#ode for ted

Ode for Ted (An 'Ode' doesn't necessarily have to be a love poem, but it must be dedicated to a person.)

From under crunch of my man's boot

green oat-sprouts jut;

he names a lapwing, starts rabbits in a rout

legging it most nimble

to sprigged hedge of bramble,

stalks red fox, shrewd stoat.

(In this first stanza, I feel like 'red fox' is Plath herself. With this interpretation, it can be understood that she is describing his fuckboy tendencies.)

Loam-humps, he says, moles shunt

up from delved worm-haunt;

blue fur, moles have; hefting chalk-hulled flint

he with rock splits open

knobbed quartz; flayed colors ripen

rich, brown, sudden in sunlight.

(Here, Plath seems to be continuing her metaphor for her husband's love life. She is praising his strength and manliness, and connection with nature. Plath seems to have a particular interest in nature, which is explored further in her poem 'November Graveyard', which discusses the meaning we search for in nature, when in actuality there is none. To link this back to Ode for Ted, Plath might be arguing that though nature has no deeper meaning to reach for, she and her husband still gain pleasure from it. It is described as "rich", with words such as "ripen" to demonstrate this. I think that Plath is celebrating pleasure to be found in the mundane, whist also praising her husband's excessive, almost caveman like manliness, which attracts her.)

For his least look, scant acres yield:

each finger-furrowed field

heaves forth stalk, leaf, fruit-rubbed emerald;

bright grain sprung so rarely

he hauls to his will early;

at his hand's staunch hest, birds build.

(Plath is describing her husband's strength and power over the natural world, which seems quite rare. He harvests abundant crop, "stalk, leaf, fruit-rubbed emerald", which is described as something done "rarely". This emphasises Ted's deep connection with nature. To take a slightly different approach to the interpretation I gave with the last stanza, Plath could be commenting on her husband's superficiality. He has this strong connection to nature, the nature which Plath seems to find to have only surface level value. Rather than being a positive comment, Plath could instead be lamenting the lack of substance she sees even in the parts of life she loves the most.)

Ringdoves roost well within his wood,

shirr songs to suit which mood

he saunters in; how but most glad

could be this adam's woman

when all earth his words do summon

leaps to laud such man's blood!

(I didn't make a mistake in copying here, Plath chose not to capitalise 'adam', which, to me, seems to finally confirm to the reader that this poem was meant to be satirising the manly man. She chooses not to capitalise adam as a slight to the biblical significance of the name, and rejoices in the honour of being his "woman". There seems to be a sarcastic tone as she ends the poem - "leads to laud such man's blood!" - and seems almost to be mocking the godlike persona she has given him thus far. Though this poem was for her husband, this interpretation could be totally misinterpreting the original message because I am viewing the poem through a modern lense, but Plath has been seen poking fun at the stereotypical 'manly man'. Considering this with her over-the-top descriptions of her husband's connection to nature, and the general feminist tone of her writings, I think that this interpretation holds some weight.)