Metaphors in the Poems of Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson

Metaphors are not only integral part of poetry but a significant addition as well, since the presence of metaphors enriches the standard of the literary work. The strength of a metaphor in enhancing the beauty of a poem as well as amplifying its core message can be observed in the poems – “Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath and “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun” by Emily Dickinson. Both poems successfully used this important literary device in order to paint a coherent picture.

“Metaphors” is a clever little poem by Plath which contains nine lines, each with nine syllables. In fact, in the very first verse of the poem, the narrator mentions that this poem is a riddle of nine syllables. Such arrangement is intentionally made by Plath to mimic the nine-month duration of pregnancy, which the poem is all about. Calling the poem a riddle was an interesting move Plath did as metaphors are normally left up to the reader’s interpretation just like a riddle is. The poet wanted the readers to decipher the imagery created in the poem much like they would decipher a riddle. All in all, “Metaphors” is a poem with a collection of metaphors symbolizing the gestation period a woman goes through.

While the previous poem is a collection of metaphors, Dickinson’s poem, “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun” is a poem with an extended metaphor where the poet compares the life of a woman with a loaded gun. Unlike Plath’s poem, where the narrator had a subdued and helpless demeanor, the narrator of Dickinson’s poem is upfront and ferocious. Despite both being feminist poems, the effect of each poem is different. Even though the narrators of the two poems feel used by an “owner” figure, the narrator of “Metaphor” appears begrudging while the narrator of “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun” accepted her role as it is, even though her life only gets meaning when she is recognized by her “master”, most possibly, the lover. Therefore, even though both Plath and Dickinson talk about a woman’s life in their poems, each poem has a different vibe and approach towards the role given to women in the society.