Finisterre by Sylvia Plath Structure

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.”

The structure of Sylvia Plath’s poem “Finisterre” plays a crucial role in conveying its themes and creating a vivid, evocative atmosphere.

1. Free Verse: “Finisterre” is written in free verse, meaning it lacks a strict rhyme scheme and meter. This choice contributes to the poem’s organic and natural flow, allowing the language to mirror the unpredictable and tumultuous nature of the sea. The absence of a regular structure emphasizes the chaos and disorder inherent in the imagery of the land’s end and the sea exploding.

2. Stanza Division: The poem is divided into three stanzas, each serving a distinct purpose in the narrative. The first stanza sets the desolate scene of the land’s end and introduces the relentless power of the sea. The second stanza shifts to the cliffs’ details and the souls in the mist, exploring the mystical and spiritual elements. The final stanza introduces Our Lady of the Shipwrecked, concluding with the juxtaposition of beauty and desolation.

3. Enjambment: Plath employs enjambment throughout the poem, allowing lines to flow seamlessly into the next without a pause. This technique mirrors the continuity of the sea and the interconnectedness of the themes. Enjambment also contributes to the rhythmic quality of the poem, creating a steady pace that aligns with the ebb and flow of the waves.

4. Imagery and Symbolism: The structure serves as a canvas for Plath’s vivid imagery and symbolism. The concise and evocative language in each line crafts a visual and emotional impact. The use of symbols like trefoils, stars, bells, and the sea drafts with gull-colored laces enhances the sensory experience, making the poem rich with visual and tactile elements.

5. Shifting Perspectives: The poem’s structure aids in the shift of perspectives. It begins with a personal reflection on the desolate land, transitions to a more contemplative and spiritual tone in the second stanza, and concludes with a scene featuring Our Lady of the Shipwrecked. This movement provides a dynamic narrative that engages the reader with different facets of the speaker’s experience.

6. Conclusion and Reflection: The final stanza acts as a reflective conclusion, contrasting the gloom of the land’s end with the beauty of trinkets and the sea’s formlessness. The structure allows for this shift in focus, leaving the reader with a sense of contemplation and a nuanced understanding of the complex themes explored in the poem.

The structure of “Finisterre” is a carefully crafted framework that enhances the poem’s thematic depth and emotional resonance. Plath’s use of free verse, enjambment, and strategic stanza division creates a poetic landscape that mirrors the relentless sea, the contemplative moments, and the delicate beauty within the desolation.