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Analysis of Metaphor and Mothers

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Submitted By treza
Words 1279
Pages 6
Laza Smith
Prof Johnson
Eng 200
April 22 2012 Formal Essay #2.
The poems “metaphors” by Sylvia Plath and “the mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks both have the same theme of pregnancy. Alongside “hills like white elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, they talk about the trials and tribulation that comes with having being pregnant.
Sylvia Plath begins the poem with a riddle which gives us a clue to the structure of the poem and its theme, she says, “I’m a riddle in nine syllables” (Plath line 1). A woman carries a baby for 9 months. The writer also uses the first 9 lines for the 9 month s of pregnancy, by describing herself as nine syllables. She also uses metaphors to describe the pregnant woman in the second and third line. She says she’s “An elephant, a ponderous house” (Plath 2), here she describes how a pregnant woman might see herself. It could have other meaning; since elephants have very long gestation periods, the pregnancy may feel like an eternity to the woman. In line 3, Plath says, “A melon, strolling on two tendrils” meaning (in a funny way) the baby has totally taken over her life. The fifth line describes the unborn child. The writer says, “O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!”(Plath 6) She uses the “O” expression which is old English(mostly used n the bible) to address a god/goddess or king The melon is red internally (as common for new-born babies) ; the elephant’s body will be plundered for the only thing that it has of value; which is its ivory. The house is nothing without the fine timbers from which it is built. Line 6-8 talks about the relationship between the mother and the unborn child.
This loaf’s big with its yeasty rising.
Money’s new-minted in this fat purse.
I’m a mean, a stage, a cow in calf.
I’ve eaten a bag of green apples,(line 5-8). The difference between a purse and money is that Money has value and worth. A purse is merely a

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