In the marketplace they are piling the dry sticks.
A thicket of shadows is a poor coat. I inhabit
The wax image of myself, a doll’s body.
Sickness begins here: I am the dartboard for witches.
Only the devil can eat the devil out.
In the month of red leaves I climb to a bed of fire.

It is easy to blame the dark: the mouth of a door,
The cellar’s belly. They’ve blown my sparkler out.
A black-sharded lady keeps me in parrot cage.
What large eyes the dead have!
I am intimate with a hairy spirit.
Smoke wheels from the beak of this empty jar.

If I am a little one, I can do no harm.
If I don’t move about, I’ll knock nothing over. So I said,
Sitting under a potlid, tiny and inert as a rice grain.
They are turning the burners up, ring after ring.
We are full of starch, my small white fellows. We grow.
It hurts at first. The red tongues will teach the truth.

Mother of beetles, only unclench your hand:
I’ll fly through the candle’s mouth like a singeless moth.
Give me back my shape. I am ready to construe the days
I coupled with dust in the shadow of a stone.
My ankles brighten. Brightness ascends my thighs.
I am lost, I am lost, in the robes of all this light.

Persecution and Oppression: One of the central themes in “Witch Burning” is persecution and oppression. The speaker feels like a target for persecution, as if they are a dartboard for witches. They describe being trapped and imprisoned, kept in a cage by a mysterious figure with large eyes. This theme reflects the speaker’s sense of vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of external forces that seek to harm them.

Isolation and Confinement: Another prominent theme in the poem is isolation and confinement. The speaker feels trapped in their own body, like a doll’s body made of wax. They describe feeling imprisoned and confined, as if they are sitting under a potlid, tiny and inert. This sense of isolation adds to the speaker’s feelings of helplessness and despair, as they struggle to break free from their confinement.

Identity and Self-Exploration: The poem also explores themes of identity and self-exploration. The speaker reflects on their own sense of identity, feeling like a wax image of themselves. They long to regain their true shape and form, to interpret the days they have coupled with dust. This theme reflects the speaker’s desire to understand themselves and make sense of their experiences, even in the face of darkness and uncertainty.

Darkness and Light: Darkness and light are recurring motifs throughout the poem, serving as symbols for the speaker’s emotional turmoil. The speaker blames the darkness for their predicament, feeling as if their light has been extinguished. However, there are also moments of brightness and clarity, as brightness ascends the speaker’s thighs. This theme reflects the speaker’s inner conflict between darkness and light, despair and hope.

Fear and Vulnerability: Fear and vulnerability are pervasive themes in “Witch Burning.” The speaker feels like a target for persecution, as if they are being hunted by unseen forces. They describe feeling overwhelmed by darkness and oppression, unable to escape their fate. This theme reflects the speaker’s sense of fear and vulnerability in the face of danger and uncertainty.

Transformation and Liberation: Despite the darkness and despair that permeate the poem, there are also themes of transformation and liberation. The speaker longs to fly through the candle’s mouth like a singeless moth, symbolizing a desire for freedom and transformation. They plead for release from their confinement, ready to interpret their experiences and regain their true shape. This theme reflects the speaker’s hope for liberation and renewal, even in the midst of darkness.

Entanglement with Dark Forces: The poem also explores the theme of entanglement with dark forces. The speaker admits to being intimate with a hairy spirit and feels imprisoned by a black-sharded lady. These images suggest a sense of entanglement with darkness and negativity, adding to the speaker’s feelings of despair and hopelessness. This theme reflects the speaker’s struggle to break free from the oppressive forces that surround them.

In summary, “Witch Burning” by Sylvia Plath explores themes of persecution, isolation, identity, darkness, and light. The poem delves into the speaker’s inner turmoil as they grapple with fear, vulnerability, and a desire for transformation and liberation. Through its rich imagery and symbolic language, the poem captures the complexity of the human experience and the struggle for meaning and freedom in the face of oppression and despair.