"Metaphors" and "Not Waving But Drowning"

Everyone in life always has a low point.  In Sylvia Plath's "Metaphors" and Stevie Smith's "Not Waving But Drowning" both share a theme of depression and death.  In Plath's poem she talks about pregnancy and how she really did not want a child. When the speaker says "This loaf's big with its yeasty rising," (5) she is describing the baby inside of her.  She is very depressed and wants to not only kill the child, but also kill herself.  On the other hand Smith's poem is a cry for help as he his drowning.  The speaker says "Nobody heard him, the dead man," (1)  This is his way of someone to save him, but yet no one hears him.  Both of these situations are common for many people.  Many women can relate to Plath's poem, especially teenagers who accidentally get pregnant.  They can feel the same emotions as the speaker did.  Plath's poem cold also relate to people who cannot get pregnant and want to.  They feel that sorrow like the speaker is expressing.  Smith's poem can relate to pretty much anyone.  If people have problems they tend to try to indirectly express it as the speaker does.  Both poems can relate to everyday life as no one is perfect and some people cannot handle their reality and unfortunately cut their live's short.  

Plath, Sylvia. “Metaphors .” Poem Hunter . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. <http://www.poemhunter.com/‌best-poems/‌sylvia-plath/‌metaphors/>.

Smith, Stevie. “’Not Waving But Drowning.” Art of Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. <http://www.artofeurope.com/‌smith/‌smi1.htm>.