Conversation Among the Ruins by Sylvia Plath - An Analysis

A sonnet composed of an octave and sestet, this poem is an exploration of an iredeemable relationship between a man and a woman. One of three of Plath's poems inspired by the work of artist, Giorgio de Chirico, it is ironic that she borrowed the painter's title when the poem is in fact the lonely monologue of a woman. Whilst this may be attributed to the need  to clarify the connection between poem and painting, it could be argued that this hints at the breakdown of communication in such destructive relationships.

The opening line, 'through portico of my elegant house you stalk', is curious when the reader realizes that the poet is referring to a male lover as the image depicted by Plath is one of a predatory stranger. The possessive noun, 'my' establishes the woman's ownership of her house, presenting the male as intrusive and dangerous. Plath then contrasts images that define female delicacy, perhaps questionable according to some sects of feminism that will regard such associations as conforming to a societal image of women, such as 'garlands of fruit', 'fabulous lutes and peacocks' with the man's 'wild furies'. The world 'wild' with its inherent animalistic connotations adds to the image of the male as a destructive force. It is interesting to note that whilst the images associated with both the man and woman are connected to nature, it is the 'garlands of fruit' that are tangible images while the personification of the man's 'wild furies' does not refer to an object but is rather a powerful force. This analysis combined with the later mention of the 'psyche-knot', a reference to both a hairstyle and the character Psyche from Greek mythology, could be a reflection of how the woman from the myth was containable by Cupid who overpowered her and therefore tangible.

The image of rooks is a recurring theme in Plath's poetry and in this poem she incorporates them into an extended metaphor describing the broken down relationship as an 'apalling ruin' 'above' which 'rooks croak'. This not only creates a forboding image, it adds a sense epic tragedy, corresponding with the later comment, 'the play turned tragic'. The onomatopoeic verb, croak extends the gothic depiction to provide a auditory experience. Additonally, the half rhyme when read aloud creates a sense of rigid finality, reinforcing the idea that there is no recompense.

Plath ends the poem rhetorically by posing the question,  'with such blight wrought upon our bankrupt estate,/what ceremony of words can patch the havoc?'. The contrast in scales between the damage caused which is described as an 'estate' and the word 'patch' creates the impression that the damage is beyond repair. There is perceivable sense of cynicism in 'what ceremony of words' which carries on the dramatic theme than runs throughout the poem.

''Conversation Among the Ruins' perpetuates an overwhelming sense of irrevocable damage when it comes to the break down of a romantic relationships, creating with words a pessismistic image that originated from Plath's perception of another form of art.

The emotionally dependent male; contrasting presentations of a literary archetype

Agnes Grey begins with one form of societal subjugation overpowering another; the difference in social class between Mr Grey and his wife is presented as having more significance than the patriarchal backdrop of the 19th century. Mr Grey is presented as a somewhat insecure figure, constantly seeking the reassurance of his wife with regard to the life he has provided her with. Agnes, the character-bound narrator talks of a father who ‘often unduly vexed himself with thinking of the sacrifices his dear wife had made for him; and troubled his head with revolving endless schemes for the augmentation of his little fortune’. Bronte’s choice to use the voice of a character-bound narrator allows her to present her father’s emotional neediness as a testament to his good character rather than a lack of consideration for his ‘dear wife’ who must endure him. The writer creates sympathy for the father through her choice of language. The word ‘dear’ in relation to 'wife, although used by the character-bound narrator, offers an insight into Mr Grey’s attitude to his wife, justifying his emotional neediness with his pure intention which is to better wife's quality of life. Personification is emploted when Bronte refers to how Mr Grey ‘troubled his head’, presenting his head as an almost separate person or entity which must bear his troubles. Such language depicts Mr Grey as a frustrated, helpless figure, immediately evoking sympathy. Little is said however, of the effect Mr Grey’s self-torment is having on his wife’s emotional well-being who ‘in vain’ ‘assured him she was quite satisfied’.

It could be argued that Bronte combines metaphorical language with the use of prelude to implicitly deliver a verdict on the class divide present in Mr and Mrs Grey’s marriage. At the beginning of Chapter One, The Parsonage which starts with Bronte’s character’s self-conscious contemplation of whether her history is interesting enough to recall she comments on how it may be hard to find the ‘treasure’ in some histories to the extent ‘that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut’. The sudden stark contrast between  ‘treasure’ and ‘dry kernel’ could be interpreted as a prelude to the perceivable class division in Mr and Mrs Grey’s marriage.

Literary interest in the archetype of a man who is emotionally reliant on his female counterpart has not waned since the 19th century with postmodern writers dedicating novels to such issues. Virginia Woolf’s novel 'To the Lighthouse', for instance, explores the very archetype present in Anne Bronte’s 'Agnes Grey' through the character of Mr Ramsay. However, Woolf’s presentation of the emotionally needy husband is far from Anne Bronte’s sympathetic 19th century depiction. The main difference between the two writers is Woolf’s emphasis on the feelings of the archetype’s female counterpart; in other words, the character of Mrs Ramsay. Woolf uses a simile to describe Mrs Ramsay’s counselling of her husband ‘as a nurse carrying a light across a dark room assures a fractious child’. The comparison made between Mrs Ramsay’s role as a wife and a nurse, promotes the idea that Mrs Ramsay’s domestic role is one that incorporates labour and toil, presenting the archetype of the emotionally needy husband as selfish and oppressive. Furthermore, the association of Mr Ramsay’s neediness with that of a ‘child’ further degrades the archetype by reminding the readership that it is in fact a grown man who is exhibiting the characteristics of a child; an observation that exposes the hyperbolic undertones of Woolf’s simile and thus her disapproval. 

Although Bronte and Woolf’s attitudes differ, the writers are united in their use of hyperbolic language. However, whilst Woolf uses hyperbole to deliver her negative opinion on the male archetype, Bronte uses the same device to show how Mrs Grey ‘would rather live in a cottage with Richard Grey than in a palace with any other man in the world’. The contrasting imagery created by ‘cottage’ and ‘palace’ echoes Bronte’s earlier contrast between ‘treasure’ and ‘dry kernel’, a form of repetition that establishes Mrs Grey as a devoted wife but at the same time emphasises that the inherent class division does indeed have inevitable consequences. This sets the scene nicely for a novel that explores the social subjugation governesses from family’s such as Agnes’ are exposed to.

From such analysis, ‘Agnes Grey’ appears to be more preoccupied with the social mistreatment of women from a certain social class while Woolf’s novel is an exploration of a woman’s domestic situation, social class being a little consequence or significance. The different, though similar, themes can be attributed to the context of each novel. Despite the rise of liberal thinkers before and during the Victorian period, the rights of women were largely ignored with writers such as Mary Wollaston, author of 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women', being rare and perceived as radical. Agnes Brown, therefore, is understandably more concerned with social class than women’s rights. On the other hand, Virginia Woolf’s lifetime encompassed the first wave of feminism, a liberal movement synonymous with her name to this day, making ‘To the Lighthouse’ much more focused on the role of women.