Notes Reedy Quote by Sylvia Plath
““Flute Notes from a Reedy Pond" Now coldness comes sifting down, layer after layer, To our bower at the lily root. Overhead the old umbrellas of summer Wither like pithless hands. There is little shelter. Hourly the eye of the sky enlarges its blank Dominion. The stars are no nearer. Already frog-mouth and fish-mouth drink The liquor of indolence, and all thing sink Into a soft caul of forgetfulness. The fugitive colors die. Caddis worms drowse in their silk cases, The lamp-headed nymphs are nodding to sleep like statues. Puppets, loosed from the strings of the puppetmaster Wear masks of horn to bed. This is not death, it is something safer. The wingy myths won't tug at us anymore: The molts are tongueless that sang from above the water Of golgotha at the tip of a reed, And how a god flimsy as a baby's finger Shall unhusk himself and steer into the air.””
About This Quote
A meditation on decay and surrender, portraying nature’s slow descent into stillness and the quiet acceptance of impermanence.
In simple terms: Nature’s quiet surrender
Key Takeaway
Embrace inevitable change
Themes
mortality
nature
transcendence
impermanence
sublime
Mood
melancholic
reflective
awe-inspiring
Type
poetic
philosophical
lyrical
When to use this quote
- contemplating loss
- observing seasonal change
- reflecting on personal transformation
- writing poetry
- studying existential philosophy
Key Concepts
decay
acceptance
symbolism
mythic imagery
Practical Applications
- creative writing
- mindful meditation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the poem suggest about the relationship between decay and beauty?
- How does the imagery of water and reeds shape the sense of surrender?
