Analysis of Stings by Sylvia Plath :: Stings Essays

In transmission channels 51-60 of Stings, imagery, allusion, and antithesis are employed by the author, Sylvia Plath, to develop her attitude towards men. In this section of Stings, Plath uses the queen bee as a symbol of herself -- a fiery, angry, vengeful daughter who rises up in spite of the man (her husband Ted) described in lines 38-50. Because much of Plaths work is confessional poetry, it can be analyzed not only by her use of poetic devices but by her personal level as well. This poem was written on 21 May 1962, the day after a weekend visit by some friends of the family, the Wevils. Sylvia sensed an attractiveness between her husband Ted and Assia Wevil, which may have provided the motivation for much of Stings. Lines in this section of the poem, especially lines 51-52 (They thought death was worth it, but I / turn out a self to recover, a queen) indicate Sylvias desire to assert her independence, not only from Ted but from all the other female bees, who suffocate when they sting -- sting in this case meaning sacrificing themselves for men. From this standpoint, Stings can be seen as a feminist work as well as an anti-Ted poem. In lines 51-60, Plath uses several poetic devices to express this feminist theme and the anti-Ted theme. Lines 55-58 state With her lion- redness body / her wings of glass / Now she is flying / More terrible than she ever was, red / Scar in the sky, red comet. In these lines, her feminist attitude is revealed in large part by color imagery. Red is used in lines 55, 57, and 58 to express her independent lust, strength and power (archetypally, red symbolizes male strength, ex. Mars as the red planet). The lion-red queen emerging from all of the worker bees echoes the lines 82-84 of Lady Lazarus, in which Plath alludes to the Phoenix Out of the ash / I rise with my red hair / And I eat men like air. Her allusion to the emerging lion-red body in line 55 accomplishes the same purpose. However, in the same line, Plath uses antith esis to assert her femininity as well -- wings of glass seemsto express her delicate nature in oppose with the power of the lion. The final lines, lines 59 and 60, of the poem reveal more of her contempt towards Ted.