Mushrooms - A poem by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath - Mushrooms

Overnight, very
Whitely, discreetly,
Very quietly

Our toes, our noses
Take hold on the loam,
Acquire the air.

Nobody sees us,
Stops us, betrays us;
The small grains make room.

Soft fists insist on
Heaving the needles,
The leafy bedding,

Even the paving.
Our hammers, our rams,
Earless and eyeless,

Perfectly voiceless,
Widen the crannies,
Shoulder through holes. We

Diet on water,
On crumbs of shadow,
Bland-mannered, asking

Little or nothing.
So many of us!
So many of us!

We are shelves, we are
Tables, we are meek,
We are edible,

Nudgers and shovers
In spite of ourselves.
Our kind multiplies:

We shall by morning
Inherit the earth.
Our foot's in the door.

Added: on April 14th, 2008 at 12:08 PM | Viewed: 18601 times | Comments and analysis of Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath Comments (47)

Mushrooms - Comments and Information
Poet: Sylvia Plath Poem: Mushrooms Volume: The Collected Poems Year: Published/Written in 1959 Comment 47 of 47, added on April 20th, 2008 at 1:14 PM. I have to agree with Roger the Cabin Boy (the battiest name by the way Pathias).This poem is blatently about china. A growing nation finding its way to world domination. Also the chinnese people are incredibly tiny and so can fit into little nooks and crannies just like mushrooms. Otherwise its about Tibetan Freedom, Muslim extremists or even Cypriots. Jack the poet from Belarus Comment 46 of 47, added on April 14th, 2008 at 12:14 PM. This poem is about the growing power of a nation, possible china. this is because there are a growing numbe of people, which matches up with the poem. Also the chinese were rated as secondclasss citizens because of the fear of communism so they were 'shadowed' by the class above them Roger the cabin boy from Antigua and Barbuda Comment 45 of 47, added on April 14th, 2008 at 12:08 PM. This is an alternative view of Mushrooms, not the clychee aproach of 'women' or 'nature' Mushrooms is a poem about love and the uprising of a nation. This nation is my china! You can tell it is about china because it says growing numbers, people working in shadows ( sweat shops ) soon to gain a prize for their work. Soon will dominate other nations, and will no longer be kept in the dark. Go to this site its great. www.englisharts.com Elowise Vache from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Mushrooms, has received 47 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: Mushrooms Volume: The Collected Poems Year: Published/Written in 1959 Last read: Jul 9 2008, 11:32AM Viewed 18601 times. Added on April 14th, 2008 at 12:08 PM.

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