A Sorcerer Bids Farewell To Seem by Sylvia Plath Analysis

I’m through with this grand looking-glass hotel
where adjectives play croquet with flamingo nouns;
methinks I shall absent me for a while
from rhetoric of these rococo queens.
Item : chuck out royal rigmarole of props
and auction off each rare white-rabbit verb;
send my muse Alice packing with gaudy scraps
of mushroom simile and gryphon garb.

My native sleight-of-hand is wearing out :
mad hatter’s hat yields no new metaphor,
and jabberwock will not translate his songs :
it’s time to vanish like the cheshire cat
alone to that authentic island where
cabbages are cabbages; kings : kings.

“A Sorcerer Bids Farewell To Seem” by Sylvia Plath is a poem that expresses a desire to break free from the constraints of elaborate language and artificiality. Through playful imagery and references to Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” the speaker reflects on the exhaustion and disillusionment with the use of extravagant language and seeks refuge in simplicity and authenticity.

The poem begins with the speaker declaring their departure from a lavish and ostentatious “looking-glass hotel,” where adjectives are portrayed as playing croquet with “flamingo nouns.” This whimsical image highlights the artificiality and excessiveness of language in this setting. The speaker expresses a desire to distance themselves from the rhetorical extravagance of the “rococo queens,” indicating a rejection of overly ornate and flowery language.

The speaker then announces their intention to discard the pretentious language and imagery that have become tiresome to them. They use playful language, referring to getting rid of the “royal rigmarole of props” and auctioning off rare and extravagant verbs associated with the story of Alice in Wonderland. This imagery emphasizes the speaker’s desire to rid themselves of the fanciful and overdone elements of their writing.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on their dwindling creativity and the inability to find inspiration in familiar symbols and characters from “Alice in Wonderland.” The “mad hatter’s hat” and the “jabberwock” fail to ignite new ideas or metaphors for the speaker. This realization prompts the speaker to contemplate a retreat from the world of artifice and complexity.

The speaker ultimately decides to “vanish like the Cheshire cat” and seek solace in a place of authenticity and simplicity. They yearn for an “authentic island” where things are straightforward and unadorned, where a cabbage is simply a cabbage and kings are merely kings. This longing for simplicity and truth contrasts sharply with the surreal and fantastical world of “Alice in Wonderland,” suggesting a desire to escape from artifice and return to reality.

Overall, “A Sorcerer Bids Farewell To Seem” is a thought-provoking exploration of the tension between artificiality and authenticity in language and creativity. Through playful imagery and references to a beloved literary classic, the poem invites readers to reflect on the nature of language and the pursuit of genuine expression in a world of superficiality and excess.