“The Bee Meting” is one of the “Bee Poems” of Sylvia Plath, which also deals

with the theme of power, uncertainty and insecurity. Bombardment of questions,

in the minds of the poet, creates confusion. In fact, her attitude, in this poem is
too puzzling. She knows nothing, neither about the people nor about herself.
The poem mainly focuses on sense of weakness and physical nakedness,
which makes her mentally vulnerable to the upcoming self-created
psychological threats. In much of her later poems, Plath sought out self
discovery. The imaginative power of the poet gives her confidence for a
rebellious expressiveness but most of the time she remained failed due to her
inner fears. Her worries and uncertainties, either they are minor or major,
overpower the same and ultimately she gives up.

In very first lines of the poem, she is unsure about the people, who are there to
meet her, and she feels herself insecure among them because of two reasons.
Firstly, she does not know them. Secondly, she is naked, making her more
defenseless. Robert Philip, while giving detail atmosphere of starting lines says:

“The Bee Meeting opens with a vivid imaging

of the poet’s vulnerability before the hive.”
The threat in the minds of the writer is due to her inner psychological worries.
She does not feel any protection among all the people. Giving description about
the people, she writes, “The rector, the midwife, the sexton, the agent for bees”
and then at the same time she alienates herself from these people as she has
fear, which is expressed in these lines; “In my sleeveless summery dress I have
no protection”. The attitude of the poet portrays her isolation from the society.
She further reveals her suspicions, while saying “And they are all gloved and
covered, why did nobody tell me?……..I am nude as a chicken neck, does
nobody love me”. The fear of existence in this world is still in her mind. It reflects
from the autobiographical incidents of the poet that lack of love, from blood
relations and husband, makes her more sensitive. She expressed it in this poem
by using his artistic talent. “does nobody loves me” expresses the whole life of
the poet and forces the poet to accept death while rejecting the life.

The whole poem is a dream sequence, having too much symbolic significance.
It is much difficult to understand the poem without knowing the personal life of
the poet. Sylvia Plath is a tortured soul and without knowing about her life, it is
impossible to dig deep the real meanings of this poem. Poet’s fear, her
vagueness, her isolation, her effort for self discovery and her preference on
death instead of life, in deep meanings, are discussed in this poem.

The conclusion of the poem has much magnitude. No one can give better
description of the poem than Robert Phillips. This is how, he gives his opinions
on the last lines of the poem