Poppies in October
Poppies in October - meaning Summary
Unexpected Bursts Amid Numbness
The poem observes bright poppies as startling, almost intrusive signs of life within a cold, numbed world. Plath contrasts vivid red blooms—described as a gift or love gift—with scenes of dullness, sickness, and frost. The speaker reacts with bewilderment and self-questioning, asking why such late mouths should open for them. The image suggests unexpected beauty and vitality interrupting emotional paralysis tied to the poet’s struggles.
Read Complete AnalysesEven the sun-clouds this morning cannot manage such skirts. Nor the woman in the ambulance Whose red heart blooms through her coat so astoundingly -- A gift, a love gift Utterly unasked for By a sky Palely and flamily Igniting its carbon monoxides, by eyes Dulled to a halt under bowlers. O my God, what am I That these late mouths should cry open In a forest of frost, in a dawn of cornflowers.
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