Bee Box

1. Does ‘mob’ suggest brutality?  What does the use of the word mean to you?
2. Plath’s (or her persona’s) fear of the bees is moderated by her compassion for their hunger.  Her notion of being sweet G-d supports this generosity of spirit.  Find evidence to support these points.
3. Plath’s moon suit and funeral veil protect her from experiencing the attention – also she could turn into simply ‘a tree’ unlike the attractive competition of the Laburnum and Cherry.  What do you think the poet is intending metaphorically?
4. Note the contrasts in the poem e.g.  Colonnades is building imagery and therefore secure – compare with blackness and the unknown.
5. If the clause ‘the box is only temporary’ refers to the body’s physical life – what about what is inside it?  What might the bees and their darkness represent?