Nor the woman in the ambulance
Whose red heart blooms through her coat so astoundingly
The speaker states that the beauty of the woman in the ambulance pales in comparison to that of the poppies. However, the comparison itself implies that the woman is indeed beautiful, precisely because she is bleeding and presumably in a good deal of distress. The nature of her problem is uncertain—the poem hints that she may be experiencing a miscarriage, while the phrase "red heart" implies that her troubles are emotional as much as they are physical. Regardless, with this image, the speaker implies that death and crisis are linked to beauty, since both are visceral and sensory.
Igniting its carbon monoxides, by eyes
Dulled to a halt under bowlers.
Here, the poem contrasts the natural, vibrant beauty of the poppies with the muted unnaturalness of the urban environment. The two examples offered here constitute a complete picture of postindustrial alienation. Carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, fills the sky and serves as a representation of the uglier and more explicitly dangerous products of industrialization. Meanwhile, the image of the bowler hat—worn by someone numb and inattentive—evokes bourgeois comfort and a more insidious, polite form of alienation.
O my God, what am I
That these late mouths should cry open
Here, the speaker appeals to God, wondering what qualifies them to experience the unexpected beauty of poppies. However, Plath steers clear of sentimentality, implying that her speaker is both grateful and distressed. The phrase "Oh my God" is both prayerful and desperate-sounding, and the image of mouths "crying" is ambiguous, with its verb simultaneously recalling cries of joy and sadness. That phrase is also evocative of babies or young children, subtly implying that the speaker views themself as a kind of maternal guardian for a fragile, beleaguered nature.
