Finisterre by Sylvia Plath Analysis

This was the land’s end: the last fingers, knuckled and rheumatic,
Cramped on nothing. Black
Admonitory cliffs, and the sea exploding
With no bottom, or anything on the other side of it,
Whitened by the faces of the drowned.
Now it is only gloomy, a dump of rocks —-
Leftover soldiers from old, messy wars.
The sea cannons into their ear, but they don’t budge.
Other rocks hide their grudges under the water.

The cliffs are edged with trefoils, stars and bells
Such as fingers might embroider, close to death,
Almost too small for the mists to bother with.
The mists are part of the ancient paraphernalia —-
Souls, rolled in the doom-noise of the sea.
They bruise the rocks out of existence, then resurrect them.
They go up without hope, like sighs.
I walk among them, and they stuff my mouth with cotton.
When they free me, I am beaded with tears.

Our Lady of the Shipwrecked is striding toward the horizon,
Her marble skirts blown back in two pink wings.
A marble sailor kneels at her foot distractedly, and at his foot
A peasant woman in black
Is praying to the monument of the sailor praying.
Our Lady of the Shipwrecked is three times life size,
Her lips sweet with divinity.
She does not hear what the sailor or the peasant is saying —-
She is in love with the beautiful formlessness of the sea.

Gull-colored laces flap in the sea drafts
Beside the postcard stalls.
The peasants anchor them with conches. One is told:
“These are the pretty trinkets the sea hides,
Little shells made up into necklaces and toy ladies.
They do not come from the Bay of the Dead down there,
But from another place, tropical and blue,
We have never been to.
These are our crêpes. Eat them before they blow cold.”

Sylvia Plath’s poem, “Finisterre,” takes readers on a journey to the desolate Cape Finisterre, using vivid imagery and symbolism to explore themes of death, despair, and the enigmatic nature of the human experience.

The poem begins with a stark description of Cape Finisterre as the “land’s end,” portraying it as a place where the earth’s fingers, like knuckled and rheumatic hands, cling desperately to nothingness. The black cliffs serve as admonitory figures, warning against the dangers of the relentless sea that explodes with no visible bottom. The sea, whitened by the faces of the drowned, becomes a haunting canvas for the poet’s reflections.

Plath introduces a sense of gloom as she describes the landscape as a “dump of rocks,” reminiscent of leftover soldiers from messy wars. These rocks, battered by the sea’s relentless cannons, stand stoically, hiding grudges beneath the water. This imagery sets the tone for the poem, creating an atmosphere of desolation and echoing the harsh realities of life.

The cliffs, adorned with trefoils, stars, and bells, become a canvas for the fingers of an old lady, close to death, to embroider. The mist, part of the ancient paraphernalia, carries the souls of the drowned, bruising and resurrecting the rocks in a cyclical dance. Plath paints a surreal picture of souls going up without hope, like sighs, as the poet walks among them, experiencing an otherworldly encounter where her mouth is filled with cotton, and tears bead her existence.

The third stanza introduces a mystical figure, “Our Lady of the Shipwrecked,” striding toward the horizon with marble skirts blown back like wings. This statue, three times life size, stands as a guardian spirit of the place. A marble sailor kneels distractedly at her foot, and a praying peasant woman in black adds a touch of humanity to the divine scene. Despite their prayers, Our Lady remains indifferent, captivated by the beautiful formlessness of the sea.

The poem’s shifting tone becomes evident in the final stanza, transitioning from the mystical to the mundane. Gull-colored laces flap in the sea drafts beside postcard stalls, introducing a scene of everyday life. Peasants anchor these laces with conches, offering trinkets made of shells. Plath describes these as pretty trinkets hidden by the sea, emphasizing their origin from a tropical and blue place unknown to the peasants. The concluding advice to eat crêpes before they grow cold introduces a mundane element, bringing the reader back from the depths of the poet’s contemplation.

Plath’s stylistic features contribute to the poem’s impact. The vivid and powerful imagery creates a landscape that is both haunting and tangible. The symbolism, such as the sea representing death and the mist embodying the souls of the drowned, adds layers of meaning. The irregular structure and jagged line lengths mirror the physical landscape of Cape Finisterre, accentuating the poet’s state of mind.

Themes of death, despair, and the enigmatic nature of existence permeate the poem. Cape Finisterre serves as a metaphor for the edge of life, where the sea represents the subconscious, and the mist embodies the souls caught in a perpetual struggle between existence and oblivion. Plath explores the contrast between the mystical and the ordinary, underscoring the dichotomy between the spiritual and the mundane.

In conclusion, Sylvia Plath’s “Finisterre” invites readers into a world of desolation, mystery, and contemplation. Through vivid imagery, symbolism, and a shifting tone, the poem explores the complex interplay between life, death, and the profound connection between the human spirit and the natural world. “Finisterre” stands as a testament to Plath’s ability to weave intricate emotions into a tapestry of words, leaving readers with a haunting and thought-provoking experience.