When was tulips written

I am learning peacefulness, lying by myself quietly As the light lies on these white walls, this bed, these hands. I am nobody; I have nothing to do with explosions. I have given my name and my day-clothes up to the nurses And my history to the anesthetist and my body to surgeons. They have propped my head between the pillow and the sheet-cuff Like an eye between two white lids that will not shut. Stupid pupil, it has to take everything in. The nurses pass and pass, they are no trouble, They pass the way gulls pass inland in their white caps, Doing things with their hands, one just the same as another, So it is impossible to tell how many there are.

My body is a pebble to them, they tend it as water Tends to the pebbles it must run over, smoothing them gently. They bring me numbness in their bright needles, they bring me sleep. Now I have lost myself I am sick of baggage—— My patent leather overnight case like a black pillbox, My husband and child smiling out of the family photo; Their smiles catch onto my skin, little smiling hooks.

I have let things slip, a thirty-year-old cargo boat stubbornly hanging on to my name and address. They have swabbed me clear of my loving associations. Scared and bare on the green plastic-pillowed trolley I watched my teaset, my bureaus of linen, my books Sink out of sight, and the water went over my head.

I am a nun now, I have never been so pure. Her imagery can be quite brutal, but also incredibly moving. Even just the last three lines, with their mix of sadness and hope, pain and joy, make the reading of the whole poem worthwhile.

Give it a try. We're pretty sure you'll agree. Smart People Talk "Tulips" Here are some excerpts from some smart folks who have written about this poem. This whole site, the "Modern American Poetry Site" is well worth checking out — it's packed with great stuff!

All About Plath Here's a bunch of good links on Plath's work and her life. Poke around for videos, recordings, news stories, etc. Biopic A movie adaptation of Plath's life, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as the poet. Here's the info. A Very Short Film Based on "Tulips" You have to be careful with YouTube videos, but this is really well done: bleak and scary and intense, just like the poem.

This one really is worth a look. We should know, we've watched a lot of YouTube poetry videos! She's got an amazing vocal style all her own. Just have a listen; you'll know what we mean. Giving it a Shot How do you think this guy does? Does he do the poem justice? How does it sound being read by a man when we think you imagined it being spoken by a woman? A Collection of Plath Photos Here's a bunch of interesting photos from Plath's life, collected in one spot.

Cool-Looking Tulips Plath talks all about the heat and intensity of tulips. I am nobody; I have nothing to do with explosions. I have given my name and my day-clothes up to the nurses And my history to the anaesthetist and my body to surgeons. She wishes to remain in a state of emptiness, but the flowers intrude upon this state: [1]. I didn't want any flowers, I only wanted To lie with my hands turned up and be utterly empty.

Eileen Aird remarks: "The world of Ariel is a black and white one into which red, which represents blood, the heart and living is always an intrusion. Curry takes this further by claiming the tulips signify "by their glorious and bold colors, glaring Otherness.

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