Eve Gates
Therefore , time holds all power and is intrinsically personified through structural features as a superior , higher and unbeatable power far above the capability of humans .
Finally , there is recurring enjambment incorporated into this sonnet , which is relevant to the subject matter and strong theme of time which is evident throughout . This is because it mirrors motifs of death and doom , as visibly , the way the sentences ride through to the next line represents the flow of the passing of time , insinuating that it is universally unstoppable .
Moving away from structure to focus further on metaphorical aspects and figurative language , Plath adopts the use of the metaphor ‘ the ticking jeweled clocks that mark // Our years ’. The adjective ‘ jeweled ’ suggests a sense of riches and wealth , which in turn highlights the concept of the value of precious time . The use of enjambment present when moving to the next line of ‘ our years ’ represents aging caused by the passing of time ; the way the lines move swiftly from one to the next is an accurate and unique representation of how quickly you can age without even realising , as time slips away .
Moreover , the caesura creates a very sudden , unexpected break in the line ; Plath integrates the full stop after ‘ our years ’ which leads into ‘ Death comes in a casual steel car ’. This sudden end of a sentence represents the shocking and unanticipated event of death , but the beginning of another one within the same line insinuates how quickly life moves on ; nobody can halt or intervene with the ways in which time passes and life will continue regardless of events or feelings , like a soulless machine . Also , the idea of death coming in a ‘ casual steel car ’ constitutes for the ideation of death being a universally accepted and expected comeuppance - this is reinforced by the adjective ‘ casual ’. The harsh consonants of ‘ casual ’ and ‘ car ’ create a cacophony of sounds , highlighting the despair and upheaval associated with dying and the end of a cycle of life . The
72