“Morning Song” is a poem by Sylvia Plath, in which she reveals her deepest emotions and

thoughts as an early mother. In the first three stanzas, Plath’s perplexity and detachment from
the baby is obvious. Plath's first encounter with the baby is described as the baby's "bald cry"
joining the other elements present in the room, such as pain, blood, sweat, and screams, which
is very strange for Plath. Plath uses "the cloud" as a metaphor for herself in the third stanza, and
the "mirror" represents the baby where she sees herself as she grows old and fades away from
the world. This metaphor highlights her instability and lack of control over the world, where the
"wind" remains in charge. Plath is confused about the meaning of being a mother, especially
about what she feels compared to what she’s supposed to feel. In the second stanza, Plath uses a
simile to indicate that they “stand round blankly as walls”, which are feelingless built things.
However, walls also protect, suggesting that Plath feels responsible for the baby. Plath states:
“All night your moth-breath flickers… I wake to listen; a far sea moves in my ear”. Comparing
the child to a moth, Plath understands the fragility of her baby, and deeply cares for her. She
starts to feel a connection to the baby and draws a parallel between her bond with the baby and
her strong bond with the “sea”. The last stanza of the poem describes the morning, but it can
also be interpreted as a symbol of the end of the “dull” times and the arrival of joy and love that
“swallows” her puzzlement and enlightens “the window square” which is a metaphor for Plath’s
heart. Furthermore, Plath expresses the child’s laughter as “clear vowels”. The word “clear”
suggests that Plath’s confusion is over. Additionally, the simile that she uses for the baby’s
laughter being like “balloons” that “rise” shows that the baby’s laughter brings her joy, and she
can’t control this happiness. Plath expresses her many mixed emotions when she becomes a
mother, such as confusion, responsibility, and deep intimacy towards her baby. Yet, Morning
Song isn’t just an expressive poem, but rather a confession of what it means and feels like for
Plath to be the creator of another part of herself.