Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Vanity Fair" by Sylvia Plath takes its title from the marketplace of worldly pleasures in John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," and it explores the tension between virtue and vanity, religion and earthly temptations. In Bunyan's allegorical tale, Vanity Fair is the epitome of worldly distractions that could divert Christian pilgrims from their heavenly journey. Likewise, Plath delves into the duality of female roles-the devout and the decadent-and their intersection with societal expectations and self-perception. She uses a witch figure as the embodiment of vanity, crafting her as a contradictory figure who lives in the margins of morality and spirituality.

The witch is described as a paradoxical figure who "sidles, fingers crooked" through frosty weather. Even the elements seem to resist her, as if her existence could "attach her to heaven," a place where she evidently doesn't belong. Yet, this hazardous medium suggests that, despite her presumed evil, she is still subject to the same cosmic forces that dictate life and afterlife. Her presence is an aberration in the religious setting, as suggested by her "Backtalks at the raven," which could be seen as a dark symbol, perhaps even mocking the Holy Spirit symbolized by a dove.

The witch, as an entity, seems to manipulate human weaknesses for vanity. Plath examines the idea that the witch has the power to discern the vulnerable hearts of "simple girls, church-going," who can be lured away from their paths of virtue for "every amorous oaf." The phrase "Flesh unshriven" stands in sharp contrast to the religious ideal of penitence and confession, emphasizing the lack of spiritual redemption for those who stray.

Plath expands the theme by suggesting that mirrors set "against virgin prayer" are "enough to distract beauty's thought." This line encapsulates the constant battle between physical allure and spiritual purity. She illustrates the seductive nature of vanity, noting that "each vain girl's driven" to believe that life offers no greater fire or passion than the initial flames of love or physical attraction. This conviction, Plath suggests, delivers them to "the black king," possibly representing Satan or the embodiment of earthly vice.

The poem concludes with the image of countless women, "housed in earth," screaming out from their metaphorical stakes in "pride's coven." It's a striking image that encapsulates the consequences of vanity, suggesting that both "the worst sloven" and "best queen" could end up in the same fate, enveloped by the seductive power of earthly distractions.

In "Vanity Fair," Plath navigates the terrain of temptation, feminine roles, and the eternal tension between the spiritual and the earthly. Through vivid imagery and stark contrasts, she questions the societal constructs that often pigeonhole women into categories of saints or sinners. And by doing so, she offers a complex and compelling meditation on the themes of virtue, vanity, and the human condition.

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