The Full Text of “Words”
The Full Text of “Words”
-
“Words” Introduction
-
-
“Words” Summary
-
-
“Words” Themes
-
The Power and Limits of Writing
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-20
-
-
Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Words”
-
Lines 1-2
Axes ...
... the wood rings, -
Lines 3-5
And the echoes! ...
... center like horses. -
Lines 6-11
The sap ...
... drops and turns, -
Lines 12-13
A white skull, ...
... by weedy greens. -
Lines 14-17
Years later I ...
... The indefatigable hoof-taps. -
Lines 18-20
While ...
... Govern a life.
-
-
“Words” Symbols
-
Echoes
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 3-5: “And the echoes! / Echoes traveling / Off from the center like horses.”
-
The Water/Mirror
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 7-9: “like the / Water striving / To re-establish its mirror”
-
The Skull and Greens
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 12-13: “A white skull, / Eaten by weedy greens.”
-
-
“Words” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
-
Enjambment
Where enjambment appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “Axes / After”
- Lines 4-5: “traveling / Off”
- Lines 6-7: “sap / Wells”
- Lines 7-8: “the / Water”
- Lines 8-9: “striving / To”
- Lines 9-10: “mirror / Over”
- Lines 10-11: “rock / That”
- Lines 14-15: “I / Encounter”
- Lines 18-19: “While / From”
- Lines 19-20: “stars / Govern”
-
Simile
Where simile appears in the poem:- Lines 4-5: “Echoes traveling / Off from the center like horses.”
- Lines 6-11: “The sap / Wells like tears, like the / Water striving / To re-establish its mirror / Over the rock / That drops and turns,”
-
Imagery
Where imagery appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “Axes / After whose stroke the wood rings,”
- Lines 6-13: “The sap / Wells like tears, like the / Water striving / To re-establish its mirror / Over the rock / That drops and turns, / A white skull, / Eaten by weedy greens.”
- Lines 16-17: “Words dry and riderless, / The indefatigable hoof-taps.”
-
Metaphor
Where metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 1-4
- Lines 6-11
- Lines 16-17
- Lines 18-19
-
Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 1: “Axes”
- Line 2: “After”
- Line 10: “rock”
- Line 11: “drops”
- Line 13: “Eaten,” “weedy,” “greens”
- Line 16: “dry,” “riderless”
-
Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4: “And the echoes! / Echoes traveling”
- Lines 7-8: “Wells like tears, like the / Water”
-
-
“Words” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Sap
- Re-establish
- Encounter
- Indefatigable
- Hoof-taps
- Govern
- Fixed stars
-
(Location in poem: Lines 6-7: “The sap / Wells like tears”)
-
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Words”
-
Form
-
Meter
-
Rhyme Scheme
-
-
“Words” Speaker
-
-
“Words” Setting
-
-
Literary and Historical Context of “Words”
-
-
More “Words” Resources
-
External Resources
-
Plath's Life and Work — A biography of the poet and additional poems via the Poetry Foundation.
-
A Reading of the Poem — Listen to "Words" read aloud.
-
The Poet's Voice — Get a sense of Plath's own reading voice in this recording of her reading from Galway Kinnell's poem, "Flower Herding Pictures On Mount Monadnock."
-
Foreword to Ariel — Check out the foreword to the Restored Edition of Ariel, written by the poet's daughter, Frieda Hughes.
-
-
LitCharts on Other Poems by Sylvia Plath
-
