast between life and death, and the speaker's intense emotions and happiness.

Rhythm: The poem has a lyrical quality with a mix of long and short lines, creating a rhythmic flow. The rhythm varies throughout the poem to match the changing emotions and descriptions.

Tone: The tone of the poem shifts between excitement, joy, and a sense of wonder at the beauty of the natural world. There is also a hint of melancholy and awareness of the transient nature of life.

Poem Style: The poem is written in a highly descriptive and evocative style, using vivid imagery and sensory details to paint a picture of the speaker's experiences and emotions.

Written Date: The poem was written in October 1962, shortly before Sylvia Plath's death in February 1963.

Summary!

In this poem, called "Letter In November," the person speaking expresses their strong bond and love for the world. She talks about how the colors of the world suddenly change and describe the streetlight shining through the hanging pods of a tree. She compares the atmosphere to the Arctic and mention a small black circle with delicate grass that looks like a baby's hair.

There is a pleasant and enjoyable greenness in the air that lovingly surrounds the speaker, making them feel warm and excited. She feels incredibly happy and even think She might feel very big. She walks through the beautiful redness of their own land, and their rubber boots make squishy sounds.

The speaker takes pride in their land, which She walk around twice a day. She describes smelling the wild holly bushes with their green scalloped leaves and a wall with unusual fallen leaves, which She love like She love history. The apples on their seventy trees are described as golden but are surrounded by a thick gray atmosphere of decay.

The speaker addresses someone, possibly a lover, using the words "O love, O celibate." She emphasizes that She is the only one who walks through the wet landscape at waist height. The golden leaves of the trees become more intense, resembling the mouths of Thermopylae, a famous ancient Greek battle site.

The poem captures the speaker's deep connection to nature, their delight in the changing colors and feelings of the world around them. It conveys a sense of happiness and ownership of their surroundings, finding beauty even in decay and death.

 

Letter In November by Sylvia Plath Text.

Letter In November by Sylvia Plath. Explanation/Analysis

Love, the world
Suddenly turns, turns color. The streetlight
Splits through the rat's tail
Pods of the laburnum at nine in the morning.
It is the Arctic,

This little black
Circle, with its tawn silk grasses - babies hair.
There is a green in the air,
Soft, delectable.
It cushions me lovingly.

I am flushed and warm.
I think I may be enormous,
I am so stupidly happy,
My Wellingtons
Squelching and squelching through the beautiful red.

This is my property.
Two times a day
I pace it, sniffing
The barbarous holly with its viridian
Scallops, pure iron,

And the wall of the odd corpses.
I love them.
I love them like history.
The apples are golden,
Imagine it ----

My seventy trees
Holding their gold-ruddy *****
In a thick gray death-soup,
Their million
Gold leaves metal and breathless.

O love, O celibate.
Nobody but me
Walks the waist high wet.
The irreplaceable
Golds bleed and deepen, the mouths of Thermopylae.

1.   Love, the world - The world, filled with love.

2.   Suddenly turns, turns color. - Suddenly changes its color.

3.   The streetlight - The light on the street.

4.   Splits through the rat's tail - Shines through the hanging pods of the laburnum tree.

5.   Pods of the laburnum at nine in the morning. - The seed pods of the laburnum tree in the morning.

6.   It is the Arctic - It feels like the Arctic.

7.   This little black - A small black object.

8.   Circle, with its tawn silk grasses - babies hair. - Circular shape with soft, pale grass resembling baby's hair.

9.   There is a green in the air - The air carries a pleasant green hue.

10.                     Soft, delectable. - Soft and delightful.

11.                     It cushions me lovingly. - It embraces me with love and comfort.

12.                     I am flushed and warm. - I feel warm and flushed.

13.                     I think I may be enormous. - I feel like I might be enormous.

14.                     I am so stupidly happy. - I am incredibly and foolishly happy.

15.                     My Wellingtons - My rubber boots.

16.                     Squelching and squelching through the beautiful red. - Making squelching sounds while walking through the beautiful redness (possibly referring to autumn leaves).

17.                     This is my property. - This place belongs to me.

18.                     Two times a day - Twice a day.

19.                     I pace it, sniffing - I walk around, smelling.

20.                     The barbarous holly with its viridian - The wild holly bush with its vibrant green color.

21.                     Scallops, pure iron. - Leaves resembling scallops, a deep green color like iron.

22.                     And the wall of the odd corpses. - Also the row of fallen leaves.

23.                     I love them. - I love them dearly.

24.                     I love them like history. - I cherish them like I cherish history.

25.                     The apples are golden. - The apples have a golden color.

26.                     Imagine it ---- - Just imagine it.

27.                     My seventy trees - The seventy trees that belong to me.

28.                     Holding their gold-ruddy ***** - Carrying their reddish-gold fruits.

29.                     In a thick gray death-soup. - In a thick mixture of grayness resembling death.

30.                     Their million - Their countless

31.                     Gold leaves metal and breathless. - Golden leaves shining like metal, motionless.

32.                     O love, O celibate. - Oh, love, Oh, one who abstains from intimacy.

33.                     Nobody but me - No one except me.

34.                     Walks the waist high wet. - Walks through the wetness up to the waist.

35.                     The irreplaceable - The precious and unique

36.                     Golds bleed and deepen, the mouths of Thermopylae. - Golden colors bleed and deepen, like the mouths of Thermopylae.

 




 

What is Sylvia Plath's letter in November about?

This poem is set in North Tawton, Mid-Dorset, the home of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. The mood is complex. Plath sets up images of beauty and happiness and, through her choice of words and imagery, contradicts herself and the reader's expectations with contrasting negative ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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