Poem Analysis - Leaving Early

A Drunken, Floral Prison

Sylvia Plath's "Leaving Early" plunges the reader into a claustrophobic and decaying domestic scene. The poem, narrated from the perspective of a weary visitor, drips with cynicism and a sense of stifling stagnation. The initial boredom quickly morphs into a more profound unease, tinged with nostalgia and disgust. The overall tone is one of stifled resentment, underscored by the opulent yet decaying surroundings.

Decay and Overabundance: A Symbolic Cage

One of the central themes of the poem is the suffocating nature of excess and decay. The "jungle of wine-bottle lamps," "velvet pillows the color of blood pudding," and "white china flying fish from Italy" paint a picture of a room overflowing with possessions. However, this abundance is not presented as a source of comfort or pleasure; instead, it feels oppressive and artificial. The constant presence of dying flowers, with their "involved maladies of autumn," reinforces this theme of decay and the inevitable decline of beauty. The flowers symbolize the transient nature of life and beauty, and their eventual rotting underscores the sense of a life lived past its prime. The speaker's discomfort highlights the oppressive nature of this artificial paradise.

Imprisonment in Domesticity: Loss of Self

The poem explores the theme of imprisonment, both literal and metaphorical. The speaker feels trapped within the "lady's" room, surrounded by its oppressive decor. This physical confinement mirrors a deeper sense of being trapped within a relationship or a situation that has become stifling. The lines "How did we make it up to your attic?" and "Lady, what am I doing / With a lung full of dust and a tongue of wood, / Knee-deep in the cold swamped by flowers?" reveal a sense of disorientation and a loss of self. The speaker's feelings of being overwhelmed and silenced ("tongue of wood") underscore the theme of being consumed by the other person's world.

Nostalgia and Disgust: A Toxic Brew

The poem is thick with vivid and unsettling imagery. The "red geraniums" that "stink of armpits" and are "musky as a lovebed the morning after" evoke a complex mixture of nostalgia and disgust. The "henna hags" towing "old water thick as fog" further contribute to the atmosphere of decay and stagnation. The image of the "chrysanthemums the size / Of Holofernes' head" is particularly striking, suggesting a sense of looming threat and violence. The mirror, reflecting the chrysanthemums' doubles, amplifies the feeling of unease and the sense that the speaker is surrounded by something overwhelming and potentially dangerous. Could the Holofernes reference suggest a subconscious fear of emasculation or a more general sense of being threatened by the "lady" and her domestic space?

The Silent Witness: A Plea for Escape

"Leaving Early" ultimately presents a portrait of a relationship and a domestic space that have become toxic and suffocating. The speaker's desire to escape is palpable, despite the undercurrent of nostalgia. The final image of being "knee-deep in the cold swamped by flowers" encapsulates the poem's central theme: a sense of being overwhelmed and trapped by beauty that has become corrupted and cloying. The poem’s significance lies in its unflinching portrayal of domestic discontent and the struggle to maintain one's identity within a suffocating environment.