In the last line last speaker describes the scene again. They have the most important attribute of a siren though, they are able to draw the speaker in. They are “expressionless” because they have no other facial features. She asked, “Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens?“ Through this line, the speaker is relating the light of the stars in the water to the eyes of the singing sirens written about in Greek mythology. ![]() It seems to be addressed directly to her companion, who is still undefined, or perhaps to the reader. Then, in the second line of the fourth stanza the speaker asks another interesting question. ![]() This is likely a reference to the reflection of the sky in the water. This time though it becomes clear that she speaking about stars. In the fourth stanza of ‘Crossing the Water’ the speck of light returns to the scene. She adds that blackness is part of her and part of the world that drips down from the oar, and it is “in the fishes”. In the next lines, the speaker connects her own being, and her companion’s, to the larger world and the “spirit of blackness” in everything. The speaker describes how “cold worlds” drip down from the oar as it is plunged into and pulled out of the water. The second stanza takes the reader to the water. Perhaps she is unable to interpret their advice, or they are giving bad advice that would lead her to a dark place.Ī snag is lifting a valedictory, pale hand This phrase could be taken in a number of ways. She describes the leaves normally, as “round and flat and full” but, she adds that they are also full of “dark advice”. The last line of this stanza crafts another strange image. But, due to the nature of the speaker’s words, and the imagined question posed in the first stanza, it is more likely that she speaking to herself. This would make her companion the second person. It is interesting to consider that perhaps she is one of the two “cut-paper people” mentioned in the first stanza. It is not clear who the other person is, if they are physical with her, or if they are in her mind. Here, for the first time, the speaker refers to herself and to someone else. She says that they “do not wish us to hurry”. The light is coming from the “water flowers.” She personifies the leaves of the specific flowers, pressing onto them her opinion of what they would want her to do. In the second stanza of ‘Crossing the Water’ the speaker draws attention to the fact that there is a little light in a scene, despite all the references to its darkness in the previous stanza. They are round and flat and full of dark advice. ![]() Additionally, why, a reader might wonder, does it matter where they drink? In the last line, she adds that the trees are so large, their shadows cover Canada.Ī little light is filtering from the water flowers. But, her premise is also clearly imagined as trees aren’t able to move in the way she implies. She goes on to ask a very confusing question, “Where do the black trees go that drink here?” Within this line, it appears that the speaker is indeed in the woods. This speaks to fragility and the fact that someone had to “cut” them out. They are put on an equal level with the lake and boat. In addition to the lake and boat, there are “cut-paper people.” The fact that they too are described as black makes them a part of the scene. It’s likely nighttime, but the darkness seems more consuming than that. Through this first line, a reader becomes aware that the speaker is in a natural setting, or is at least imagining one. There are the” Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people”. First, the speaker goes through three parts of the landscape and setting. The images in the first lines of ‘Crossing the Water’ are dark, strange, and confusing. ![]() When the speaker, who has been consumed with darkness, sees the light, she is deeply moved.Īnalysis of Crossing the Water Stanza Oneīlack lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people. The leaves in this forest do not want the speaker to hurry and there is light coming from the “water flowers”.Īs the poem progresses the source of the light becomes clear, it is the reflection of the stars in the lake. The world the speaker describes is figurative, standing in for the larger world the reader is familiar with. Everything is black and penetrated with darkness to its core.There are paper people and trees with tall shadows. The poem begins with the speaker describing the setting. ‘ Crossing the Water’ by Sylvia Plath describes the blackness of the human spirit in combination with moments of light.
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