The Zoo-Keeper’s Wife by Sylvia Plath Structure and Form

I can stay awake all night, if need be —
Cold as an eel, without eyelids.
Like a dead lake the dark envelops me,
Blueblack, a spectacular plum fruit.
No air bubbles start from my heart. I am lungless
And ugly, my belly a silk stocking
Where the heads and tails of my sisters decompose.
Look, they are melting like coins in the powerful juices —

The spidery jaws, the spine bones bared for a moment
Like the white lines on a blueprint.
Should I stir, I think this pink and purple plastic
Guts bag would clack like a child’s rattle,
Old grievances jostling each other, so many loose teeth.
But what so you know about that
My fat pork, my marrowy sweetheart, face-to-the-wall?
Some things of this world are indigestible.

You wooed me with the wolf-headed fruit bats
Hanging from their scorched hooks in the moist
Fug of teh Small Mammal House.
The armadillo dozed in his sandbin
Obscene and bald as a pig, the white mice
Multiplied to infinity like angels on a pinhead
Out of sheer boredom. Tangled in the sweat-wet sheets
I remember the bloodied chicks and the quartered rabbits.

You checked the diet charts and took me to play
With the boa constrictor in the Fellow’s Garden.
I pretended I was the Tree of Knowledge.
I entered your bible, I boarded your ark
With the sacred baboon in his wig and wax ears
And the bear-furred, bird-eating spider
Clambering round its glass box like an eight-fingered hand.
I can’t get it out of my mind

How our courtship lit the tindery cages —
Your two-horned rhinocerous opened a mouth
Dirty as a bootsole and big as a hospital sink
For my cube of sugar: its bog breath
Gloved my arm to the elbow.
The snails blew kisses like black apples.
Nightly now I flog apes owls bears sheep
Over their iron stile. And still don’t sleep.

Free Verse: The poem follows a free-verse structure, indicating that it lacks a predetermined rhyme scheme or meter. This freedom allows Plath to experiment with language and create a natural, conversational tone. The absence of a strict structure reflects the raw and unfiltered emotions expressed by the speaker.

Enjambment: Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, is prevalent throughout the poem. This technique contributes to the fluidity of the verses, creating a sense of continuous thought. The uninterrupted flow of lines mirrors the speaker’s stream of consciousness, providing an intimate look into her inner turmoil.

Stanzas: The poem is divided into three stanzas, each containing a different segment of the speaker’s narrative. The stanzas help organize the poem thematically, allowing for a progression of ideas and emotions. The first stanza introduces the speaker’s insomnia and self-image, the second delves into the unsettling aspects of her marriage, and the third reflects on the courtship’s impact.

Imagery and Symbolism: Plath employs vivid and symbolic imagery throughout the poem. Each stanza introduces a new set of images, such as the eel, plum fruit, and spidery jaws. These images contribute to the poem’s overall atmosphere and convey the speaker’s emotions. The use of symbolism, such as the zoo and biblical references, adds layers of meaning to the narrative.

Repetition: Repetition is subtly used in phrases like “I can’t get it out of my mind” and “And still don’t sleep.” This repetition emphasizes the persistent nature of the speaker’s thoughts and struggles. It serves as a rhetorical device, reinforcing key themes and emotions within the poem.

Tone and Diction: The tone of the poem is introspective, melancholic, and at times, bitter. Plath’s choice of diction, including words like “lungless,” “ugly,” and “indigestible,” contributes to the overall mood of dissatisfaction and despair. The poem’s language is rich in sensory details, intensifying the reader’s connection to the speaker’s experiences.

In conclusion, “The Zoo-Keeper’s Wife” is a free-verse poem with a fluid structure that allows for an exploration of complex themes and emotions. Through enjambment, vivid imagery, and symbolism, Plath crafts a poem that captures the raw intensity of the speaker’s reflections on her marriage and courtship. The absence of a rigid structure allows for a more authentic and unrestrained expression of the speaker’s inner world.