Love Is A Parallax by Sylvia Plath Summary

‘Perspective betrays with its dichotomy:
train tracks always meet, not here, but only
   in the impossible mind’s eye;
horizons beat a retreat as we embark
on sophist seas to overtake that mark
   where wave pretends to drench real sky.’

‘Well then, if we agree, it is not odd
that one man’s devil is another’s god
   or that the solar spectrum is
a multitude of shaded grays; suspense
on the quicksands of ambivalence
   is our life’s whole nemesis.

So we could rave on, darling, you and I,
until the stars tick out a lullaby
   about each cosmic pro and con;
nothing changes, for all the blazing of
our drastic jargon, but clock hands that move
   implacably from twelve to one.

We raise our arguments like sitting ducks
to knock them down with logic or with luck
   and contradict ourselves for fun;
the waitress holds our coats and we put on
the raw wind like a scarf; love is a faun
   who insists his playmates run.

Now you, my intellectual leprechaun,
would have me swallow the entire sun
   like an enormous oyster, down
the ocean in one gulp: you say a mark
of comet hara-kiri through the dark
   should inflame the sleeping town.

So kiss: the drunks upon the curb and dames
in dubious doorways forget their monday names,
   caper with candles in their heads;
the leaves applaud, and santa claus flies in
scattering candy from a zeppelin,
   playing his prodigal charades.

The moon leans down to took; the tilting fish
in the rare river wink and laugh; we lavish
   blessings right and left and cry
hello, and then hello again in deaf
churchyard ears until the starlit stiff
   graves all carol in reply.

Now kiss again: till our strict father leans
to call for curtain on our thousand scenes;
   brazen actors mock at him,
multiply pink harlequins and sing
in gay ventriloquy from wing to wing
   while footlights flare and houselights dim.

Tell now, we taunt where black or white begins
and separate the flutes from violins:
   the algebra of absolutes
explodes in a kaleidoscope of shapes
that jar, while each polemic jackanapes
   joins his enemies’ recruits.

The paradox is that ‘the play’s the thing’:
though prima donna pouts and critic stings,
   there burns throughout the line of words,
the cultivated act, a fierce brief fusion
which dreamers call real, and realists, illusion:
   an insight like the flight of birds:

Arrows that lacerate the sky, while knowing
the secret of their ecstasy’s in going;
   some day, moving, one will drop,
and, dropping, die, to trace a wound that heals
only to reopen as flesh congeals:
   cycling phoenix never stops.

So we shall walk barefoot on walnut shells
of withered worlds, and stamp out puny hells
   and heavens till the spirits squeak
surrender: to build our bed as high as jack’s
bold beanstalk; lie and love till sharp scythe hacks
   away our rationed days and weeks.

Then jet the blue tent topple, stars rain down,
and god or void appall us till we drown
   in our own tears: today we start
to pay the piper with each breath, yet love
knows not of death nor calculus above
   the simple sum of heart plus heart.

“Love Is A Parallax” by Sylvia Plath is a poignant and complex poem that delves into the multifaceted nature of love. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each exploring different aspects of love and its impact on human experience.

In the first stanza, Plath introduces the idea of perspective and dichotomy. She uses the metaphor of train tracks meeting in the mind’s eye, highlighting the elusive and subjective nature of love. The horizon’s retreat symbolizes the challenges in defining love as we navigate the complex seas of emotions.

The second stanza reflects on the relativity of beliefs and perceptions. Plath explores the idea that what one person sees as a devil may be viewed as a god by another. The solar spectrum as a multitude of shaded grays emphasizes the nuanced and ambiguous nature of life. The stanza suggests that ambivalence is a central challenge in human existence.

The third stanza continues to explore the paradoxes of love. Plath presents a dialogue between two individuals, perhaps lovers, discussing the nature of love and its cosmic implications. The use of drastic jargon and contradictory arguments reflects the complexity of trying to understand and define love. The image of the waitress holding coats and facing the raw wind signifies the vulnerability and exposure that come with embracing love.

The fourth stanza introduces the idea of swallowing the sun and the dramatic impact it would have on the world. The mention of a comet’s mark hara-kiri through the dark adds a sense of celestial drama. The call for a kiss encourages a celebration of love amid the mundane struggles of life. The imagery of drunks, dames, and Santa Claus symbolizes the diverse and unpredictable elements of the world.

The fifth stanza embraces a sense of joy and celebration. The moon, tilting fish, and starlit graves contribute to a surreal and magical atmosphere. The repetition of greetings, even in deaf churchyard ears, highlights the eternal nature of love and connection.

The sixth stanza returns to the theme of performance and illusion. The strict father calling for a curtain on a thousand scenes suggests the finite nature of life, but the brazen actors and harlequins defy the limitations. The stanza reflects on the interplay between reality and illusion in the theater of life.

The seventh and final stanza contemplates the paradox of existence. Plath explores the dichotomy between black and white, absolutes and uncertainties. The reference to the play being the thing emphasizes the importance of action and experience. The cycling phoenix symbolizes the perpetual cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

In conclusion, Sylvia Plath’s “Love Is A Parallax” is a rich exploration of love’s complexities, uncertainties, and paradoxes. The poem weaves together vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the ever-changing and elusive nature of love, celebrating its joyous moments while acknowledging the inevitable challenges and mysteries that come with it.