Poem Analysis - Sonnet To Eva

A Deconstructed Femininity

Sylvia Plath's "Sonnet: To Eva" is a darkly imaginative exploration of female identity, expressed through violent imagery and a sense of disillusionment. The poem begins with a hypothetical act of destruction, cracking open a skull, and uses this act to dissect the essence of a woman. The tone is cynical and detached, shifting from a clinical observation of destruction to a melancholic reflection on the futility of restoring what has been broken. The sonnet form, traditionally associated with love, is ironically used here to dismantle a romanticized view of womanhood.

The Clockwork Woman: Mechanization and Dehumanization

One of the central themes in this poem is the dehumanization of women, represented through the extended metaphor of a broken clock. The poem compares a woman's skull to a clock that can be "crack[ed]," with her "loves and stratagems" reduced to "mute geometry of broken / Cogs and disks." This imagery suggests that a woman's inner life, including her emotions and desires, are nothing more than mechanical parts, easily dismantled and ultimately meaningless. The description of these parts as "inane mechanic whims" and "idle coils of jargon yet unspoken" further emphasizes the perceived emptiness and superficiality associated with the woman being analyzed.

Rusted Reveries: The Impossibility of Restoration

The theme of loss and the impossibility of restoration is powerfully conveyed through vivid imagery. The "scraps of rusted reverie" and "wheels / Of notched tin platitudes" paint a picture of decay and irreparable damage. The use of "rusted" suggests that the woman's dreams and memories have become tarnished and obsolete. The poem implies that once a woman's essence has been reduced to these broken fragments, neither "man nor demigod" can piece them back together. This speaks to a deep sense of disillusionment with traditional notions of femininity and the societal pressures placed upon women.

Lunatic Thirteens: Symbolism and the Absurd

The image of the "idiot bird" that "leaps up and drunken leans / To chirp the hour in lunatic thirteens" is particularly striking and open to interpretation. The bird, perhaps a symbol of the woman's voice or spirit, is depicted as being foolish and unreliable. The "lunatic thirteens" could symbolize a distorted or irrational expression of time, suggesting that the woman's life and experiences are out of sync with conventional expectations. This image adds a layer of absurdity to the poem, highlighting the chaotic and unpredictable nature of existence when traditional structures and beliefs are dismantled. Is the bird's erratic behavior a direct result of the shattered clock, or was it already present, merely revealed by the act of breaking?

A Final Dismantling

In conclusion, "Sonnet: To Eva" is a powerful and disturbing exploration of female identity through the lens of mechanical breakdown and decay. The poem employs violent imagery and a cynical tone to dismantle romanticized notions of womanhood, revealing a sense of disillusionment and the impossibility of reclaiming lost innocence or shattered dreams. The poem’s enduring power resides in its unflinching gaze and its provocative questioning of the essence of womanhood in a world that seeks to define and control it.