Morning song by Sylvia plath (transforming nature of maternal love, how love shapes ur life)

Question 1

“Love set you going like a fat gold watch”

Answer 1

“love” origin of the poem and baby

“fat gold watch” simile implying the babys importance (value), intimacy, eternality, limited in size (finiteness)

Question 2

“Your moth breath/ flickers”

Answer 2

• the babys fragility- alliteration of aspirated dipthrong (th) mimics breathing
• “flickers”- image of a flame burning bright in the future and eventually blown off (death) or the innocence of a moth when it is close to a flame
• innocence of baby as a small moth in a big world

Question 3

mother “cow heavy and floral”

Answer 3

• self imposed dichotomy of femininity as both ugly and beautiful
• self doubt (questioning whether she can look after it, the truth of motherhood)

Question 4

“the cloud that distils a mirror to reflect its own slow/ Effacement”

Answer 4

• the baby has become its own self
• breeding next generation
• as the child grow old it too will understand the meaning of this poem (sense of circularity)

Question 5

Regular verses but no rhyme scheme and irregular meter

Answer 5

• shows the mother going into the unknown of motherhood
• time continues but both the mother and childs life is unknown territory
• life has changed (confusion)

Question 6

“the clear vowels rise like balloons”

Answer 6

• optimism at the termination of birth
• prospect of the future is one which is very positive
• “balloons” connotation of celebration
• letting go of balloons as a sign of how u end up letting go of your child
• balloons may also pop- this may also act as an image of birth.

Question 7

“I’m no more your mother”

Answer 7

• 3rd stanza first mention of a personal pronoun
• even when used she rejects idea of being under control
• the baby has its own life

Question 8

“New statue.”

Answer 8

• Surprised by birth
• connotation of immorality, purity, separation, beauty
• “dull star” the baby is more amazing than natures greatest creation