Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Crossing the Water" by Sylvia Plath explores the profound complexities and ambiguities of human emotions through an unsettling journey across a black lake. The poem opens with an intensely visual line, "Black lake, black boat, two black, cut-paper people," immediately establishing an atmosphere of darkness and monotony, akin to shadow puppetry. These are not fully fleshed-out characters; they are "cut-paper people," seemingly flattened by their own emotional state. This evokes a sense of existential uncertainty, asking not just where the boat is going, but also pondering the direction of the characters' lives.

The question, "Where do the black trees go that drink here?" adds a surreal element to the scene, extending the blackness beyond the immediate environment to a more universal scale, so vast that "Their shadows must cover Canada." The trees are anthropomorphized; they "drink" from the lake as if they too are searching for something more, some sustenance they can draw from the depths.

The imagery of "water flowers" that allow "a little light" to filter through could be viewed as a momentary respite from the pervasive darkness. However, the leaves of these flowers "do not wish us to hurry" and are "full of dark advice." It's as if nature itself is cautioning the travelers - and by extension, the reader - to pause and understand the complexity of their emotional state. The darkness here isn't just a lack of light; it's imbued with a sense of foreboding, a warning perhaps of the emotional complexities that lurk beneath the surface of our consciousness.

"Cold worlds shake from the oar," suggests the motion of the boat disrupts more than just the water; it disrupts entire 'worlds,' perhaps emotional or psychological states that have been frozen or dormant. This extends the reach of the poem from mere physical surroundings into the domain of the psyche. The phrase "The spirit of blackness is in us, it is in the fishes" brings this notion full circle, acknowledging that the emotional or existential darkness isn't just an external force but something intrinsic to all forms of life.

The line, "A snag is lifting a valedictory, pale hand," conjures an image of a dead or dying tree, its branches like hands waving a final farewell. This might signify the end of a phase, a journey, or even a life. The emotional weight of the poem is accentuated when "Stars open among the lilies." Stars often symbolize hope, but here, they open among the lilies on the dark water, far removed from their usual celestial realm. They don't provide enough light to banish the darkness but make it more palpable, adding contrasting points to the pervasive black.

The concluding lines, "Are you not blinded by such expressionless sirens? This is the silence of astounded souls," are chilling. The 'expressionless sirens' are a contradiction - sirens are creatures of allure, yet these fail to express anything, rendering their observers not entranced, but 'astounded,' as if shocked into a profound realization or a deep existential dread.

"Crossing the Water" leaves its readers in a haunting quietude. It delves into the multi-layered darkness that exists both around and within us, confronting us with our own emotional complexities and existential uncertainties. It's a somber voyage that demands we look, unflinchingly, into our own depths, no matter how unsettling the view.

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