I Am Vertical - A poem by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath - I Am Vertical

But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.

Tonight, in the infinitesimal light of the stars,
The trees and flowers have been strewing their cool odors.
I walk among them, but none of them are noticing.
Sometimes I think that when I am sleeping
I must most perfectly resemble them--
Thoughts gone dim.
It is more natural to me, lying down.
Then the sky and I are in open conversation,
And I shall be useful when I lie down finally:
The the trees may touch me for once, and the flowers have time for me.

Added: on April 10th, 2006 at 4:50 PM | Viewed: 8217 times | Comments and analysis of I Am Vertical by Sylvia Plath Comments (6)

I Am Vertical - Comments and Information
Poet: Sylvia Plath Poem: I Am Vertical Volume: The Collected Poems Year: Published/Written in 1961 Comment 6 of 6, added on April 18th, 2006 at 9:57 PM. i recently got involved with poetry and i had no idea how deep it can be. i especially like this poem because it shows that people have insecutities, we don't always feel beautiful like a garden bed. and sometimes we think we would be better off (horizontal)or dead. and sometimes we miss that motherly love. poetry let's me see thinks with a deeper meaning Mariana from United States Comment 5 of 6, added on April 14th, 2006 at 8:59 AM. this poem indicates that Sylvia would rather be Dead (horizontal). She seems to dispise the flowers because they do not know they are to die. And what is more natural to her lying down (dead in a casket). The tree's do not notice her because she is not dead yet. Only when she is dead the tree's (roots)will have use for her (as food). Blanca from United States Comment 4 of 6, added on April 10th, 2006 at 4:50 PM. this piece of art is the most amazaing thing i have ever read and to be honest I'm just impressed anyway I keep on writing essay about sylvia and found that poem in an original version, I love it in polish but in eglish it's beautiful too.. I feel like i met sylvia her self in this poem she's more peaceful than angry and that helps me find her in a very different way, regards, milena milena from Portugal More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, I Am Vertical, has received 6 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Sylvia Plath with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Sylvia Plath Poem: I Am Vertical Volume: The Collected Poems Year: Published/Written in 1961 Last read: Jul 4 2008, 8:50PM Viewed 8217 times. Added on April 10th, 2006 at 4:50 PM.

Plath Info
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