Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Sylvia Plath's "Virgin in a Tree," the reader confronts an uncomfortable commentary on traditional narratives that glorify virginity and chastity. The poem employs a rich tapestry of mythological and biblical allusions, social commentaries, and sharp irony to deconstruct the romanticized notion of the "pure virgin," encased and preserved in her wooden armor against the pursuits of desire.

The poem opens by dismissing the moralistic tales as "tart fable[s]" that both "instructs and mocks," highlighting the paradox at the heart of the concept of virginity. These are moral tales stitched onto samplers, advocating for a chaste lifestyle as if it is the most honorable pursuit for women. But Plath hints that this is a "moral mousetrap," a catch-22 that promises honor but delivers confinement.

The concept of using bark as a "scabbard of wood" that "baffles pursuers" underscores the idea that chastity is but an external veneer. Plath references Daphne, the nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape Apollo's pursuits. Since then, respect has grown "twined to her hard limbs like ivy," a grotesque form of honor that is rooted more in her tree-like state than her individuality. The "puritan lip" praises such chastity, claiming that it eclipses even the allure of legendary beauties like Eve and Helen of Troy.

Yet, Plath questions, at what cost does this veneration come? She contends that the celebration of chastity is a cunning pact to keep "all glory in the grip / Of ugly spinsters and barren sirs." The women who embrace this lifestyle become isolated, "woodenly / Askew," caught in a labyrinth of societal expectations that age them prematurely, giving their "lips that lemon-tasting droop."

The poem ends on a dark note with a perversion of natural law. While nature usually renews itself, the "virgin on her rack" is caught in an eternal cycle of neglect. "Untongued, all beauty's bright juice sours," and the tree-twist that encapsulates her will continue to mock her "gross anatomy / Till irony's bough break."

"Virgin in a Tree" serves as a haunting critique of society's obsession with chastity, using vivid imagery and mythical references to emphasize the dehumanizing effect of such expectations. Plath cautions against the naive adoption of norms that might seem virtuous but actually result in eternal dissatisfaction. She exposes the hypocrisy in praising the "serene and seraphic beauty / Of virgins for virginity's sake," highlighting the hollowness of a virtue that is upheld as an end in itself. Thus, the poem stands as a striking lament for all the women who have been led to believe that their worth lies solely in their purity, only to find themselves confined to the tortuous boughs of societal expectations.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...