Saira ; Sylvia Plath, ‘Burning the Letters’ – Ted Hughes, ‘The Thought Fox’

The title ‘Burning the Letters’ itself gives away the main subject of this poem, which is evidently the ‘letters’ whom one would believe would be from Ted, whether they are love letters or simply a letter in which he discloses his affair.

At the very beginning of the poem Plath personifies the letters as, “white fists” indicating that they cause her to feel hurt and the use of “death rattle” illustrates the thought that Plath has read these letters so many times that they are in a bad state. Plath then puts emphasis on her unfulfilled dreams, “a dream of clear water grinned like a getaway car” whilst the letters are burning, therefore allowing the audience to believe that Plath has come to a point of realization where she realizes that she left behind all her dreams to help Ted fulfill his dreams. However, in the second stanza it seems as if Plath wants to stop the burning of the letters “My fingers would enter although they melt and sag”, as if she has doubts on whether she should really allow these letters to be destroyed. Plath then mentions, “here is an end to the writing” which could have an ambiguous meaning; it could be that Plath is literally referring to the writing on the letters, however it could also be that Plath is referring the end of her love. Plath then clearly emphasizes on her lost love, “At least I won't be strung just under the surface” – Plath is no longer under the belief that the love between her and Ted is still existent. Plath also gives her conflict between her dreams and duty an artistic form, “Between this wish and that wish” – Plath is evidently referring to her inner conflict, which consists of her battling herself to become a poet, to write and to fulfill her duty as a wife. Plath then illustrates the ashes of the burnt letters as “carbon birds” and “coal angels” – these ashes provide Plath with a sort of relief. Plath, then goes onto personifies the remaining parts of the letter she is able to save “I flake the papers that breathe like people”, this illustrates the thought of the letters taking a deep breath because they survived. Plath illustrates a revelation that had come to light between the burnt letters, “Between the yellow lettuces and German cabbage, Involved in its weird blue dreams, Involved in a foetus, and a name with black edges” – the yellow lettuces and German cabbage are most likely the burnt edges of the letter, whilst the weird blue dreams would be the burnt ink of the pages. Most importantly, the ‘name with black edges’ indicate towards the name of the person Ted was having an affair with.

At the end of the poem, Plath has not gained any relief, “Warm rain greases my hair, extinguishes nothing” - Plath may have though that burning the letters would give her some relief but in reality it did nothing but make her feel more hurt. Plath then goes to presenting her emotions in the form of an artistic representation, “the dogs are tearing a fox”- Plath represents her hurt in the form of a fox being killed. Lastly, Plath mentions “What Immortality is. That it is immortal.” Plath’s pain of losing her love is immortal.

Just as, in Hughes title ‘The Thought Fox’, Hughes presents his main subject in the illustration of his thoughts as a fox.

At the beginning, Hughes begins with “I imagine this midnight moment’s forest” it is clear that Hughes is imagining this dark and mysterious setting within the depth of his mind. Hughes then goes onto say, “Something else is alive, besides the clocks loneliness, and this blank page where my fingers move” Hughes personifies both the clock and the blank page to put an emphasis on his loneliness, whilst the “something else is alive” brings the mystery within Hughes setting. In the second stanza, Hughes mentions his ‘something’, “Though deeper within darkness, is entering the loneliness” – Hughes has mentioned earlier that something is alive and now it seems clear that Hughes is projecting his loneliness during the night into this imaginary forest, with him as the something. Whilst in the third stanza, Hughes begins to describe the movements of the ‘something’, which turns out to be a fox “a fox’s nose touches twig, two eyes serve a movement, that now, and again now, and now, and now” – Hughes idea of this metaphorical fox is reflecting his thoughts in the time, especially whilst he is writing his poetry, the repetition of ‘now’ puts emphasis on the sudden movements of the ‘fox’. The whole of the fourth stanza is a build-up of the fox and its ‘body’, between the third and the fourth stanza Highs is introducing us to the ‘fox’ in his imagination, which could represent his thoughts or himself – the actions of the fox represent the conflict and mess of thoughts going through Hughes mind. The fifth stanza consists of Hughes reaching the end of is ‘imagination’, “Brilliantly, concentratedly, coming about its own business” Hughes has reached his conclusion and is beginning to end his train of thoughts, along with the poem. In the sixth stanza, Hughes end the poem along with his train of thoughts, “the window is starless still; the clock ticks, the page is printed.” Hughes imagination is over but the reality is still the same – his loneliness and thoughts are still overwhelming him and with that his poetry has been completed.

Overall, Hughes ‘The Thought Fox’ has been about Hughes writing poetry and what goes through his mind when writing poetry. This idea of his poem began at his imagination of a ‘fox’ – this ‘fox’ can have many ambiguous meaning; it could be a metaphorical fox for himself; his thoughts; or maybe even the idea of the poem.

Even though I found it difficult to find the conflict between the two poems, I clearly understood the points that;

• ·         Plath’s ‘Burning the Letters’ is about getting rid of poetry/ words that re meaningful – Whilst, Hughes ‘The Thought Fox’ is about creating poetry/ words.
• ·         A similarity of both Plath and Hughes would be that; Plath speaks of loss of love, whilst Hughes speaks of loneliness – both are alone.
• ·         In Plath’s fourth stanza she mentions “the dogs are tearing a fox” in which she represents all her hurt and grief – this ‘fox’ may be related to Hughes ‘The Thought Fox’.

Emma- Burning the letters and Thought fox

Both are written in the first person, so both are writing about themselves. Plath's poem seems distressing not for just the reader but for Plath herself as she is writing about burning her own life or old letters from perhaps Ted Hughes she wants them to be destroyed as even the attic is not peaceful with them there. 

While Path's poem seems to be distressing, Hughes poem is calm, romantic and full of nature as he writes about imagining a fox, which seems like a symbol for imagination itself as from the beginning we know Hughes is imagining 'I imagine this midnight moment's forest:' he seems to imagining a fox as he can't express his own feelings and would rather use the fox. 

While Hughes uses a Fox as the main focus of the poem, foxes are known for their cunning and mischievous ways so perhaps Hughes connected his own thoughts with that of a fox? Unlike Hughes Plath uses a main focus of the fire, 'I made a fire.' She uses a fire because fire is known for its permanent destructive ways, Plath obviously wants to permanently destroy these letters. Although, when she destroys the letters she still can't find peace 'extinguishes nothing'  

Plath while destroying the letters/ writing is having a conflict between her own writing and her life as a house wife. Plath did everything to keep her family a float and also try to keep her poetry alive. Plath is tired of having this conflict 'being tired' 'I was tired' and as soon as she starts to get rid of the letters the poem starts to have some striking imagery of birds 'Rising and flying, but blinded. They would flutter off, black and glittering, they would be coal angels'. as though something has lifted from her. But again even though the letters are gone the memories are still there. 

I am unsure of the conflict that connects the two poems as Hughes is having a conflict with his imagination and how he really feels and Plath who is having conflict in everything in her life

I am also unsure about why Plath writes at the end 'That is immortal.' 

Is she saying that nature is immortal? 

'Telling the particles of the clouds, the leaves, the water what immortality is.' 

Nafeesa-burning the letters+thought fox

Plath is tired of the boredom in her life as she begins with 'I made a fire;being tired' , but she is also tired of men and the letters that she has. She is not doing anything with her life and she is tired of love. Plath personifies the letters as they 'rattle'. This illustrates the irritation of the letters existence to her. Plath then burns the letters and regrets burning them as she tries to take them out with her bare hands but they are told 'do not touch'. Plath kept the letters in the attic,  so now that the letters are gone the attic can be a peaceful and 'good place now'.  Also she won't be strung along the lies of her husband. The name of her husband's lover was on them letters as she writes 'a name with black edges wilts at my foot'.  Even though the letters are burnt it has not resolved anything or has made her feel better 'warm rain greases my hair,extinguishes nothing'.  Plath illustrates at the end of her poem that her pain in her life will never go away as it is 'immortal'. 

The thought fox shows how Hughes is writing this poem at night as it is midnight. He uses the clock to emphasise his loneliness. Hughes has trouble with expressing his own feelings so instead he writes about a fox he uses the fox to express his confusion of what he is doing with his life.  The Fox joins him with his loneliness 'though deeper within darkness is entering the loneliness'.  At the then end Hughes has finished writing his poem as he ends with 'the page is printed'. 

Both Plath and Hughes are lonely, Plath is burning letters whilst Hughes is writing letters/poems. Hughes poem is more simple than Plath's, as she goes into more detail about her pain with burning these letters that maybe are from him. I am not sure what the conflict between the two are.