Poetry - Poppies in July Flashcards
“Little poppies, little hell flames,”
The oxymoron of something as picturesque as poppies, reinforced with the diminutive adjective little contrasted with the sinister hell flames.
This metaphor implies something malevolent and ominous. The poppies’ appearance causes the speaker distress, yet their heat is not painful.
Poppies’ link to opiates shows Plath’s want to be numb and hints at self-destruction.
“Do you do no harm?”
Rhetorical question hints at the speaker wanting to self-harm - links to Plath’s suicide attempts and frequent self-harm.
The personification of the flowers “you” shows how Plath believes they are deceiving her.
“Little bloody skirts!”
The metaphor of “bloody skirts”, with “skirt” being a slang word for woman. Innuendo refers to a sex act, adjective “little” references how the speaker feels insignificant.
An accusatory tone is taken, and exclamation is used to give emotional force. The speaker feels attacked or overwhelmed by the sight of the poppies.
The adjective “bloody” intensifies the sense of injury and violence—destructive potential in beauty.
“But colourless. Colourless.”
The poem ends with the repetition of colourless, signalling emptiness. Even the vibrant poppies have failed to bring any sensation to the speaker. Repetition underscores her despair and the futility of searching for fulfilment.
The tone is despairing and resigned, even if the poppies dulled her pain (opiates), it would still be colourless with no feeling.
“If my mouth could marry a hurt like that!”
Personification connects back to the image of a bloodied mouth. The speaker yearns for a deep connection with suffering, and a paradoxical tone is used. The speaker is both longing for and repelled by the idea.
“If I could bleed, or sleep!”
The exclamatory statement reflects a need to be released from emotional pain. The mention of bleeding conveys the desire to feel something, even if it is pain. Sleep symbolises a longing for escape, death, or oblivion.
What does the structure suggest?
Free verse, fifteen lines divided into eight stanzas.
The first 7 are couplets, 8th is a single line.
Lines are of unequal length and concise. The speaker trying to take control of her life, but her mind is too fractured to regain control.
