" This pattern, if observed, is one of the more significant hints to the reader of what exactly this poem is about. It is also interesting that the state she is metaphorically describing, pregnancy, coincidently contains nine letters. She uses this repetition of nine to emphasize the consuming nine months of pregnancy that seems to have become the framework of her life, overriding its previous structure. .
It is apparent that Plath is expressing uneasiness with the transformations her body is experiencing. In particular, she is very uncomfortable with the changes in her size. She metaphorically refers to herself as such things as an "elephant", a "house", and a "fat purse" to stress how large she feels. I thought it was especially interesting how she captures both meanings of the word ponderous when she describes herself as "a ponderous house." Not only is she referring to how heavy and massive she feels, but "ponderous" can also describe something that is dull or lacking in spirit ("ponderous"). Plath holds no enthusiasm for her pregnancy, but rather submits herself to its control, feeling as if her personal involvement has been sacrificed. .
In her first line she states, "I"m a riddle in nine syllables." The word riddle usually brings to mind the thought of an obscure question difficult of explanation or even that of a puzzling person. Plath sees herself as this puzzling person, uneasily explained and characterized by her nine months of pregnancy which she compares to syllables. There is additional meaning to this word that Plath may also be connotatively referent to; riddle can also mean to separate or pull to pieces ("riddle"). Plath may be expressing that she is feeling as if her distinct self is being destroyed by her pregnancy. .
The fourth line is an expansion to the idea being developed in lines two and three where she refers to herself as a "melon," an "elephant", and a "house.
