
As we read this poem, we can feel emotions, and
also see that there is a person that is being
described in this poem.

After analysis of the poem and careful research of
Sylvia Plath’s background, we deduce that, You’re,
is a poem about the emotions during her
pregnancy and also, a description of her unborn
baby.

There is no clear pattern in this poem, meaning
there is not a fixed amount of syllables in this poem.
Most of the lines have either 8 or 7 syllables with the
exception of one or two that consist of 6.

Each line is a description of the baby or the poet’s
emotions during this pregnancy

The poem itself is one continuous flow of
description, as its not separated by paragraphs

There are a few literary devices used in
this poem.

They include:
› Enjambment
› Similes and Metaphors

Enjambment is a literary technique in which, usually, the last
word is then used to start the next sentence. This this case, the
title itself is an enjambment.

You’re
› “Clownlike, happiest on your hands, feet to the stars and
moon skulled”
› “Gilled like a fish.”

This is used to add emphasis on the fact that there are a lot of
emotions that she feels and that there are so many various
things that her baby is.

Similes and metaphors, in this poem, are used to allow the
poet to fully convey her feelings in a way that the reader
would be able to understand.
Sprat is a very
small fish
representing
how small the
baby was

“Like a sprat in a pickle jug”
The pickle jug is
a small space,
also filled with
preservatives
to keep the
pickles fresh.
Plath was emphasizing the fact that the womb in which the
baby was in, was very small, and also, at that time, the baby
was not very old, she tells us that it was small.
the word snug
tells us that the
baby was very
cozy inside the
womb

“Snug as a bud”
A bud is a growing
shoot and get its food
and nutrients from the
soil. This shows that
the baby is like a bud
it receives nutrients
and food from the
mother.
Plath uses this metaphor to tell the reader about
her baby and how it was very cozy and had
everything that it needed to grow

The poet use’s certain words in places to create
the desired effect.
“…and moon-skulled.”

The word moon-skulled has negative connotations.
Since the moon in seen in the night and the night is
dark and mysterious, this could mean that the
baby is mysterious but also show the fear felt by the
poet. The fear of losing this baby.
“looked for like mail”

Mail is sought after everyday. Everyone goes out to
the mailbox to check for mail. In the context of
pregnancy, looked for like mail means that the
poet looked at herself in the mirror and waited
everyday for her baby. Shows that she cant wait to
have her child.
“Mute as a turnip from the Fourth,
Of July to All Fool’s Day”

The person described is “mute” which would mean
that the person cannot speak.

There is a specified time period which comes to
about 9 months. This is another reason that backs
up the meaning on this poem, in the previous
slides.

The tone of this poem is very clear to the audience.
There is excitement mixed with a hint of fear.
“looked for like mail”

There is excitement here, that she cannot wait until
she has her child. We can see this through the use
of language as explained in the previous slides.

There is also fear in this poem.
“Trawling your dark as owls do”

The word “dark” has negative connotations such
as hell, bad times, the unknown. She is scared for
the baby, since the inside is an unknown area and
in the dark anything may happen, and shes scared
something may happen to her unborn child.