Sylvia Plath has become a highly acclaimed poet. Many consider her as a feminist, to have a husband-wife relationship with her father. Sylvia Plath was a depressed and troubled being throughout her lifetime and wrote many poems. Her poems consist of a variety of topics that reflect her depression, bees, her father, and different events in her life. Most of these poems contain a wide range of imagery that is necessary to help portray her message. Throughout most of her poems Sylvia Plath gives someone or something a sense of power or powerlessness. Plath gives insects a sense of powerlessness in the poems titled The Swarm, Stings, and The Colossus because of the types of comparisons that are made and the feelings toward the speaker of the poems.
In Stings, the speaker is the bee. Sylvia Plath gives the bee a sense of powerlessness, because of what the speaker says. In stanza 5, lives 22-25 the poem states, “Honey-drudgers, I am no drudge, Though for years I have eaten dust, And dried plates with my dense hair.” Here, the bee is given a sense of worthlessness because the bee eats dust, and the bee is “no drudge”. Here, there is a comparison between the speaker, the bee and Sylvia’s constant references to “These women who only scurry”. Earlier in the poem, in stanza 4, it is stated, “If there is, she is old, Her wings torn shawls, her long body, Rubbed of its plush--- Poor and bare and unqueenly and even shameful. I stand in a column. Here, Plath gives the queen bee less power, because the speaker is unable to tell whether there is a queen or not. Later on in the poem, we see that the speaker is given some power because the bee is trying to “Have a self to recover, a queen.”
In the Swarm, there is a big comparison between the bees and the imagery of warfare. The bees are looked upon as the ones who have to retreat, they are looked upon as dumb, and eventually this leads to their downfall. First, the bees are being shot upon, as mentioned in line 19, “It must be shot down. Pom! Pom!” Secondly the bees are portrayed as without any sense when in live 20, it is stated, “So dumb it thinks bullets are thunder.” This ultimately forces a comparison between Napoleon because while he won some of the smaller battles for France, he was exiled from the country of which he was everything for. We see that the bees twice are seventy feet high, and in line 26, “The bees have come so far.” Again this makes a similar comparison indicating they have gotten far, but have not succeeded. Eventually, we see the bees just like many countries that have failed in war, when in line 37, it is stated “Pom! Pom! They fall.” This also makes a comparison with the fact that when bees sting, they immediately die.
Lastly, in the poem Colossus, we see a sense of powerlessness in the speaker once again. The speaker is Sylvia Plath. Throughout the poem we see that she not only gives herself less power, but also forces less power on the insect, the ant. Plath makes a metaphor between herself and the insect when she states in line 12, “I crawl like an ant in mourning, over the weedy acres of your brow.” By giving herself a small figure and role in the world, she makes a comparison because of its own diminutive stature.
Overall, Plath’s display of imagery and feelings of the speaker help give the reader an image of powerlessness for the insects in her poems. In other poems she compares different types of imagery to the image of powerlessness, which makes her poems even more interesting. Along with that she ties in some of the happenings and her suicidal attempts as well. All in all, Sylvia gives many persons and objects less authority, such as insects.
Word Count: 663
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Niko Perez
Holocaust Imagery in Sylvia Plath Poetry
Throughout many of Sylvia Plath’s poems holocaust imagery is used to convey different themes. Plath uses holocaust imagery in the poems “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” to express her suffering, her feelings towards her father, and her sense of entrapment. The use of holocaust imagery in Sylvia Plath’s poetry is one of the factors that make her poems so great.
One of Plath’s most common uses of holocaust imagery is to show her suffering. She uses the Jews suffering during the holocaust as an analogy for her own plight. For example in her poem “Lady Lazarus” Plath writes, “My Skin / Bright as a Nazi lampshade” (4-5). This is a reference to Nazi lampshades which were supposedly made from the skin of murdered Jews. Plath compares her own suffering to being skinned alive and used as a lampshade.
Plath also uses holocaust imagery to express her feelings towards her father. In the poem “Daddy” Plath compares herself to a Jew and her father to a Nazi German, by saying “I think I may well be a Jew” (35), and “ I thought every German was you” ( 29). Plath uses holocaust imagery to show how tortured she felt by her father.
A third and final way that Plath uses holocaust imagery is to show her sense of entrapment. The holocaust imagery in “Daddy” is used extensively to express Sylvia’s belief that she is trapped and powerless, with no control over her own life. One example of this is on line 26 of “Daddy” “I’m Stuck in a Barbwire Snare,” This is a good metaphor about how Sylvia felt about her life. Plath also wrote, “An engine / chuffing me off like a Jew” (”Daddy” 31-32). Plath felt like she was being forced to conform to what society wanted her to be, and that she had no choice in the matter, like a Jew being chuffed off to Auschwitz.
Using holocaust imagery was a very powerful way for Plath to convey what she felt. She used holocaust imagery as a form of hyperbole, to show just how important certain issues were to her. The use of holocaust imagery in Plath’s poem greatly enhances the readers understanding of how Plath felt when she wrote her poetry.
Throughout many of Sylvia Plath’s poems holocaust imagery is used to convey different themes. Plath uses holocaust imagery in the poems “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” to express her suffering, her feelings towards her father, and her sense of entrapment. The use of holocaust imagery in Sylvia Plath’s poetry is one of the factors that make her poems so great.
One of Plath’s most common uses of holocaust imagery is to show her suffering. She uses the Jews suffering during the holocaust as an analogy for her own plight. For example in her poem “Lady Lazarus” Plath writes, “My Skin / Bright as a Nazi lampshade” (4-5). This is a reference to Nazi lampshades which were supposedly made from the skin of murdered Jews. Plath compares her own suffering to being skinned alive and used as a lampshade.
Plath also uses holocaust imagery to express her feelings towards her father. In the poem “Daddy” Plath compares herself to a Jew and her father to a Nazi German, by saying “I think I may well be a Jew” (35), and “ I thought every German was you” ( 29). Plath uses holocaust imagery to show how tortured she felt by her father.
A third and final way that Plath uses holocaust imagery is to show her sense of entrapment. The holocaust imagery in “Daddy” is used extensively to express Sylvia’s belief that she is trapped and powerless, with no control over her own life. One example of this is on line 26 of “Daddy” “I’m Stuck in a Barbwire Snare,” This is a good metaphor about how Sylvia felt about her life. Plath also wrote, “An engine / chuffing me off like a Jew” (”Daddy” 31-32). Plath felt like she was being forced to conform to what society wanted her to be, and that she had no choice in the matter, like a Jew being chuffed off to Auschwitz.
Using holocaust imagery was a very powerful way for Plath to convey what she felt. She used holocaust imagery as a form of hyperbole, to show just how important certain issues were to her. The use of holocaust imagery in Plath’s poem greatly enhances the readers understanding of how Plath felt when she wrote her poetry.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Mirela Shendrya
Sylvia Otto Fix It: An Analysis of Repair Imagery
Often times many daughters seek to have a close relationship with their fathers. Very much the same, Sylvia Plath had an extremely close relationship with her father. Sylvia and Otto had a husband-wife routine which suggested an oedipal relationship. In 1940 Otto Plath died, when Sylvia was only eight, as a result of untreated diabetes. She underwent much frustration and discontent at her father’s departure. Sylvia’s poems often times depicted her father as strict, and authoritarian. In both of the following poems the central characters are her father and herself. In the poems “Daddy” and “Colossus” Plath uses repair imagery to show her feeling toward her father and the frustration she went through.
Through using repair imagery in her poems she is able to portray the feelings she had. While in the “Colossus” she writes of putting back together one of the wonders of the world, the Colossus or her father, in “Daddy” Sylvia writes of others piecing her back together. In the “Colossus” she says “I shall never get you put together entirely, / Pieced, glued, and properly jointed”(1-2). Through this statement it is evident that Sylvia wants to bring Otto back, and is expressing a sentiment of longing to be back again with him. In “Daddy”, though she uses the same imagery to bring about a feeling of discontent. As she states that she wished to die and return to her father “but they pulled me out of the sack, and stuck me together with glue”(61-62). Plath uses references to glue in both occasions, and yet once it shows her desire to have someone back, and in the other a despise for the ones who tried to bring her back to life.
Plath further uses the same imagery to show her experience and the frustration she went through. In “Colossus”, the entire poem has a much more technical feel. Plath writes lines such as “dredge the silt from your throat”(9) and, “scaling little ladders with glue pots and pails of Lysol”(11). These tasks are ones that require lots of energy, and the ways they are presented seem immensely large, and eventually unable to be completed. Plath tries but her efforts in restoring the Colossus equal zero. This is where Sylvia’s frustration can be seen, in the fact that she just can’t seem to get her father back together; that it is a task to great for her. In “Daddy” the expression of frustration takes a slightly different path. “And they stuck me together with glue. / And then I knew what to do. / I made a model of you”(62-64). Since people kept rescuing Plath form her attempted suicides, and would not let her join her father, her alternative was to get married. Her husband in turn became the model f her father. In the need to fill the void of her father’s presence, her frustration resulted with a model, a marriage.
The imagery use in both of the poems is very beneficial o the overall understanding of the poems. In “The Colossus” the repair imagery is essential to create the mood of a repair site, which is ultimately hopeless, that the damage done is too great to restore. Besides that it helps the reader visualize what Plath was going through in a more practical manner. The structure itself of the Colossus allows the reader to see at what level Sylvia saw her father. Through this method she is capable of creating an over inflated image of Otto in the eyes if the reader and to accord him more importance than in reality. The overall tone of “Daddy” is much more pessimistic though, and minimizes her father, and degrades him to that of a Nazi, and herself to the position of a Jew. Sylvia views her father as a cruel German, because he deserted her and left her to be glued together by others. In “Daddy” without the repair imagery we would be missing Sylvia’s emotions about life and death, and particularly her father, whom she made a model of. Plath’s use of repair imagery is very successful and essential to these two poems.
word count:695
Often times many daughters seek to have a close relationship with their fathers. Very much the same, Sylvia Plath had an extremely close relationship with her father. Sylvia and Otto had a husband-wife routine which suggested an oedipal relationship. In 1940 Otto Plath died, when Sylvia was only eight, as a result of untreated diabetes. She underwent much frustration and discontent at her father’s departure. Sylvia’s poems often times depicted her father as strict, and authoritarian. In both of the following poems the central characters are her father and herself. In the poems “Daddy” and “Colossus” Plath uses repair imagery to show her feeling toward her father and the frustration she went through.
Through using repair imagery in her poems she is able to portray the feelings she had. While in the “Colossus” she writes of putting back together one of the wonders of the world, the Colossus or her father, in “Daddy” Sylvia writes of others piecing her back together. In the “Colossus” she says “I shall never get you put together entirely, / Pieced, glued, and properly jointed”(1-2). Through this statement it is evident that Sylvia wants to bring Otto back, and is expressing a sentiment of longing to be back again with him. In “Daddy”, though she uses the same imagery to bring about a feeling of discontent. As she states that she wished to die and return to her father “but they pulled me out of the sack, and stuck me together with glue”(61-62). Plath uses references to glue in both occasions, and yet once it shows her desire to have someone back, and in the other a despise for the ones who tried to bring her back to life.
Plath further uses the same imagery to show her experience and the frustration she went through. In “Colossus”, the entire poem has a much more technical feel. Plath writes lines such as “dredge the silt from your throat”(9) and, “scaling little ladders with glue pots and pails of Lysol”(11). These tasks are ones that require lots of energy, and the ways they are presented seem immensely large, and eventually unable to be completed. Plath tries but her efforts in restoring the Colossus equal zero. This is where Sylvia’s frustration can be seen, in the fact that she just can’t seem to get her father back together; that it is a task to great for her. In “Daddy” the expression of frustration takes a slightly different path. “And they stuck me together with glue. / And then I knew what to do. / I made a model of you”(62-64). Since people kept rescuing Plath form her attempted suicides, and would not let her join her father, her alternative was to get married. Her husband in turn became the model f her father. In the need to fill the void of her father’s presence, her frustration resulted with a model, a marriage.
The imagery use in both of the poems is very beneficial o the overall understanding of the poems. In “The Colossus” the repair imagery is essential to create the mood of a repair site, which is ultimately hopeless, that the damage done is too great to restore. Besides that it helps the reader visualize what Plath was going through in a more practical manner. The structure itself of the Colossus allows the reader to see at what level Sylvia saw her father. Through this method she is capable of creating an over inflated image of Otto in the eyes if the reader and to accord him more importance than in reality. The overall tone of “Daddy” is much more pessimistic though, and minimizes her father, and degrades him to that of a Nazi, and herself to the position of a Jew. Sylvia views her father as a cruel German, because he deserted her and left her to be glued together by others. In “Daddy” without the repair imagery we would be missing Sylvia’s emotions about life and death, and particularly her father, whom she made a model of. Plath’s use of repair imagery is very successful and essential to these two poems.
word count:695
Phil Stout
Sylvia Plath; Idealizing a Nazi day-dream
Both day-dreaming and idealization are defense mechanisms used by many people to cope with stress and their problems. Plath uses both these mechanisms in her life as can be seen clearly through her poetry. She often uses these two devices in conjunction to greatly overemphasize and exaggerate her problems to make them easier to accept. This over-exaggeration can be clearly seen by her use of holocaust imagery in Daddy and Lady Lazarus to compare her own problems to those faced during the holocaust to make them and herself more important.
Sylvia Plath uses lots of holocaust imagery to exaggerate and emphasize her problems with her deceased father in Daddy. Sylvia compares her father to Nazis throughout the holocaust by using this imagery. She does this to demonize her father and make him out to be the perpetrator of many crimes. However the only crime, which her father is responsible, however was dying at the hands of a disease, which fifty percent of its patients go, undiagnosed. By comparing her father to Nazis this shows that she blames him for dying and is comparing it to the atrocities committed during the holocaust. She then Makes herself out to be a Jew in the middle of the holocaust, as seen in this passage “A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belson/I began to talk like a Jew/I think I may well be a Jew.” she feels like she is being reduced to little more than the Jews at the death camps by her relationship with her father. This Idealization of the Jews is comparing her problems to theirs in an effort to make herself and her problems to be just as bad and important as those during the holocaust. Now by comparing herself to a Jew and her father to a Nazi she puts her father in a great position of power in this day dream of hers. This is seen in the passage “Every woman loves a fascist/The boot in the face the brute/The brute heart of a brute like you.” In this passage she is still in love with her father, the Nazi, however he holds all the power in the relationship by virtue of being a Nazi. This is similar to Plath’s real relationship with her father, because as he is deceased it is a completely one-sided relationship. This power over Plath follows her until her death. Sylvia Plath uses holocaust imagery in daddy to idealize herself and her father into the holocaust to compare, describe, and exaggerate the relationship she has with her father.
Holocaust imagery is used again in Lady Lazarus to idealize the cremated Jews to exaggerate her own suicide attempts and to imagine revenge on those who would drive her to those ends. Silvia compares herself in her suicide attempts to Jews ready for cremation as seen in this passage “I am your valuable/The pure gold baby/That melts to a shriek.” In this she describes herself as someone of great importance who would be cremated wrongly. This is also saying she feels pressured by someone else or the world to commit suicide. By thinking that someone else is forcing her to commit suicide it makes it easier for her to go through with. She also compares herself with the cremated Jews and compares the forces pushing her to commit suicide to an examiner waiting for her death as seen in this passage “Ash, Ash---/You poke and stir/Flesh, bone there is nothing there.” This reflects her belief that she is completely innocent and had nothing to do with her suicide attempts and that it was all from outside influences, an interesting day-dream. Finally she compares the people who pushed her to commit suicide to the devil. “Herr god, Herr Lucifer/Beware, Beware.” She then tells those who she believes pushed her to attempt suicide to beware, as she will make an effigy of them in words. Sylvia path uses holocaust imagery again to idealize the Jews and compare her problem to hers in a fantastical day-dream about herself as Jew of her suicide attempts being forced upon her like the cremation of Jews.
Silvia Plath uses holocaust imagery to exaggerate her problems by idealizing Jews during the holocaust in fantastical day-dreams if the holocaust. By seeing this it lets the readers see the things she truly deemed important. Though by realizing this though, readers cab sift through her poetry by keeping in mind she is using imagery like this to purposely exaggerate her problems
Both day-dreaming and idealization are defense mechanisms used by many people to cope with stress and their problems. Plath uses both these mechanisms in her life as can be seen clearly through her poetry. She often uses these two devices in conjunction to greatly overemphasize and exaggerate her problems to make them easier to accept. This over-exaggeration can be clearly seen by her use of holocaust imagery in Daddy and Lady Lazarus to compare her own problems to those faced during the holocaust to make them and herself more important.
Sylvia Plath uses lots of holocaust imagery to exaggerate and emphasize her problems with her deceased father in Daddy. Sylvia compares her father to Nazis throughout the holocaust by using this imagery. She does this to demonize her father and make him out to be the perpetrator of many crimes. However the only crime, which her father is responsible, however was dying at the hands of a disease, which fifty percent of its patients go, undiagnosed. By comparing her father to Nazis this shows that she blames him for dying and is comparing it to the atrocities committed during the holocaust. She then Makes herself out to be a Jew in the middle of the holocaust, as seen in this passage “A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belson/I began to talk like a Jew/I think I may well be a Jew.” she feels like she is being reduced to little more than the Jews at the death camps by her relationship with her father. This Idealization of the Jews is comparing her problems to theirs in an effort to make herself and her problems to be just as bad and important as those during the holocaust. Now by comparing herself to a Jew and her father to a Nazi she puts her father in a great position of power in this day dream of hers. This is seen in the passage “Every woman loves a fascist/The boot in the face the brute/The brute heart of a brute like you.” In this passage she is still in love with her father, the Nazi, however he holds all the power in the relationship by virtue of being a Nazi. This is similar to Plath’s real relationship with her father, because as he is deceased it is a completely one-sided relationship. This power over Plath follows her until her death. Sylvia Plath uses holocaust imagery in daddy to idealize herself and her father into the holocaust to compare, describe, and exaggerate the relationship she has with her father.
Holocaust imagery is used again in Lady Lazarus to idealize the cremated Jews to exaggerate her own suicide attempts and to imagine revenge on those who would drive her to those ends. Silvia compares herself in her suicide attempts to Jews ready for cremation as seen in this passage “I am your valuable/The pure gold baby/That melts to a shriek.” In this she describes herself as someone of great importance who would be cremated wrongly. This is also saying she feels pressured by someone else or the world to commit suicide. By thinking that someone else is forcing her to commit suicide it makes it easier for her to go through with. She also compares herself with the cremated Jews and compares the forces pushing her to commit suicide to an examiner waiting for her death as seen in this passage “Ash, Ash---/You poke and stir/Flesh, bone there is nothing there.” This reflects her belief that she is completely innocent and had nothing to do with her suicide attempts and that it was all from outside influences, an interesting day-dream. Finally she compares the people who pushed her to commit suicide to the devil. “Herr god, Herr Lucifer/Beware, Beware.” She then tells those who she believes pushed her to attempt suicide to beware, as she will make an effigy of them in words. Sylvia path uses holocaust imagery again to idealize the Jews and compare her problem to hers in a fantastical day-dream about herself as Jew of her suicide attempts being forced upon her like the cremation of Jews.
Silvia Plath uses holocaust imagery to exaggerate her problems by idealizing Jews during the holocaust in fantastical day-dreams if the holocaust. By seeing this it lets the readers see the things she truly deemed important. Though by realizing this though, readers cab sift through her poetry by keeping in mind she is using imagery like this to purposely exaggerate her problems
Carissa Avalos, period 5
Clever as a Fox; Animal imagery
If someone were to describe Sylvia Plath’s last compilation of poetry as “clever as a fox” the overall message of this description could be easily interpreted and understood. The message being: Plath’s last poems were cunning and will forever uphold its’ legacy. Although her poems could be considered depressing and feministic by some, she is still seen as one of the most influential American poets. In “Morning Song” and “Tulips”, Plath uses animal imagery to give a commonly relatable illusion to a specific thought, ultimately developing a unanimous consensus to the tone of each poem.
In order for the public to be able to accept Plath’s works, they must first be able to understand it. By using common animals for her images, Plath allows the general audience to perceive her underlying messages. In “Morning Song” Plath writes, “Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s” (line 15). Once this line is read, the image of a gentle domestic cat opening its mouth to yawn is envisioned in most reader’s heads. “Morning Song” was written about Sylvia Plath’s recollections of the birth of her new child, so the connection between a sweet, gentle cat and a new born baby is easily made. The reason this connection was so easily made was because she used the tool of a common illusion, or an illusion most readers can relate to. Another use of a relatable illusion is seen in the poem “Tulips” on line 13 which reads, “They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat.” Although not everyone may know exactly what an “African cat” is, the description of this animal generally leads readers to believe it is a royal lion, or a strong superior feline. This use of imagery is slightly more ambiguous, but equally relatable for the independent perspective of each reader. But much like in “Morning Song”, this animal imagery is given a heightened perspective when read in context of the poem, which has a great effect on its overall tone.
The animal references used in “Morning Song” and “Tulips” provide the reader with an immediate sense of the tone that Plath was trying to portray in each poem. In “Morning Song”, the image of a gentle domestic cat provides the reader with a positive representation of the new born baby described in the poem. The overall tone of “Morning Song” is nervous but excited, and the comparison of a yawning cat and a waking baby reflect these joyous feelings. In this example, the illusion of a cat gives a positive connotation to the poem, but the exact opposite is found in “Tulips”. “Tulips” was written after Plath had a miscarriage and was severely depressed. The tone of the poem displays this suicidal feeling and the “great African cat” used in the poem aggrandizes this. When read in context, the cat is portrayed as a beastly predator, waiting to feast on Sylvia. The blood red tulips described throughout the poem are so harming they are compared to this dangerous “African cat”. The tulips are representation of the interruption of her suicidal attempts, which makes the “cat” a representation of those aggressively trying to pursue her death. This animal imagery contributes to the negative undertone of the poem and the negativity is felt immediately after being read. Although the animal references used in each poem present the reader with a different perspective of the poems, the animals used were essentially the same.
In both “Morning Song” and Tulips”, a cat is the animal of which Plath uses to depict her overall message of each poem. But how is it that the same animal can have such a great alternating effect on the different poems? The gentle house cat described in “Morning Song” is nothing like the ferocious feral cat seen in “Tulips”. This shows Plath’s ingenious ability to alter typical ideas used in society to reflect her own life. This skill may have also been a way for Plath to feel a sense of power. Controlling the effect that the imagery had on her poems was a way for her to have the control of some aspect of her life and those around her. At this time in Plath’s life she felt very powerless over everything but her poems, and this is seen in the examples I have given. The animal imagery used in Plath’s poems gives the reader a strong understanding of her message and give Plath a chance to caper with distortion.
If someone were to describe Sylvia Plath’s last compilation of poetry as “clever as a fox” the overall message of this description could be easily interpreted and understood. The message being: Plath’s last poems were cunning and will forever uphold its’ legacy. Although her poems could be considered depressing and feministic by some, she is still seen as one of the most influential American poets. In “Morning Song” and “Tulips”, Plath uses animal imagery to give a commonly relatable illusion to a specific thought, ultimately developing a unanimous consensus to the tone of each poem.
In order for the public to be able to accept Plath’s works, they must first be able to understand it. By using common animals for her images, Plath allows the general audience to perceive her underlying messages. In “Morning Song” Plath writes, “Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s” (line 15). Once this line is read, the image of a gentle domestic cat opening its mouth to yawn is envisioned in most reader’s heads. “Morning Song” was written about Sylvia Plath’s recollections of the birth of her new child, so the connection between a sweet, gentle cat and a new born baby is easily made. The reason this connection was so easily made was because she used the tool of a common illusion, or an illusion most readers can relate to. Another use of a relatable illusion is seen in the poem “Tulips” on line 13 which reads, “They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat.” Although not everyone may know exactly what an “African cat” is, the description of this animal generally leads readers to believe it is a royal lion, or a strong superior feline. This use of imagery is slightly more ambiguous, but equally relatable for the independent perspective of each reader. But much like in “Morning Song”, this animal imagery is given a heightened perspective when read in context of the poem, which has a great effect on its overall tone.
The animal references used in “Morning Song” and “Tulips” provide the reader with an immediate sense of the tone that Plath was trying to portray in each poem. In “Morning Song”, the image of a gentle domestic cat provides the reader with a positive representation of the new born baby described in the poem. The overall tone of “Morning Song” is nervous but excited, and the comparison of a yawning cat and a waking baby reflect these joyous feelings. In this example, the illusion of a cat gives a positive connotation to the poem, but the exact opposite is found in “Tulips”. “Tulips” was written after Plath had a miscarriage and was severely depressed. The tone of the poem displays this suicidal feeling and the “great African cat” used in the poem aggrandizes this. When read in context, the cat is portrayed as a beastly predator, waiting to feast on Sylvia. The blood red tulips described throughout the poem are so harming they are compared to this dangerous “African cat”. The tulips are representation of the interruption of her suicidal attempts, which makes the “cat” a representation of those aggressively trying to pursue her death. This animal imagery contributes to the negative undertone of the poem and the negativity is felt immediately after being read. Although the animal references used in each poem present the reader with a different perspective of the poems, the animals used were essentially the same.
In both “Morning Song” and Tulips”, a cat is the animal of which Plath uses to depict her overall message of each poem. But how is it that the same animal can have such a great alternating effect on the different poems? The gentle house cat described in “Morning Song” is nothing like the ferocious feral cat seen in “Tulips”. This shows Plath’s ingenious ability to alter typical ideas used in society to reflect her own life. This skill may have also been a way for Plath to feel a sense of power. Controlling the effect that the imagery had on her poems was a way for her to have the control of some aspect of her life and those around her. At this time in Plath’s life she felt very powerless over everything but her poems, and this is seen in the examples I have given. The animal imagery used in Plath’s poems gives the reader a strong understanding of her message and give Plath a chance to caper with distortion.
Matthew Luszczak
Reductum ad Hitlerum: Nazism in the Poetry of Sylvia Plath.
Everybody hates Nazis, and with good reason. They perpetrated one of the most destructive conflicts in modern history and executed the 20th century’s most infamous act of genocide. Since the scale of the crimes of Fascism is so vast, it is easy to be accused of hyperbole when comparing a person to the Nazis. Care must be exercised to ensure that the comparison is appropriate. Imagery of Nazism in Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” is used to cast Plath as a victim and those who have hurt her as villains. However, due to the emotionally charged nature of the subject, Plath’s imagery is not always successful in convincing the reader that the portrayal is valid.
The primary purpose of the Nazi imagery in “Daddy” is to vilify Otto Plath and Ted Hughes by associating them with Nazism. Imagery is important in forming this association; if Plath’s father is to be a Nazi, he must be described as one. And so in lines 43-44, he is given a “neat mustache / And… Aryan eye, bright blue.” (“Daddy” 43-44). Since Ted is a copy of her father, he is described as “A man in black with an Mienkampf look” (“Daddy” 65)—the image of an SS man. Sylvia states that she is a Jew (“Daddy” 35), and lists the names of death camps (“Daddy” 33), but what happens in those camps is not described. The Nazi imagery tells us they are villains, it does not tell us a plausible reason why.
In “Lady Lazarus” Sylvia’s imagery of Nazism serves less to vilify her tormentors than to demonstrate her grievances. The most notable Nazi imagery is of objects the Nazis extracted form the Jews they killed—Sylvia’s skin is “bright as a Nazi lampshade” (“Lady Lazarus” 5), and after she is burned in a crematorium all that is left is “A cake of soap,/ a wedding ring,/ a gold filling” (“Lady Lazarus” 25-27). All of this seems to indicate that Sylvia feels exploited. The doctors have taken away her ability to die, a crime she equates to that of the Nazis using the fat from Jews to make soap.
In “Daddy” the task of explaining Sylvia’s grievances against her father and her husband is left to the black shoe (“Daddy” 2-5) and vampires (“Daddy” 72-74). These seven lines which could justify casting Otto as a Nazi are pitiful next to the seven stanzas Sylvia uses do the casting. There is less concentration on why Sylvia hates her father, instead the focus is on the fact that she does. She makes accusations but does not show much evidence, and so her credibility falls.
However, she might have salvaged some of her credibility if she had chosen to compare her father to something other than Nazis. However terrible it could be, to compare whatever psychological suffering one person could reasonably inflict on another to the systematic murder of 11 million men, women, and children seems a bit ridiculous. “Daddy” is a good example of how not to bring Nazis into poetry.
“Lady Lazarus,” on the other hand, is a good example of how to reference Nazism without seeming hyperbolic. Nazism is not the only prism through which the reader is allowed to see her doctors; there are also comparisons to a striptease (“Lady Lazarus” 29) and a carnival freak show (“Lady Lazarus” 58-59). In both the doctors are barely mentioned. This serves to take the emphasis off the comparison to Nazism, making it seem less like name-calling and more like observation.
Her credibility is further enhanced when, instead of referencing the entirety of the Holocaust, she instead gives us images of personal suffering. In Stanza 24she provides an image of the crematoriums—“I turn and burn” (“Lady Lazarus” 71). She does not compare herself to Poland, as she does in “Daddy” (“Daddy” 16-21). The comparison seems proportional, and so is accepted.
Care should be exercised when dealing with any emotionally charged subject. In the rush to vilify one’s opponents or exalt one’s allies, it is easy to exaggerate and make a comparison that will not withstand scrutiny. This will only result in the person who made the comparison looking foolish, and, if the comparison involved the death or pain of many people, tactless. Comparisons should always be proportional and to alike situations. If the comparison is not valid, then the person making it will appear to know nothing of either subject.
Word count: 737
Everybody hates Nazis, and with good reason. They perpetrated one of the most destructive conflicts in modern history and executed the 20th century’s most infamous act of genocide. Since the scale of the crimes of Fascism is so vast, it is easy to be accused of hyperbole when comparing a person to the Nazis. Care must be exercised to ensure that the comparison is appropriate. Imagery of Nazism in Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and “Lady Lazarus” is used to cast Plath as a victim and those who have hurt her as villains. However, due to the emotionally charged nature of the subject, Plath’s imagery is not always successful in convincing the reader that the portrayal is valid.
The primary purpose of the Nazi imagery in “Daddy” is to vilify Otto Plath and Ted Hughes by associating them with Nazism. Imagery is important in forming this association; if Plath’s father is to be a Nazi, he must be described as one. And so in lines 43-44, he is given a “neat mustache / And… Aryan eye, bright blue.” (“Daddy” 43-44). Since Ted is a copy of her father, he is described as “A man in black with an Mienkampf look” (“Daddy” 65)—the image of an SS man. Sylvia states that she is a Jew (“Daddy” 35), and lists the names of death camps (“Daddy” 33), but what happens in those camps is not described. The Nazi imagery tells us they are villains, it does not tell us a plausible reason why.
In “Lady Lazarus” Sylvia’s imagery of Nazism serves less to vilify her tormentors than to demonstrate her grievances. The most notable Nazi imagery is of objects the Nazis extracted form the Jews they killed—Sylvia’s skin is “bright as a Nazi lampshade” (“Lady Lazarus” 5), and after she is burned in a crematorium all that is left is “A cake of soap,/ a wedding ring,/ a gold filling” (“Lady Lazarus” 25-27). All of this seems to indicate that Sylvia feels exploited. The doctors have taken away her ability to die, a crime she equates to that of the Nazis using the fat from Jews to make soap.
In “Daddy” the task of explaining Sylvia’s grievances against her father and her husband is left to the black shoe (“Daddy” 2-5) and vampires (“Daddy” 72-74). These seven lines which could justify casting Otto as a Nazi are pitiful next to the seven stanzas Sylvia uses do the casting. There is less concentration on why Sylvia hates her father, instead the focus is on the fact that she does. She makes accusations but does not show much evidence, and so her credibility falls.
However, she might have salvaged some of her credibility if she had chosen to compare her father to something other than Nazis. However terrible it could be, to compare whatever psychological suffering one person could reasonably inflict on another to the systematic murder of 11 million men, women, and children seems a bit ridiculous. “Daddy” is a good example of how not to bring Nazis into poetry.
“Lady Lazarus,” on the other hand, is a good example of how to reference Nazism without seeming hyperbolic. Nazism is not the only prism through which the reader is allowed to see her doctors; there are also comparisons to a striptease (“Lady Lazarus” 29) and a carnival freak show (“Lady Lazarus” 58-59). In both the doctors are barely mentioned. This serves to take the emphasis off the comparison to Nazism, making it seem less like name-calling and more like observation.
Her credibility is further enhanced when, instead of referencing the entirety of the Holocaust, she instead gives us images of personal suffering. In Stanza 24she provides an image of the crematoriums—“I turn and burn” (“Lady Lazarus” 71). She does not compare herself to Poland, as she does in “Daddy” (“Daddy” 16-21). The comparison seems proportional, and so is accepted.
Care should be exercised when dealing with any emotionally charged subject. In the rush to vilify one’s opponents or exalt one’s allies, it is easy to exaggerate and make a comparison that will not withstand scrutiny. This will only result in the person who made the comparison looking foolish, and, if the comparison involved the death or pain of many people, tactless. Comparisons should always be proportional and to alike situations. If the comparison is not valid, then the person making it will appear to know nothing of either subject.
Word count: 737
Athena Ganetsos
“It’s Worse than a Barnyard”: Animal Imagery in Plath’s Poetry
Sylvia Plath uses many images in her poetry in order to convey a certain tone to the reader. One image that is prevalent throughout several of her poems is the image of animals. Typically, Plath uses animal imagery in order to portray concepts in a negative way, as demonstrated in her poems “Stillborn”, “Morning Song”, and “The Colossus”.
Plath uses animal imagery in “Stillborn” in order to portray her struggle as a writer. She compares her poems to a stillborn baby, saying that they have no life or meaning. For example, in lines eleven and twelve she states, “They are not pigs, they are not even fish/though they have a piggy and fishy air” (Stillborn, 11-12). Here Plath is portraying her writer’s block as a stillborn, using animals in an extremely negative connotation. The word “piggy” presents her poems negatively because pigs usually represent something dirty or disgusting. Therefore, the reader is automatically given a negative first impression of her “stillborn” poems. Similarly, the word “fishy” describes Plath’s poems in a negative light. This is because the word is normally used to describe something cold and lifeless. From these examples, it is evident that Sylvia Plath used animal imagery in “Stillborn” to portray her poems negatively.
Animal imagery is also used by Plath in her poem “Morning Song”. In this poem, she uses animal imagery to convey the struggles of being a mother in a negative connotation. In the beginning of the poem, for instance, Plath addresses her child and states, “All night your moth-breath/Flickers among the flat pink roses” (Morning Song, 11-12). This clearly illustrates Plath’s use of animal imagery to indicate her struggle with motherhood. The connotation of the term “moth-breath” is unpleasant, because moth balls tend to have a foul odor. By using this term, Plath is describing the difficulties of being a mother to her readers, and showing that she will do anything for her kids, even though motherhood is not pleasant all the time. Additionally, Plath describes in “Morning Song”, “One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral/In my Victorian nightgown” (Morning Song, 15-16). Here Plath is again using animals, in this case a cow, to describe the challenges of being a mother unfavorably. By stating that her gown is “cow-heavy”, the reader gets a sense of how hard Plath works to care for her children, and how difficult motherhood is for her.
Another poem in which Sylvia Plath uses animal imagery with a negative connotation is “The Colossus”. Here animal imagery is used by Plath to portray men in a poor light. In the first stanza of the poem, Plath expresses, “Mule-bray, pig-grunt, and bawdy cackles/Proceed from your great lips/It’s worse than a barnyard” (The Colossus, 3-5). In these examples, Plath uses the images of mules and pigs to describe the way men sound when they talk. This depicts men very adversely, because pigs and mules are typically considered to be sordid animals. Plath again uses animal imagery to portray men in unfavorably occurs in the third stanza, “I crawl like an ant in mourning” (The Colossus, 12). Here Plath is expressing how hard she has worked for men, and using the image of an ant to indicate her frustration.
Animal imagery is used frequently in Plath’s poems. Through her three poems “Stillborn”, “Morning Song”, and “The Colossus”, Plath uses animal imagery to convey various concepts and ideas in an unfavorable manner. By becoming aware of Plath’s use of this image, the reader gains a much better understanding of her masterful poetry.
Word Count: 601
Sylvia Plath uses many images in her poetry in order to convey a certain tone to the reader. One image that is prevalent throughout several of her poems is the image of animals. Typically, Plath uses animal imagery in order to portray concepts in a negative way, as demonstrated in her poems “Stillborn”, “Morning Song”, and “The Colossus”.
Plath uses animal imagery in “Stillborn” in order to portray her struggle as a writer. She compares her poems to a stillborn baby, saying that they have no life or meaning. For example, in lines eleven and twelve she states, “They are not pigs, they are not even fish/though they have a piggy and fishy air” (Stillborn, 11-12). Here Plath is portraying her writer’s block as a stillborn, using animals in an extremely negative connotation. The word “piggy” presents her poems negatively because pigs usually represent something dirty or disgusting. Therefore, the reader is automatically given a negative first impression of her “stillborn” poems. Similarly, the word “fishy” describes Plath’s poems in a negative light. This is because the word is normally used to describe something cold and lifeless. From these examples, it is evident that Sylvia Plath used animal imagery in “Stillborn” to portray her poems negatively.
Animal imagery is also used by Plath in her poem “Morning Song”. In this poem, she uses animal imagery to convey the struggles of being a mother in a negative connotation. In the beginning of the poem, for instance, Plath addresses her child and states, “All night your moth-breath/Flickers among the flat pink roses” (Morning Song, 11-12). This clearly illustrates Plath’s use of animal imagery to indicate her struggle with motherhood. The connotation of the term “moth-breath” is unpleasant, because moth balls tend to have a foul odor. By using this term, Plath is describing the difficulties of being a mother to her readers, and showing that she will do anything for her kids, even though motherhood is not pleasant all the time. Additionally, Plath describes in “Morning Song”, “One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral/In my Victorian nightgown” (Morning Song, 15-16). Here Plath is again using animals, in this case a cow, to describe the challenges of being a mother unfavorably. By stating that her gown is “cow-heavy”, the reader gets a sense of how hard Plath works to care for her children, and how difficult motherhood is for her.
Another poem in which Sylvia Plath uses animal imagery with a negative connotation is “The Colossus”. Here animal imagery is used by Plath to portray men in a poor light. In the first stanza of the poem, Plath expresses, “Mule-bray, pig-grunt, and bawdy cackles/Proceed from your great lips/It’s worse than a barnyard” (The Colossus, 3-5). In these examples, Plath uses the images of mules and pigs to describe the way men sound when they talk. This depicts men very adversely, because pigs and mules are typically considered to be sordid animals. Plath again uses animal imagery to portray men in unfavorably occurs in the third stanza, “I crawl like an ant in mourning” (The Colossus, 12). Here Plath is expressing how hard she has worked for men, and using the image of an ant to indicate her frustration.
Animal imagery is used frequently in Plath’s poems. Through her three poems “Stillborn”, “Morning Song”, and “The Colossus”, Plath uses animal imagery to convey various concepts and ideas in an unfavorable manner. By becoming aware of Plath’s use of this image, the reader gains a much better understanding of her masterful poetry.
Word Count: 601
Vinny Seshachellam
The Inevitable Death
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state. There is as little reason to deplore the one as there is to be pleased over the other." (Mahatma Gandhi). Sylvia Plath did not feel the pleasantries in life that many people look forward to. In fact she deplored many events that most people relished, such as the birth of a child, she viewed these events in a negative light, viewing them as more negatives events, such as the death of a family member. Although Plath viewed birth and death as negative events, she still chose to write about them, in "Daddy" and "Morning Song" Plath depicts the life changing consequences of birth and death.
There is nothing more intricate and complicated, than Sylvia Plath's feelings towards birth. "Im no more your mother/ than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow/ Effacement at the winds hand." Plath's feelings towards her baby are exemplified by her use of the word "effacement" which literally means "to wipe out." She shows that with her pain comes many feelings of resentment and sadness, that could not be cured by the single event of, what should have been, joy in her life. Along with her failing marriage, Sylvia's life had been constantly downhill since her first attempted suicide. Sylvia's negative view of birth could have been related to the pain she felt during her own childhood. After all, she had to deal with the excrutiatingly painfull death of her father, and the scars that it left on her.
"You died before I had time--," many times throughout her poem "daddy" Sylvia states that she believes her father died too soon. She depicts the pain that this caused her, and the feelings of resentment that she had towards him for leaving her. The birth of her own child may have taken her back to the feelings of resentment, because her husband Ted Hughes was not a great father either. She may have seen that, as her father did, Ted Hughes is abandoning his children, and Sylvia related this to how she herself was abandoned. "I was ten when they buried you/ At twenty I treid to die" Sylvia makes the direct connection between her fathers death, and her own desire to die. "Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through." Eventually Sylvia gives up on all the men in her life, including her father. She states that she can not reach him, or communicate with him, so she must kill herself to be with him. She then is showing a connection between death and the connection it can strengthen with her father, as they will both have experienced this event.
Birth and Death affect the way Sylvia Plath perceives the world, and the actions these events cause Sylvia to make, affect how the world perceives her. She shows the pain, anxiety, and grief she must deal with in "Daddy" and "Morning Song," and shows the action and reasoning behind her decision to take her own life. She takes two of the most extreme events of hapiness and sadness, and compiles it into one terrible feeling, and this, in the end, is what dooms her life."Life may not be the party you hope for, but while you are here you might as well dance..."
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state. There is as little reason to deplore the one as there is to be pleased over the other." (Mahatma Gandhi). Sylvia Plath did not feel the pleasantries in life that many people look forward to. In fact she deplored many events that most people relished, such as the birth of a child, she viewed these events in a negative light, viewing them as more negatives events, such as the death of a family member. Although Plath viewed birth and death as negative events, she still chose to write about them, in "Daddy" and "Morning Song" Plath depicts the life changing consequences of birth and death.
There is nothing more intricate and complicated, than Sylvia Plath's feelings towards birth. "Im no more your mother/ than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow/ Effacement at the winds hand." Plath's feelings towards her baby are exemplified by her use of the word "effacement" which literally means "to wipe out." She shows that with her pain comes many feelings of resentment and sadness, that could not be cured by the single event of, what should have been, joy in her life. Along with her failing marriage, Sylvia's life had been constantly downhill since her first attempted suicide. Sylvia's negative view of birth could have been related to the pain she felt during her own childhood. After all, she had to deal with the excrutiatingly painfull death of her father, and the scars that it left on her.
"You died before I had time--," many times throughout her poem "daddy" Sylvia states that she believes her father died too soon. She depicts the pain that this caused her, and the feelings of resentment that she had towards him for leaving her. The birth of her own child may have taken her back to the feelings of resentment, because her husband Ted Hughes was not a great father either. She may have seen that, as her father did, Ted Hughes is abandoning his children, and Sylvia related this to how she herself was abandoned. "I was ten when they buried you/ At twenty I treid to die" Sylvia makes the direct connection between her fathers death, and her own desire to die. "Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through." Eventually Sylvia gives up on all the men in her life, including her father. She states that she can not reach him, or communicate with him, so she must kill herself to be with him. She then is showing a connection between death and the connection it can strengthen with her father, as they will both have experienced this event.
Birth and Death affect the way Sylvia Plath perceives the world, and the actions these events cause Sylvia to make, affect how the world perceives her. She shows the pain, anxiety, and grief she must deal with in "Daddy" and "Morning Song," and shows the action and reasoning behind her decision to take her own life. She takes two of the most extreme events of hapiness and sadness, and compiles it into one terrible feeling, and this, in the end, is what dooms her life."Life may not be the party you hope for, but while you are here you might as well dance..."
sir jesse thomas hoskins
“More Than a Lightning Stroke”: Reflections of Daddy
“Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through”(“Daddy 80). It is clear through her poems that Sylvia Plath has an extreme internal conflict about her father and his passing. Her father is always represented as an Omni-powerful entity that fills her with resentment. In “Daddy”, she expresses this resentment with anger, whilst also being in extreme fear of him. This is in stark comparison with her feelings of regret of loss in “The Colossus”. Plath’s use of allusions and imagery give an angry or fearful tone in “Daddy”, but present a regretful tone in “The Colossus” to represent her internal conflict about her father and show its growth from loss to resolution.
In both poems it is shown that Plath had insecurities about her father and his memory, that hold her back from looking to the future. To show this insecurity, she uses imagery and allusions. Specifically, in “Daddy” Nazi allusions are made. This is used to show her insuperiority to her father and her fear of him, “I have always been scared of you, with your Luftwaffe” (“Daddy” 41-42). Though her use of imagery is completely different in “The Colossus”, she still shows her insuperiority to him, “it would take more than a lightning-stroke to create such a ruin” (“The Colossus” 22-23). Though her insuperiority isn’t shown through fear, her base feelings are still the same, and through these feelings she establishes her overall emotions toward her father, which is loneliness from his death. Because her father died when she was very young, she has not had the strong support that she needed for most of her life, this is clearly shown in “Daddy” despite the fear she has for him, “and get back, back, back to you. I thought even the bones would do” (“Daddy” 59-60). It is quite clear that she is held back by her father’s death and memory. This is clear also in “The Colossus”, “I shall never get you put together entirely/ my hours are married to shadow” (“The Colossus” 1, 30). She has had to put her life on hold to deal with these problems set by her father. While this conflict continues, Sylvia cannot focus on the future.
Plath chooses to deal with her father issue in two ways; through anger and regret. In “Daddy” she uses violent and hateful imagery to show her extreme fear of her father and her way of dealing with the fear through anger, “there’s a stake in you fat black heart and the villagers never liked you. They are dancing and stamping on you” (“Daddy” 76-78). At the end she finally deals with her father by letting the villagers torture and kill him. The villagers killing him symbolize her starting to get rid of her fears and insecurities about her father. She then has a revelation and finally frees herself from her father’s hold, “Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through” (“Daddy” 80). From her anger she is able to throw herself free from her father and start to move on. This is also shown in “The Colossus”, but in a different method. Instead of being in fear, then using anger to free herself, she feels loneliness, “I crawl like an ant in mourning” (“The Colossus” 12). Through “The Colossus” she attempts to put the colossus back together but, “I shall never get you put back together entirely” (“The Colossus” 1) which shows that she has regrets about never being able to connect with or resolve her problems with her father. Through this regret, she is able to slightly resolve herself by letting go of her father’s memory, “no longer do I listen for the scrape of a keel” (“The Colossus” 29). Since she no longer attempts to fix him, it symbolizes her stopping trying to fix her problems with her father and start moving on in her life. So through her different forms of expression, she is able to let go of her insecurities.
In her poems, “The Colossus” and “Daddy” Plath expresses her insecurities and then uses anger and regret to let go of these problems. This shows the readers that Plath’s internal conflicts are a large source of inspiration for her. This revelation to the reader lets them understand Plath’s poems and Plath’s themes, which will make them wonder, what internal conflicts are plaguing her in this work? Through this, the reader is forced to question their own problems and insecurities, finding their own means to deal with and let go of them.
Word Count: 722
“Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through”(“Daddy 80). It is clear through her poems that Sylvia Plath has an extreme internal conflict about her father and his passing. Her father is always represented as an Omni-powerful entity that fills her with resentment. In “Daddy”, she expresses this resentment with anger, whilst also being in extreme fear of him. This is in stark comparison with her feelings of regret of loss in “The Colossus”. Plath’s use of allusions and imagery give an angry or fearful tone in “Daddy”, but present a regretful tone in “The Colossus” to represent her internal conflict about her father and show its growth from loss to resolution.
In both poems it is shown that Plath had insecurities about her father and his memory, that hold her back from looking to the future. To show this insecurity, she uses imagery and allusions. Specifically, in “Daddy” Nazi allusions are made. This is used to show her insuperiority to her father and her fear of him, “I have always been scared of you, with your Luftwaffe” (“Daddy” 41-42). Though her use of imagery is completely different in “The Colossus”, she still shows her insuperiority to him, “it would take more than a lightning-stroke to create such a ruin” (“The Colossus” 22-23). Though her insuperiority isn’t shown through fear, her base feelings are still the same, and through these feelings she establishes her overall emotions toward her father, which is loneliness from his death. Because her father died when she was very young, she has not had the strong support that she needed for most of her life, this is clearly shown in “Daddy” despite the fear she has for him, “and get back, back, back to you. I thought even the bones would do” (“Daddy” 59-60). It is quite clear that she is held back by her father’s death and memory. This is clear also in “The Colossus”, “I shall never get you put together entirely/ my hours are married to shadow” (“The Colossus” 1, 30). She has had to put her life on hold to deal with these problems set by her father. While this conflict continues, Sylvia cannot focus on the future.
Plath chooses to deal with her father issue in two ways; through anger and regret. In “Daddy” she uses violent and hateful imagery to show her extreme fear of her father and her way of dealing with the fear through anger, “there’s a stake in you fat black heart and the villagers never liked you. They are dancing and stamping on you” (“Daddy” 76-78). At the end she finally deals with her father by letting the villagers torture and kill him. The villagers killing him symbolize her starting to get rid of her fears and insecurities about her father. She then has a revelation and finally frees herself from her father’s hold, “Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through” (“Daddy” 80). From her anger she is able to throw herself free from her father and start to move on. This is also shown in “The Colossus”, but in a different method. Instead of being in fear, then using anger to free herself, she feels loneliness, “I crawl like an ant in mourning” (“The Colossus” 12). Through “The Colossus” she attempts to put the colossus back together but, “I shall never get you put back together entirely” (“The Colossus” 1) which shows that she has regrets about never being able to connect with or resolve her problems with her father. Through this regret, she is able to slightly resolve herself by letting go of her father’s memory, “no longer do I listen for the scrape of a keel” (“The Colossus” 29). Since she no longer attempts to fix him, it symbolizes her stopping trying to fix her problems with her father and start moving on in her life. So through her different forms of expression, she is able to let go of her insecurities.
In her poems, “The Colossus” and “Daddy” Plath expresses her insecurities and then uses anger and regret to let go of these problems. This shows the readers that Plath’s internal conflicts are a large source of inspiration for her. This revelation to the reader lets them understand Plath’s poems and Plath’s themes, which will make them wonder, what internal conflicts are plaguing her in this work? Through this, the reader is forced to question their own problems and insecurities, finding their own means to deal with and let go of them.
Word Count: 722
Ezekiel Villacampa
“Severn years, if you want to know”: Historical Ref.
In Sylvia Plath’s poems she uses the element of historical references to further emphasize the importance as well as to give the reader a visual. “The Swarm” has historical references from Napoleonic times and is used to strengthen the point of a woman revolting. However in “Daddy” the image of Nazi Germany is used to point gruesome image of abuse. History plays an important role as well as an element in Sylvia Plath’s writing and is therefore used to strengthen her general argument.
In the poem “The Swarm” Plath’s historical reference is that to Napoleon. This is used to emphasize the argument of a woman being abused and finally revolting. The first half of the poem contains images of Napoleon taking over Europe. “At Waterloo, Waterloo, Napoleon” (7), he wins the battle, which is a major turning point at the start of the war in which he get’s the upper hand. There are also some indirect references of war such as the chess game in which Napoleon maneuvers his pieces to win. In terms of the poem it has become a game in which the man gains power over the woman. Towards the middle of the poem, Napoleon or the controlling man captures “Russia, Poland, and Germany” (27). With Europe practically under Napoleon, he moves towards Russia. On line 30 “Spun into the river, the river crossed” marks the beginning of the fall of Napoleon’s reign or the man in this case. The river is a reference to the river which Napoleon crossed to reach Russia. However when he gets there he finds that there wasn’t nothing left. The city as been “Dismembered to a tod of ivy” (38). Historically what had happened was that the people fled the city and in doing so destroyed much of the land. So when the army came, it would be vulnerable to the harsh Siberian winter. In the end, the woman has left the man and banished him to “Elba” (43). While Napoleon’s men suffered, he himself got all that he wanted.
In the poem “Daddy” history plays a role as to emphasize the main argument, which is that of a woman complaining to her father. The historical time period is that of Nazi Germany. Here history helps paint readers the suffering of the Jews and the war. In the 7th Stanza “An engine, an engine/ Chuffing me off like a Jew”. The systematic killing of Jews occurred at “Dachau, Auschwitz, Belen”. At the prison camps German scientists carried out cruel experiments on them and ultimately killed them. In this poem she also uses the words that end with (“ew”) a lot such as “Jew” and “you”. There is also the horrifying image of war machines such as the “Luftwaffe” (42) which in context of the poem, is valued by the father. The Luftwaffe was the most advanced air force of the time which also carried out bombings over London and all of Britain together. Here is also the twisted image of “Panzer-man” (45). Very much like the combination of a wolf and man, this also forms a very grotesque and vivid image in the readers mind. Panzers were destructive tanks first implemented during the first World War. In the middle of the poem she talks about how people worship and love the Germans. “Not a God, but a Swastika” (46) which is the symbol of the Nazis. Apposed to the previous imagery Plath begins to idealize to some extent the Nazis. “Every woman adores a Fascist” (48). Prior to the beginning of the Second World War, the fascists had promised for getting the Germans out of the depression. However as this part continues the picture of the Nazi is changed to that of a blood sucking vampire. On line 79 :”Seven years if you want to know” represents how long the war lasted, which was from 1938 to 1945. At the end the Nazi is killed.
Historical references ho matter how small, still have the effect of amplifying the importance. It helps the readers visualize and realize the importance of the two poems. Although the reader may not notice the small minor details the larger events are easier to grasp held of and interpret.
In Sylvia Plath’s poems she uses the element of historical references to further emphasize the importance as well as to give the reader a visual. “The Swarm” has historical references from Napoleonic times and is used to strengthen the point of a woman revolting. However in “Daddy” the image of Nazi Germany is used to point gruesome image of abuse. History plays an important role as well as an element in Sylvia Plath’s writing and is therefore used to strengthen her general argument.
In the poem “The Swarm” Plath’s historical reference is that to Napoleon. This is used to emphasize the argument of a woman being abused and finally revolting. The first half of the poem contains images of Napoleon taking over Europe. “At Waterloo, Waterloo, Napoleon” (7), he wins the battle, which is a major turning point at the start of the war in which he get’s the upper hand. There are also some indirect references of war such as the chess game in which Napoleon maneuvers his pieces to win. In terms of the poem it has become a game in which the man gains power over the woman. Towards the middle of the poem, Napoleon or the controlling man captures “Russia, Poland, and Germany” (27). With Europe practically under Napoleon, he moves towards Russia. On line 30 “Spun into the river, the river crossed” marks the beginning of the fall of Napoleon’s reign or the man in this case. The river is a reference to the river which Napoleon crossed to reach Russia. However when he gets there he finds that there wasn’t nothing left. The city as been “Dismembered to a tod of ivy” (38). Historically what had happened was that the people fled the city and in doing so destroyed much of the land. So when the army came, it would be vulnerable to the harsh Siberian winter. In the end, the woman has left the man and banished him to “Elba” (43). While Napoleon’s men suffered, he himself got all that he wanted.
In the poem “Daddy” history plays a role as to emphasize the main argument, which is that of a woman complaining to her father. The historical time period is that of Nazi Germany. Here history helps paint readers the suffering of the Jews and the war. In the 7th Stanza “An engine, an engine/ Chuffing me off like a Jew”. The systematic killing of Jews occurred at “Dachau, Auschwitz, Belen”. At the prison camps German scientists carried out cruel experiments on them and ultimately killed them. In this poem she also uses the words that end with (“ew”) a lot such as “Jew” and “you”. There is also the horrifying image of war machines such as the “Luftwaffe” (42) which in context of the poem, is valued by the father. The Luftwaffe was the most advanced air force of the time which also carried out bombings over London and all of Britain together. Here is also the twisted image of “Panzer-man” (45). Very much like the combination of a wolf and man, this also forms a very grotesque and vivid image in the readers mind. Panzers were destructive tanks first implemented during the first World War. In the middle of the poem she talks about how people worship and love the Germans. “Not a God, but a Swastika” (46) which is the symbol of the Nazis. Apposed to the previous imagery Plath begins to idealize to some extent the Nazis. “Every woman adores a Fascist” (48). Prior to the beginning of the Second World War, the fascists had promised for getting the Germans out of the depression. However as this part continues the picture of the Nazi is changed to that of a blood sucking vampire. On line 79 :”Seven years if you want to know” represents how long the war lasted, which was from 1938 to 1945. At the end the Nazi is killed.
Historical references ho matter how small, still have the effect of amplifying the importance. It helps the readers visualize and realize the importance of the two poems. Although the reader may not notice the small minor details the larger events are easier to grasp held of and interpret.
Emma Krenzin-Blank
“It’s a Sad Diagnosis”: The War of the Animals
“And like the cat I have nine times to die” (Lady Lazarus 21). Often throughout Plath’s poetry animals are used as symbols of death or destruction. Typical animals are portrayed in a war-like nature and can paint images of evil. When considering that a cat “has nine times to die” the animal is looked upon in a sinister manner, alluding to its unnatural ability. Also, many bugs and less appealing animals are used to represent an image of disgust. Sylvia Plath uses animals throughout her poems to show negative feelings of danger or repulsion, often represented by typical pets such as a cat.
Average animals are often referenced in metaphors comparing human experiences to that of an unpleasant sensation caused by an animal. In particular Plath uses the image of a cat to reference death and fear. She describes the cat as having nine times to die, alluding to its representation of death itself. She paints a picture of this fear by saying, “They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat” (Tulips 59). While Plath is actually referring to tulips blooming in the spring, she uses a simile to describe them as dangerous animals. The image of the great African cat connotatively leaves the reader with a sense of horror at the “great African” beasts. Another typical animal Plath references is a dog. When picturing a dog, the first image that comes to mind is not one of a ferocious animal. However, Plath describes dogs with similar qualities of bloodthirsty wolves, hungry for a fight. In particular she says, “Condoning the beak, the claw, the grin of the dog/Yellow-haunched, a pack dog,/Grinning over its bone of ivory” (The Swarm 22-24). This passage shows the dog as a deadly animal that chews on bones of ivory. The terror that Plath creates when describing the normal pet is used to establish fear and trouble. When picturing a cat or a dog in Plath’s poetry a sense of danger envelopes the reader and alters their perception of innocence.
In particular, Plath’s warnings of danger are often described in a war-like atmosphere. The battles she depicts are not typical human skirmishes, but that of animals in the fray. The focus of The swarm is that of a chaotic fight, involving many animals such as the bees who had, “stings as big as drawing pins” (The Swarm 56). In this, Plath is using drawing pins as an allusion to swords, which the bees confronted each other with. The poem is a war between animals, showing that even creatures people think of a beautiful and ingenuous are evil in the end. Other animals are involved, including “a flying hedgehog, all prickles” which helps to add to the image of a battle between all animals (The Swarm 32). The fight can be thought of as alluding to human wars because of its Napoleonic references. Plath is using the sadness of a battle between animals to portray the reality of warfare. By using images of innocent creatures she is able to attract attention to the cruel details and death involved in war. In comparison, Plath states, “To the same place, the same face, the same brute” in Lady Lazarus to show that human qualities can be the same as a “brute” or an animal (53). All in all, the ferocity of the pure animals shows an immediate contrast to their typical nature and illustrates how dangerous they can be.
In addition to danger, Plath conveys a feeling of disgust when describing certain animals. Especially when discussing bugs she paints an image of revulsion. When describing herself attempting to die, Plath says they had to call for her, “And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls” (Lady Lazarus 42). The worms are used in a simile comparing them to pearls, a human-like necklace. By matching pearls to the worms Plath again uses animals to determine negative human qualities. The “sticky pearls” give a sickening image and make the reader dislike the awful bugs. In Stillborn, Plath describes babies as being dead, “though they have a piggy and a fishy air” (12). By depicting the babies as dead and then comparing to them to pigs and fish a pessimistic meaning behind the animals surfaces. The disgust that is felt when describing death passes on to the normal animals and gives the poem a tone of sadness. Consequently, by portraying the animals as unpleasant creatures Plath shows an off-putting side that makes the reader think negatively when imagining them.
Throughout Plath’s poetry animals can be seen as innocent and childlike. When evaluated closely however, the animals take shape of beasts meant to scare and disgust the reader. By alluding to death when describing certain animals, Plath gives the creatures a sadly feared label. When expressing qualities of human happiness, such as watching the flowers bloom Plath reverts their denotation, such as, “The tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals” (Tulips 58). By stating that animals are dangerous and should be kept behind bars Plath concludes a deeper meaning that animals should be feared. A typically joyous image, animals are used to create sadness through destruction and disgust, “It’s a sad diagnosis” (Stillborn 1).
“And like the cat I have nine times to die” (Lady Lazarus 21). Often throughout Plath’s poetry animals are used as symbols of death or destruction. Typical animals are portrayed in a war-like nature and can paint images of evil. When considering that a cat “has nine times to die” the animal is looked upon in a sinister manner, alluding to its unnatural ability. Also, many bugs and less appealing animals are used to represent an image of disgust. Sylvia Plath uses animals throughout her poems to show negative feelings of danger or repulsion, often represented by typical pets such as a cat.
Average animals are often referenced in metaphors comparing human experiences to that of an unpleasant sensation caused by an animal. In particular Plath uses the image of a cat to reference death and fear. She describes the cat as having nine times to die, alluding to its representation of death itself. She paints a picture of this fear by saying, “They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat” (Tulips 59). While Plath is actually referring to tulips blooming in the spring, she uses a simile to describe them as dangerous animals. The image of the great African cat connotatively leaves the reader with a sense of horror at the “great African” beasts. Another typical animal Plath references is a dog. When picturing a dog, the first image that comes to mind is not one of a ferocious animal. However, Plath describes dogs with similar qualities of bloodthirsty wolves, hungry for a fight. In particular she says, “Condoning the beak, the claw, the grin of the dog/Yellow-haunched, a pack dog,/Grinning over its bone of ivory” (The Swarm 22-24). This passage shows the dog as a deadly animal that chews on bones of ivory. The terror that Plath creates when describing the normal pet is used to establish fear and trouble. When picturing a cat or a dog in Plath’s poetry a sense of danger envelopes the reader and alters their perception of innocence.
In particular, Plath’s warnings of danger are often described in a war-like atmosphere. The battles she depicts are not typical human skirmishes, but that of animals in the fray. The focus of The swarm is that of a chaotic fight, involving many animals such as the bees who had, “stings as big as drawing pins” (The Swarm 56). In this, Plath is using drawing pins as an allusion to swords, which the bees confronted each other with. The poem is a war between animals, showing that even creatures people think of a beautiful and ingenuous are evil in the end. Other animals are involved, including “a flying hedgehog, all prickles” which helps to add to the image of a battle between all animals (The Swarm 32). The fight can be thought of as alluding to human wars because of its Napoleonic references. Plath is using the sadness of a battle between animals to portray the reality of warfare. By using images of innocent creatures she is able to attract attention to the cruel details and death involved in war. In comparison, Plath states, “To the same place, the same face, the same brute” in Lady Lazarus to show that human qualities can be the same as a “brute” or an animal (53). All in all, the ferocity of the pure animals shows an immediate contrast to their typical nature and illustrates how dangerous they can be.
In addition to danger, Plath conveys a feeling of disgust when describing certain animals. Especially when discussing bugs she paints an image of revulsion. When describing herself attempting to die, Plath says they had to call for her, “And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls” (Lady Lazarus 42). The worms are used in a simile comparing them to pearls, a human-like necklace. By matching pearls to the worms Plath again uses animals to determine negative human qualities. The “sticky pearls” give a sickening image and make the reader dislike the awful bugs. In Stillborn, Plath describes babies as being dead, “though they have a piggy and a fishy air” (12). By depicting the babies as dead and then comparing to them to pigs and fish a pessimistic meaning behind the animals surfaces. The disgust that is felt when describing death passes on to the normal animals and gives the poem a tone of sadness. Consequently, by portraying the animals as unpleasant creatures Plath shows an off-putting side that makes the reader think negatively when imagining them.
Throughout Plath’s poetry animals can be seen as innocent and childlike. When evaluated closely however, the animals take shape of beasts meant to scare and disgust the reader. By alluding to death when describing certain animals, Plath gives the creatures a sadly feared label. When expressing qualities of human happiness, such as watching the flowers bloom Plath reverts their denotation, such as, “The tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals” (Tulips 58). By stating that animals are dangerous and should be kept behind bars Plath concludes a deeper meaning that animals should be feared. A typically joyous image, animals are used to create sadness through destruction and disgust, “It’s a sad diagnosis” (Stillborn 1).
Takeaki Igarashi
Rain or Shine, Another Day is Another Day
Sylvia Plath’s life is portrayed as a very sad life, with many struggles and pains throughout her marriage. She strongly shows this in all of her poems with many different allusions and uses of imagery, with the bitter atmosphere in some poems, yet kind and gentle moods in others. The best examples of these moods are shown through the season’s winter and spring. The use of the seasons winter and spring are used to convey the feelings of bitterness and renewal through the two poems, “Two Sisters of Persephone”, and “Black Rook in Rainy Weather”.
When thinking of the season of spring, what usually comes to mind may be happy, peaceful thoughts, images of flowers and gentle breezes, yet that is not the case in both “Two sisters of Persephone”, and “Black Rook in Rainy Weather”. In the poems, Plath describes the season of spring in a sense of pain and violence, especially in “Two Sisters of Persephone”, as the allusion to the Greek goddess of spring is used, She is separated into two different people, one who is “Lulled/Near a bed of poppies,/ Sees how their red silk flare/ of pedaled blood/ Burns open to the sun’s blade.” (15, 16, 17, 18, 19), showing the bitterness towards life, in the setting of what is supposed to be the joyful season of spring. In “Black Rook in Rainy Weather”’ spring is viewed as a distant, almost unreachable, “Miracle” (36), described as “Spasmodic/ Tricks of radiance” (37, 38). In the season of winter as well, there are deep meanings in the poems as well.
In the season of winter, most people may depict the season as a gloomy one, sad and depressing, the darkest season of them all, with their dark clouds looking over us, the never-ending cold days, and sometimes, the abusive rain. Plath shows the concept very well in “Black Rook in Rainy Weather”. The words used to describe the season is not directly told to us, but simply shown through her use of imagery and bitter words. “Stiff twig” (1), “wet black rook” (2), “desultory “(8), and “season/Of fatigue” (33,34). The black rook is appealed to the reader as a kind of symbol, showing depression and bitterness, giving the reader even more of a sense of winter time. In “Two Sister of Persephone”, the mood of the poem greatly shows the bitterness and depression as the season is described as a “barren enterprise” (10), and the negative words used in the poem such as “bitter” and “sallow” (24, 25) give more atmosphere. In both of the seasons however, they may also have different meaning in the poems as well.
In both the season of winter and spring, though they both had contradicting images, they both have literal meanings as well. For the season of spring in “Sisters of Persephone”, the season is also described as “Hearing ticks blown gold/ Like pollen on bright air.” (14, 15), allowing us to imagine a nice, joyous place. The same quote used in “Black Rook in Rainy Weather”, the same quote used earlier to show the bitterness of spring can also be interpreted as a quote showing happiness and rejuvenation, taking into account the words that are used to describe the season, such as “angel” (40), “Tricks of radiance” (38), and “Miracles” (39). For the concept of winter as well, the season may be taken into account as a good season as well. Examples include when the black rook is shown to be a symbol of rejuvenation it the depressing atmosphere as it “can so shine/ As to seize my senses, haul/ My eyelids up, and grant/ A brief respite from fear” (28, 29, 30, 31), which was briskly unexpected. These different insights on the seasons shows the variety of Plath’s writing, and the importance of the seasons within the two poems.
The season’s spring and winter add a more powerful image within the reader, and is used to tie different aspects into the poem as well. Plath's use of allusions to seasons also provides more insight into the poems. The importance of the seasons show how much the two poems are affected, and give a more powerful message to the reader.
Word Count: 691
Darshana Prakasam
The Five Senses: How Sylvia Plath uses Imagery to Communicate
Smell, taste, hear, see and feel. These are how people experience the world. Imagery or vivid descriptions in literature evoke these five senses to add meaning and life to the pieces. A common literary tool, imagery frequently appears throughout Sylvia Plath’s poetry. With it, she expresses her feelings and thoughts about the world around her. Although she employs many types of imagery from death to season and weather, one specific types is that of the Holocaust and Nazism. Sylvia Plath utilizes Holocaust and Nazi imagery in “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy” to communicate her feelings of exploitation and pain.
Both poems, with Holocaust and Nazi imagery, describe and explain the concept of exploitation. In “Lady Lazarus”, Plath discusses wanting to die, but inevitably being saved every time. Moreover, each suicide attempt is publicized, turning her private story into a public story. This leads her to feel exploited and used for the public’s benefit, leaving her with absolutely nothing for herself. Consequently, when she writes, “A sort of walking miracle,/ my skin/ Bright as a Nazi lampshade,/ My right foot / A paperweight,” she communicates these feelings (“Lady Lazarus” 4-9). Beginning with Nazi lampshade, this references the Holocaust when Germans would often experiment and sometimes create objects such as lampshades from the skin of Jews. The lampshade from skin and the paperweight from her foot provide examples of how the Jews were not shown respect or their lives valued and how they were used for others’ benefit. Something as personal as skin was taken and used as a household item. By using this imagery, Plath says that she relates to that situation and is feeling what the Jews felt. Likewise, in “Daddy”, recurring Nazi and Holocaust imagery explain the exploitation of her feelings, which led to her frustration with her father. She writes, “Not God but a swastika / So black no sky could squeak through / Every woman adores a Fascist, / The boot in the face, the brute” (“Daddy” 46-49). She uses the famous symbol of the Nazis, the swastika, and mentions Fascism to represent the power they brandished over everyone like a God, forcing people to listen and obey. They had to “adore” or they would receive a “boot in the face” (“Daddy” 47, 48). They pushed their desires across, disregarding the feelings of the Jews. It is a representation of how Plath felt when she communicated, or rather tried to, with her father. He conveyed his own opinions and thoughts but she was not able to express her feelings in the same way. In this way, she feels that her feelings were exploited and she was used as a tool for her father’s benefit. Though “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy” relate to different situations, they both similarly use Holocaust and Nazi imagery to convey the exploitation of feelings.
Another employment of Nazi and Holocaust imagery, “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy” represent the pain that Plath feels from her thwarted suicide attempts as well as her inability to communicate with her father. In “Lady Lazarus”, when she writes that her skin was “bright as a Nazi lampshade”, a feeling of pain is immediately evoked. (“Lady Lazarus” 5) It leads the reader to imagine the torture Jews must have gone through to have their skin used in such barbaric ways. While this references physical pain, Plath uses it to correlate with her thoughts on being brought back to life every time she tries to end it. She explains the pain of having to continue living without a desire to do so. People were so intent on believing that saving Plath was a compassionate gesture, they ignored the point of view of Plath. This is the same with the Jews who were not given an opportunity to voice their opinions against the actions of the Germans, unfairly put through physical pain. Utilizing this powerful imagery, she conveys how saving her was just as malicious as what the Germans did. Furthermore, in “Daddy”, she exhibits the pain she feels from the communication barrier between her and her “daddy”. Physical and mental pain is portrayed when she writes that, “[her] tongue stuck in [her] jaw. / It stuck in a barb wire snare.” (“Daddy” 25-26). Such a vivid image immediately presents an excruciatingly painful situation, but beyond that, it presents the barbwire fences of the Holocaust and the pain those camps brought to the Jews. The fences cut them off from the rest of the world and prevented them from speaking out to the Germans. Plath constantly refers to herself as a Jew by writing “I think I may well be a Jew.” (“Daddy” 35) and “I may be a bit of a Jew” (“Daddy” 40) and compares her father with a German with phrases such as “ your Aryan eye” (“Daddy” 44). This further reinforces her symbolizing the concept of just as the Jews were unable to express themselves to the Nazis, Plath was unable to articulate herself to her father. “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy” have different enveloping themes but their utilization of the Holocaust imagery paralleled each other.
Imagery is a useful literary tool that allows the reader to feel what the author feels, allowing the reader to feel a connection with the author. Plath includes a lot of imagery in her poetry as almost extended analogies to her situations to make the reader better understand what she is describing. With the Holocaust and Nazi imagery, she provides what she believes to be a point of comparison for she believes the magnitude of suffering of the Jews closely paralleled her own suffering. Evoking the five senses, Sylvia Plath additionally evoked understanding and compassion from the readers.
Word Count: 924
Bethany Draeger
Death; Blessing or a curse?
“Dying / Is an art, like everything else, / I do it exceptionally well.” (Lady Lazarus 43-45).Sylvia Plath uses the imagery of death constantly throughout her poems. Two significant poems that show death in two different lights are “Daddy” and “Edge”. They both focus on death and the emotions that o with I, yet the emotions given off by the poem are completely different. Through her diverse motifs, colors and tones, Sylvia Plath portrays death in different forms.
To begin, in “Edge”, there is a very strong motif that is laced in, Greek culture. Based on our general knowledge of the Greeks, we associate them with gods and mythical tales. This is a very calming motif that, when added, makes death seem almost tranquil. Sylvia Plath writes, “The woman is perfected / Her dead / Body wears the smile of accomplishment. / The illusion of Greek necessity.” (Edge 1-4). Although this woman has passed on, the term ‘accomplishment’ paired with the Greek motif makes the passing of the woman bearable to the audience. In complete contrast, a common motif in “Daddy” is the reference to Nazis. Just the word Nazi instills hatred and pain in many hearts. When tied to it, death is given a violent, miserable image. “Chuffing me off like a Jew. / A Jew to Dachav, Auschwitz, Belsen.” (Daddy 32-33). Death is no longer welcomed with the feeling of the peace it will bring, but resented at the injustice of it’s premature appearance. With the support of meaningful motifs, the entire emitted feeling can be greatly altered.
Following Motifs is the importance of color. People relate to colors differently but there are some that, when used properly, can make and undeniable point. Sylvia Plath uses the color white repeatedly throughout “Edge”. She refers to it both directly, “Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,” (Edge 10), and indirectly. She uses images that most would relate with the color white; a toga, bare feet, milk. In the apreviously mentioned quote, Sylvia speaks of the horror of the death of a child, yet it does not seem as tragic as it should, which is due to the fact that it is surrounded by the color white. White is a very pure, innocent color that calms and relaxes the mind and soul. On the contrary, in “Daddy”, harsh, painful colors are used. Plath consistently refers to the colors black and blue. “There’s a stake in your fat black heart” (Daddy 76) and “your Aryan eyes bright and blue.” (Daddy 45) are just two examples of the blatant use of these colors. On their own, black and blue may not always have a negative connotation, but when combined, they cause one to think of bruises and injury. These colors of suffering add a painful element to the entirety of the poem.
The last significant aspect that effects how death is perceived is the tone in which death itself is mentioned. In “Daddy”, when death is brought up, it seems strained and desperate, as if it is not time yet. Plath writes, “I was ten when they buried you. / At twenty I tried to die / To get back, back, back to you.” (Daddy 57-59). It is as though the speaker is taking death into their own hands and using it to ease the pain and suffering in life. It is not the calming, reassuring image received in “Edge” when Sylvia writes, “We have come so far, it is over.” (Edge 8). From this statement, the speaker is showing that they have completed their purpose in life and is now ready to let go. Their death is not premature, it is not out of control, it is just as it should be, which inspires a feeling of content and acceptance in the reader.
Overall, Plath is able to inspire different feelings, both extremely strong, with the same image. Just with the change in tone, different complimentary motifs, and the use of meaningful colors, Sylvia creates and entirely different mood and feeling that pulses from her work. This ability, to create passionate emotions through strings of words, proves her exceptional talent with poetry. “I guess you could say [she has] a call.” (Lady Lazarus 48).
“Dying / Is an art, like everything else, / I do it exceptionally well.” (Lady Lazarus 43-45).Sylvia Plath uses the imagery of death constantly throughout her poems. Two significant poems that show death in two different lights are “Daddy” and “Edge”. They both focus on death and the emotions that o with I, yet the emotions given off by the poem are completely different. Through her diverse motifs, colors and tones, Sylvia Plath portrays death in different forms.
To begin, in “Edge”, there is a very strong motif that is laced in, Greek culture. Based on our general knowledge of the Greeks, we associate them with gods and mythical tales. This is a very calming motif that, when added, makes death seem almost tranquil. Sylvia Plath writes, “The woman is perfected / Her dead / Body wears the smile of accomplishment. / The illusion of Greek necessity.” (Edge 1-4). Although this woman has passed on, the term ‘accomplishment’ paired with the Greek motif makes the passing of the woman bearable to the audience. In complete contrast, a common motif in “Daddy” is the reference to Nazis. Just the word Nazi instills hatred and pain in many hearts. When tied to it, death is given a violent, miserable image. “Chuffing me off like a Jew. / A Jew to Dachav, Auschwitz, Belsen.” (Daddy 32-33). Death is no longer welcomed with the feeling of the peace it will bring, but resented at the injustice of it’s premature appearance. With the support of meaningful motifs, the entire emitted feeling can be greatly altered.
Following Motifs is the importance of color. People relate to colors differently but there are some that, when used properly, can make and undeniable point. Sylvia Plath uses the color white repeatedly throughout “Edge”. She refers to it both directly, “Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,” (Edge 10), and indirectly. She uses images that most would relate with the color white; a toga, bare feet, milk. In the apreviously mentioned quote, Sylvia speaks of the horror of the death of a child, yet it does not seem as tragic as it should, which is due to the fact that it is surrounded by the color white. White is a very pure, innocent color that calms and relaxes the mind and soul. On the contrary, in “Daddy”, harsh, painful colors are used. Plath consistently refers to the colors black and blue. “There’s a stake in your fat black heart” (Daddy 76) and “your Aryan eyes bright and blue.” (Daddy 45) are just two examples of the blatant use of these colors. On their own, black and blue may not always have a negative connotation, but when combined, they cause one to think of bruises and injury. These colors of suffering add a painful element to the entirety of the poem.
The last significant aspect that effects how death is perceived is the tone in which death itself is mentioned. In “Daddy”, when death is brought up, it seems strained and desperate, as if it is not time yet. Plath writes, “I was ten when they buried you. / At twenty I tried to die / To get back, back, back to you.” (Daddy 57-59). It is as though the speaker is taking death into their own hands and using it to ease the pain and suffering in life. It is not the calming, reassuring image received in “Edge” when Sylvia writes, “We have come so far, it is over.” (Edge 8). From this statement, the speaker is showing that they have completed their purpose in life and is now ready to let go. Their death is not premature, it is not out of control, it is just as it should be, which inspires a feeling of content and acceptance in the reader.
Overall, Plath is able to inspire different feelings, both extremely strong, with the same image. Just with the change in tone, different complimentary motifs, and the use of meaningful colors, Sylvia creates and entirely different mood and feeling that pulses from her work. This ability, to create passionate emotions through strings of words, proves her exceptional talent with poetry. “I guess you could say [she has] a call.” (Lady Lazarus 48).
Danielle Schenck
“Somebody is shooting at something in our town” : The Use of War Images in Sylvia Plath’s Poetry
The poet, Sylvia Plath, uses many images throughout her poems to emphasize certain ideas about her life. These images are important because they assist the reader in interpreting what she was thinking and what was occurring throughout her life. Sylvia Plath uses images of war in “Daddy” and “The Swarm” to emphasize her weakness and inferiority with death, her marriage, and the relationship with her father.
The idea of death was a very promising path for her. She demonstrated her feelings of death in her poems. In “Daddy”, she states “An engine, an engine, / Chuffing me like a Jew” (31-32). The Nazis, during World War II, had killed people who were considered inferior and weak in their standards. Plath sees herself as being “killed” for her inferiority. Similar to that is the quote, “Mud squirms with throats, / Stepping stones for French bootsoles” (“The Swarm” 13-14). Napoleon’s French troops sacrificed those who were in their paths. Usually, they “stepped” over the lesser ones who did not have any benefit to them. Plath continuously viewed herself as being a weak nobody who had nothing to contribute to anyone. Death, to Plath, represents a way to escape that weakness. The leaders of these wars gave death away like candy and showed no sympathy about it. People important to her throughout her life also showed no compassion and walked all over her like “stepping stones”.
Her marriage to Ted Hughs is an example of her being made to feel inferior by a loved one. This gave her the impression that marriage was a war. “A man in black with a Meinkampf look” (“Daddy” 65). Here, she portrays her husband to be an ordinary “Nazi” that abides by a set of rules, similar to Hitler’s Meinkampf. This position of power is superior to her own position as a wife and mother. Though, in “Swarm”, jealousy is apparent in the marriage and made it a war. “Jealousy can open the blood, / It can make black roses” (3-4) shows the pain that the war called “marriage” may cause, turning red roses black with no love. This idea that love and marriage is turned sour by war is a strong concept that is displayed by Plath in all of her poetry.
Sylvia Plath also had a troubled relationship with her father. They were close, but Plath struggled with the memories after his death. She frequently compares him to prominent war figures in her poetry such as in “Daddy” when she says “And your Aryan eye, bright blue” (44). Plath appears to be envious of the supremacy that her father has over her. These personality traits caused him to survive while she is dying inside. Also, “Napoleon is pleased, he is pleased with everything” (“The Swarm” 58). Her father was an authority figure to her, but Plath feels he is pleased with how everything has turned out after his death even though it may have been negative. Her father seems to have caused permanent scars on her, yet he is happy about it. These comparisons to war leaders with dark personalities demonstrate the agony that the people she looks up to have cast a dark shadow over her that made her feel timid.
Memories of her inferiority are apparent throughout her poems. This subordination is represented by the concepts of war that involve death, her marriage, and her father’s relationship with her. Images of war leaders, war casualties and the effect of war are used relentlessly throughout “Daddy” and “The Swarm”. From her use of war images, we can conclude that throughout her life relationships were constant battles to her and caused a great deal of pain.
The poet, Sylvia Plath, uses many images throughout her poems to emphasize certain ideas about her life. These images are important because they assist the reader in interpreting what she was thinking and what was occurring throughout her life. Sylvia Plath uses images of war in “Daddy” and “The Swarm” to emphasize her weakness and inferiority with death, her marriage, and the relationship with her father.
The idea of death was a very promising path for her. She demonstrated her feelings of death in her poems. In “Daddy”, she states “An engine, an engine, / Chuffing me like a Jew” (31-32). The Nazis, during World War II, had killed people who were considered inferior and weak in their standards. Plath sees herself as being “killed” for her inferiority. Similar to that is the quote, “Mud squirms with throats, / Stepping stones for French bootsoles” (“The Swarm” 13-14). Napoleon’s French troops sacrificed those who were in their paths. Usually, they “stepped” over the lesser ones who did not have any benefit to them. Plath continuously viewed herself as being a weak nobody who had nothing to contribute to anyone. Death, to Plath, represents a way to escape that weakness. The leaders of these wars gave death away like candy and showed no sympathy about it. People important to her throughout her life also showed no compassion and walked all over her like “stepping stones”.
Her marriage to Ted Hughs is an example of her being made to feel inferior by a loved one. This gave her the impression that marriage was a war. “A man in black with a Meinkampf look” (“Daddy” 65). Here, she portrays her husband to be an ordinary “Nazi” that abides by a set of rules, similar to Hitler’s Meinkampf. This position of power is superior to her own position as a wife and mother. Though, in “Swarm”, jealousy is apparent in the marriage and made it a war. “Jealousy can open the blood, / It can make black roses” (3-4) shows the pain that the war called “marriage” may cause, turning red roses black with no love. This idea that love and marriage is turned sour by war is a strong concept that is displayed by Plath in all of her poetry.
Sylvia Plath also had a troubled relationship with her father. They were close, but Plath struggled with the memories after his death. She frequently compares him to prominent war figures in her poetry such as in “Daddy” when she says “And your Aryan eye, bright blue” (44). Plath appears to be envious of the supremacy that her father has over her. These personality traits caused him to survive while she is dying inside. Also, “Napoleon is pleased, he is pleased with everything” (“The Swarm” 58). Her father was an authority figure to her, but Plath feels he is pleased with how everything has turned out after his death even though it may have been negative. Her father seems to have caused permanent scars on her, yet he is happy about it. These comparisons to war leaders with dark personalities demonstrate the agony that the people she looks up to have cast a dark shadow over her that made her feel timid.
Memories of her inferiority are apparent throughout her poems. This subordination is represented by the concepts of war that involve death, her marriage, and her father’s relationship with her. Images of war leaders, war casualties and the effect of war are used relentlessly throughout “Daddy” and “The Swarm”. From her use of war images, we can conclude that throughout her life relationships were constant battles to her and caused a great deal of pain.
Holly Addington
“This is the time of hanging on”: No Food, No Happiness
Sylvia Plath utilizes something common to all of us to communicate her feelings; food, something that we all need to sustain ourselves. Plath uses images of food throughout her poems, although she often only uses it once in a poem. In “Mushrooms” and “Wintering” images of food show unhappiness due to unreachable abundance, crumbs of a need, and artificial replacements.
Being in abundance means that there is plenty of it, yet when it is unreachable a person often becomes frustrated trying to get it. Plath tells us “I have my honey, / Six jars of it, / . . . in the wine cellar” (“Wintering” 3-5). At this point in the poem the reader has no reason to see this as anything but good. There is plenty of honey, and it keeps well, but we find out “this is the room I could never breathe in.” (“Wintering” 12). This keeps the abundant honey out of her reach, it is in an unreachable place and this does not please her. Plath bought bees in order to have abundant honey, and now it will go to waste for she cannot get it, and this causes her to be unhappy. Plath shows this again when she tells us that women are “Bland-mannered, asking / Little or nothing.” (“Mushrooms” 21-22). The women can see the abundance that men have. The men rule the world and do not let women follow their dreams; dreams that would make them truly happy.
Abundance may not be able to be reached, but usually a necessity such as food is still given, if only in crumbs. “Diet on water, / On crumbs of shadow,” (“Mushrooms” 19-20) tells the reader how little they have. The word “diet” can be taken to understand that they have very little water. Shadow, taking on a food quality, is in small amounts, there is little to consume. Women here are standing in man’s shadow and can only come closer to him a little bit at a time. They need more, and are unhappy with how little they have. The bees in “Wintering” also have less and they must “make up for the honey I’ve taken.” (26). The abundance was stolen away from them and now must work hard to survive on the little they have. The bees worked all year to get their honey, and now they have very little and this makes them “so slow” (“Wintering” 23) with unhappiness. Drinking a few sips of water when parched only makes the drinker thirstier and in more want of water.
The bees must use an artificial replacement for the honey Plath has taken in “Wintering”, “It is Tate and Lyle they live on, instead of flowers. / They take it.” (29). The bees are reluctant to live on this replacement of syrup. Honey is what they want and the replacement only makes them miss it more. The “crumbs of shadow” in “Mushrooms” are only part of what the mushrooms want (20). They not only want to have shadow, they want to have the spotlight. “Our foot’s in the door.” (“Mushrooms” 33) they say. The women are ready to stop living on shadow, something only part of what they want, and to start living on light. These artificial replacements for the mushrooms and the bees are not satisfying. They cause unhappiness and simply more want. Coffee drinkers know that instant coffee is not near as good as freshly brewed coffee. The artificial replacement of shadow for light sates the want but not for long; the sugar the bees are using will serve until the flowers come into bloom again.
The unhappiness in these two poems is quite prevalent. The food imagery shows just how important the wants are, in fact they are needs. When the “food” is out of play, unhappiness abounds. Without this need, there is no reason for anyone to be happy.
Sylvia Plath utilizes something common to all of us to communicate her feelings; food, something that we all need to sustain ourselves. Plath uses images of food throughout her poems, although she often only uses it once in a poem. In “Mushrooms” and “Wintering” images of food show unhappiness due to unreachable abundance, crumbs of a need, and artificial replacements.
Being in abundance means that there is plenty of it, yet when it is unreachable a person often becomes frustrated trying to get it. Plath tells us “I have my honey, / Six jars of it, / . . . in the wine cellar” (“Wintering” 3-5). At this point in the poem the reader has no reason to see this as anything but good. There is plenty of honey, and it keeps well, but we find out “this is the room I could never breathe in.” (“Wintering” 12). This keeps the abundant honey out of her reach, it is in an unreachable place and this does not please her. Plath bought bees in order to have abundant honey, and now it will go to waste for she cannot get it, and this causes her to be unhappy. Plath shows this again when she tells us that women are “Bland-mannered, asking / Little or nothing.” (“Mushrooms” 21-22). The women can see the abundance that men have. The men rule the world and do not let women follow their dreams; dreams that would make them truly happy.
Abundance may not be able to be reached, but usually a necessity such as food is still given, if only in crumbs. “Diet on water, / On crumbs of shadow,” (“Mushrooms” 19-20) tells the reader how little they have. The word “diet” can be taken to understand that they have very little water. Shadow, taking on a food quality, is in small amounts, there is little to consume. Women here are standing in man’s shadow and can only come closer to him a little bit at a time. They need more, and are unhappy with how little they have. The bees in “Wintering” also have less and they must “make up for the honey I’ve taken.” (26). The abundance was stolen away from them and now must work hard to survive on the little they have. The bees worked all year to get their honey, and now they have very little and this makes them “so slow” (“Wintering” 23) with unhappiness. Drinking a few sips of water when parched only makes the drinker thirstier and in more want of water.
The bees must use an artificial replacement for the honey Plath has taken in “Wintering”, “It is Tate and Lyle they live on, instead of flowers. / They take it.” (29). The bees are reluctant to live on this replacement of syrup. Honey is what they want and the replacement only makes them miss it more. The “crumbs of shadow” in “Mushrooms” are only part of what the mushrooms want (20). They not only want to have shadow, they want to have the spotlight. “Our foot’s in the door.” (“Mushrooms” 33) they say. The women are ready to stop living on shadow, something only part of what they want, and to start living on light. These artificial replacements for the mushrooms and the bees are not satisfying. They cause unhappiness and simply more want. Coffee drinkers know that instant coffee is not near as good as freshly brewed coffee. The artificial replacement of shadow for light sates the want but not for long; the sugar the bees are using will serve until the flowers come into bloom again.
The unhappiness in these two poems is quite prevalent. The food imagery shows just how important the wants are, in fact they are needs. When the “food” is out of play, unhappiness abounds. Without this need, there is no reason for anyone to be happy.
Daniel Fuad
“Daylong a Duet of Shade and Light”: Spring and Winter in Sylvia Plath’s Poetry
“Daylong a duet of shade and light” (“Persephone” 3). This line from Sylvia Plath’s poem, “Two Sisters of Persephone”, indicates the comparisons she makes between the two seasons: spring and winter. These seasons are predominant in much of her poetry, and their imagery alternates connotations in several of them. In Sylvia Plath’s poems, “Two Sisters of Persephone” and “Spinster”, the seasons of spring and winter convey rejuvenation and hostility.
The season of spring carries a tone of renewal and bitterness in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and that of malice in “Spinster.” In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, spring indicates pregnancy, as seen when the second sister laid “near a bed of poppies” (16) and she “[grew] quick with seed” (22). Spring symbolizes rebirth and Sylvia Plath utilizes it to show a woman’s married role in society. She voices her objection to this responsibility when the same sister “sees how [her] red silk flare / of petaled blood / Burns open to the sun’s blade” (17-19). Although spring brings about a sense of a new beginning, the images of this season evoke emotions of pain and suffering. Unlike “Two Sisters of Persephone” in which the vibrant descriptions portray anguish, the poem, “Spinster’s” spring references are entirely spiteful. The young girl is on her “ceremonious april walk” (2) when she realizes that the magnitude of her appalling situation. She “[Finds] herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck / By the birds’ irregular babel / And the leaves litter” (4-6). Spring refers to her bitterness towards the gentleman whom she once loved, and augments the direness of her situation. Later, the young girl walked “Through a rank wilderness of fern and flower, / She judged petals in disarray, / The whole season, sloven” (10-12). Because of her lost romance, the girl’s love life has gone spiraling into chaos, as she attempts to come to cope with her predicament. Spring brings about rejuvenation, rebirth, and pain in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and hatred in “Spinster.”
The second season mentioned in these two poems is winter. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, winter conveys a cold, barren tone, while in “Spinster,” it represents structure and order. The first sister in “Two Sisters of Persephone” is described as a “barren enterprise” (10) who works alone “in her dark wainscoted room” (5). Plath depicts her as the unmarried sister who will remain a “wry virgin to the last” (22). Her message is that women who never find a husband will be forlorn and that love is chaotic and dangerous. On the other hand, “Spinster’s” use of winter conveys the love the young girl yearns for. She describes it as “scrupulously in order / of white and black / ice rock; each sentiment with border, / And hearts frosty discipline / Exact as a snowflake” (13-18). Just as the facets of winter are simple, delicate, and perfectly in place, the girl wishes her love life would similarly fall into place. Winter is representative of negativity in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and of the perfect model of love in “Spinster.”
In “Two Sisters of Persephone” and “Spinster,” the imagery of spring and winter evoke emotions of rebirth and bitterness. Altering the meanings of the seasons demonstrates Sylvia Plath’s apt ability to instill different feelings in readers’ minds when substituting the two. Not only do they get readers questioning why she does this so, but they are also amazed at the connotations that both the seasons can portray in different love scenarios, whether they be good or bad.
“Daylong a duet of shade and light” (“Persephone” 3). This line from Sylvia Plath’s poem, “Two Sisters of Persephone”, indicates the comparisons she makes between the two seasons: spring and winter. These seasons are predominant in much of her poetry, and their imagery alternates connotations in several of them. In Sylvia Plath’s poems, “Two Sisters of Persephone” and “Spinster”, the seasons of spring and winter convey rejuvenation and hostility.
The season of spring carries a tone of renewal and bitterness in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and that of malice in “Spinster.” In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, spring indicates pregnancy, as seen when the second sister laid “near a bed of poppies” (16) and she “[grew] quick with seed” (22). Spring symbolizes rebirth and Sylvia Plath utilizes it to show a woman’s married role in society. She voices her objection to this responsibility when the same sister “sees how [her] red silk flare / of petaled blood / Burns open to the sun’s blade” (17-19). Although spring brings about a sense of a new beginning, the images of this season evoke emotions of pain and suffering. Unlike “Two Sisters of Persephone” in which the vibrant descriptions portray anguish, the poem, “Spinster’s” spring references are entirely spiteful. The young girl is on her “ceremonious april walk” (2) when she realizes that the magnitude of her appalling situation. She “[Finds] herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck / By the birds’ irregular babel / And the leaves litter” (4-6). Spring refers to her bitterness towards the gentleman whom she once loved, and augments the direness of her situation. Later, the young girl walked “Through a rank wilderness of fern and flower, / She judged petals in disarray, / The whole season, sloven” (10-12). Because of her lost romance, the girl’s love life has gone spiraling into chaos, as she attempts to come to cope with her predicament. Spring brings about rejuvenation, rebirth, and pain in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and hatred in “Spinster.”
The second season mentioned in these two poems is winter. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, winter conveys a cold, barren tone, while in “Spinster,” it represents structure and order. The first sister in “Two Sisters of Persephone” is described as a “barren enterprise” (10) who works alone “in her dark wainscoted room” (5). Plath depicts her as the unmarried sister who will remain a “wry virgin to the last” (22). Her message is that women who never find a husband will be forlorn and that love is chaotic and dangerous. On the other hand, “Spinster’s” use of winter conveys the love the young girl yearns for. She describes it as “scrupulously in order / of white and black / ice rock; each sentiment with border, / And hearts frosty discipline / Exact as a snowflake” (13-18). Just as the facets of winter are simple, delicate, and perfectly in place, the girl wishes her love life would similarly fall into place. Winter is representative of negativity in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and of the perfect model of love in “Spinster.”
In “Two Sisters of Persephone” and “Spinster,” the imagery of spring and winter evoke emotions of rebirth and bitterness. Altering the meanings of the seasons demonstrates Sylvia Plath’s apt ability to instill different feelings in readers’ minds when substituting the two. Not only do they get readers questioning why she does this so, but they are also amazed at the connotations that both the seasons can portray in different love scenarios, whether they be good or bad.
David Qu
“The whole season, sloven”: Sylvia Plath's Use of Seasons
“Bronzed as earth.../ turned bitter as any lemon” (Persephone 13-25). Sylvia Plath, author of “Two Sisters of Persephone”, “Spinster”, and many other poems, often uses imagery as symbols for other, more complex things. “Two Sisters of Persephone” is a poem about two girls, one who is free to enjoy nature, and one that is forced to work. “Spinster” is about a woman who is about to be married, but starts to have second thoughts. Plath uses imagery in these poems to show how theres characters feel. Sylvia Plath uses the seasons of winter and spring as well as symbols connected to them in order to convey to the reader themes of rejuvenation and bitterness, but each feeling is not necessarily represented by a certain season.
Feelings of hope and rejuvenation can be found in both spring and winter. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, these feelings are represented by images of spring. Plath writes “Bronzed as earth... / Like pollen on bright air. Lulled / Near a bed of poppies” (“Persephone”, 13-16) when she talks about the girl that is free to enjoy nature. Plath shows to the reader that the girl who is free still has hope. However, the main character of “Spinster” strongly prefers winter of spring, which can be seen though the positive way that winter images are used. “How she longed for winter then!– / Scrupulously austere in its order / Of white and black / ice and rock;” (“Spinster” 13-16). The girl would rather have order instead of disorder. She wanted winter over spring because to her, winter was painstakingly strict in the way it was ordered.
Plath also transitions from hope to bitterness when she changes seasons. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, she writes: “She bears a king. Turned bitter / and sallow as any lemon” (24-25). Due to Plath's use of enjambment between stanzas 6 and 7, it is clear that she transitions from hope to bitterness, from spring to winter. When the free girl becomes pregnant, she “Grows quick with seed” (“Persephone” 22). When she bears her child, it is almost as if the 'fruit of her loins' has ripened. The use of a lemon for this metaphor is perfect because lemons flower in the spring and ripen in the winter, much like the woman being impregnated in the spring, “how her red silk flare /... [Burning open to the sun's blade” (“Persephone” 17-19), and having her child in the winter as the imagery changes to that of winter. “Spinster”, however, lacks definite transitions due to its complete lack of enjambment.
Spring and winter also carry the feelings of bitterness. In “Spinster”, Plath writes about spring in a very negative manner. “[She] Found herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck / By the bird's irregular babel / And the leaves' litter” (4-6). When the main character is about to be married “[during] a ceremonious april walk” (2), she describes her bitter feelings about marriage. She says, like spring, the marriage will be disorderly. Also, Plath's unusual capitalization of April shows her distaste for spring. For “Two Sisters of Persephone”, Plath uses winter images as a way to show bitterness. “In her dark wainscoted room” (“Persephone” 5). When she talks about a room that is dark and has wood paneling for lining interior walls, it brings up an image of a winter cabin. She also writes about death and graveyards, which are also commonly associated with winter.
In “Two Sisters of Persephone” Plath associates feelings of hope and rejuvenation to spring and bitterness to winter. Imagery used in “Spinster” for spring show to the reader feelings of hope, while images of spring have negative connotations.
Word Count: 601
“Bronzed as earth.../ turned bitter as any lemon” (Persephone 13-25). Sylvia Plath, author of “Two Sisters of Persephone”, “Spinster”, and many other poems, often uses imagery as symbols for other, more complex things. “Two Sisters of Persephone” is a poem about two girls, one who is free to enjoy nature, and one that is forced to work. “Spinster” is about a woman who is about to be married, but starts to have second thoughts. Plath uses imagery in these poems to show how theres characters feel. Sylvia Plath uses the seasons of winter and spring as well as symbols connected to them in order to convey to the reader themes of rejuvenation and bitterness, but each feeling is not necessarily represented by a certain season.
Feelings of hope and rejuvenation can be found in both spring and winter. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, these feelings are represented by images of spring. Plath writes “Bronzed as earth... / Like pollen on bright air. Lulled / Near a bed of poppies” (“Persephone”, 13-16) when she talks about the girl that is free to enjoy nature. Plath shows to the reader that the girl who is free still has hope. However, the main character of “Spinster” strongly prefers winter of spring, which can be seen though the positive way that winter images are used. “How she longed for winter then!– / Scrupulously austere in its order / Of white and black / ice and rock;” (“Spinster” 13-16). The girl would rather have order instead of disorder. She wanted winter over spring because to her, winter was painstakingly strict in the way it was ordered.
Plath also transitions from hope to bitterness when she changes seasons. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, she writes: “She bears a king. Turned bitter / and sallow as any lemon” (24-25). Due to Plath's use of enjambment between stanzas 6 and 7, it is clear that she transitions from hope to bitterness, from spring to winter. When the free girl becomes pregnant, she “Grows quick with seed” (“Persephone” 22). When she bears her child, it is almost as if the 'fruit of her loins' has ripened. The use of a lemon for this metaphor is perfect because lemons flower in the spring and ripen in the winter, much like the woman being impregnated in the spring, “how her red silk flare /... [Burning open to the sun's blade” (“Persephone” 17-19), and having her child in the winter as the imagery changes to that of winter. “Spinster”, however, lacks definite transitions due to its complete lack of enjambment.
Spring and winter also carry the feelings of bitterness. In “Spinster”, Plath writes about spring in a very negative manner. “[She] Found herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck / By the bird's irregular babel / And the leaves' litter” (4-6). When the main character is about to be married “[during] a ceremonious april walk” (2), she describes her bitter feelings about marriage. She says, like spring, the marriage will be disorderly. Also, Plath's unusual capitalization of April shows her distaste for spring. For “Two Sisters of Persephone”, Plath uses winter images as a way to show bitterness. “In her dark wainscoted room” (“Persephone” 5). When she talks about a room that is dark and has wood paneling for lining interior walls, it brings up an image of a winter cabin. She also writes about death and graveyards, which are also commonly associated with winter.
In “Two Sisters of Persephone” Plath associates feelings of hope and rejuvenation to spring and bitterness to winter. Imagery used in “Spinster” for spring show to the reader feelings of hope, while images of spring have negative connotations.
Word Count: 601
Kaitlyn Foster -“The voice of God”: The Symbolism of Sound
There are certain things which capture one’s attention immediately. Sylvia Plath is a unique poet who utilizes many techniques to do just that. One thing that is signature in her work is her use of imagery. Imagery is used to appeal to the reader’s five senses and Plath is certainly maximizes that technique. One symbol Plath uses to draw the reader in is the imagery of sound. In her poems “Morning Song” and “The Swarm” sound imagery is used with both positive and negative connotations to draw the reader in and connect them to the poem, while in “Tulips” Plath uses the absence of sound as an image to accomplish the same thing.
The use of sound in a positive way helps draw the readers attention to all the different aspects of the poem. In “Morning Song” Plath describes a birth, and the mother’s feelings thereafter. “Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. (“morning” 4). The words “echo” and “magnifying” in this line display a positive connotation. At this point in the poem, just after the birth, one would think the family is overjoyed at the new birth, the “new statue” in their lives. The use of sound, echoes and voices, helps connect the readers to the sense of joy that this part of the poem is putting forth. Another positive connotation of sound in “Morning Song” is when she says “Your handful of notes/ the clear vowels rise like balloons.” (“morning” 17-18). At this point in the poem the baby is breast feeding with it’s mother. The use of imagery here lets the reader connect to the love and nurturing feelings that the mother feels at this time. The words “clear” and :rise like balloons” gives the baby crying a positive connotation as opposed to the negative connotation that crying usually has.
Though in “Tulips” the imagery of sound, or more specifically the lack thereof, starts off with a perhaps deceiving positive connotation. “look how white everything is, how quiet. How snowed-in/ I am learning peacefulness.” (“Tulips 2-3). This image connects the reader to feelings of peace and tranquility. Though as the poem continues she uses the images of sound to connect the reader to bitterness and tension. “I am nobody/ I have nothing to do with explosions.” (“Tulips” 5). Her use of explosions and the speaker’s dissociation with them helps portray a lonely tone teeming with the absence of something, which creates tension. “Tulips” goes on to connect the reader to pain through sound. “The tulips are too red in the first place, they hurt me./ Even through the gift paper I could hear them breath/… Like an awful baby” (“tulips” 36-38). All of the sudden there is sound in the speaker’s room, and it is quite the opposite of comforting. This part of the poem connects the reader to the bitterness that the speaker feels towards the tulips.
Another poem in which Plath Uses sound to help connect to reader to the poem is in “The Swarm”. This poem uses sound in an obviously negative way. “It must be shot down. Pom! Pom!” (“Swarm” 19). The sound used in this poem isn’t like in the others, it’s actually an onomatopoeia. This “Pom! Pom!” sound focuses the reader on a violent image, the sound of a gunshot. This sound is repeated several time throughout the poem, “Pom! Pom! They fall.” (“Swarm” 36), and connects the reader to other images of war and violence, as well as contributing to the overall violent and bitter tone of the poem. Also in “The Swarm” there is a line of sound imagery like those in the previously mentioned poems. “The bees argue, in their black ball,” (“Swarm” 31). This negative sound, arguing, connects the reader to the feelings of anger and frustration that the poem is all about.
No matter the connotation of tone of the overall poem, Plath uses images of sound to help connect her readers by directly appealing to their senses with sound. Something most of us are familiar with, Plath effectively puts forth her message. No matter the context, there is something about sound that appeals to every reader.
The use of sound in a positive way helps draw the readers attention to all the different aspects of the poem. In “Morning Song” Plath describes a birth, and the mother’s feelings thereafter. “Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. (“morning” 4). The words “echo” and “magnifying” in this line display a positive connotation. At this point in the poem, just after the birth, one would think the family is overjoyed at the new birth, the “new statue” in their lives. The use of sound, echoes and voices, helps connect the readers to the sense of joy that this part of the poem is putting forth. Another positive connotation of sound in “Morning Song” is when she says “Your handful of notes/ the clear vowels rise like balloons.” (“morning” 17-18). At this point in the poem the baby is breast feeding with it’s mother. The use of imagery here lets the reader connect to the love and nurturing feelings that the mother feels at this time. The words “clear” and :rise like balloons” gives the baby crying a positive connotation as opposed to the negative connotation that crying usually has.
Though in “Tulips” the imagery of sound, or more specifically the lack thereof, starts off with a perhaps deceiving positive connotation. “look how white everything is, how quiet. How snowed-in/ I am learning peacefulness.” (“Tulips 2-3). This image connects the reader to feelings of peace and tranquility. Though as the poem continues she uses the images of sound to connect the reader to bitterness and tension. “I am nobody/ I have nothing to do with explosions.” (“Tulips” 5). Her use of explosions and the speaker’s dissociation with them helps portray a lonely tone teeming with the absence of something, which creates tension. “Tulips” goes on to connect the reader to pain through sound. “The tulips are too red in the first place, they hurt me./ Even through the gift paper I could hear them breath/… Like an awful baby” (“tulips” 36-38). All of the sudden there is sound in the speaker’s room, and it is quite the opposite of comforting. This part of the poem connects the reader to the bitterness that the speaker feels towards the tulips.
Another poem in which Plath Uses sound to help connect to reader to the poem is in “The Swarm”. This poem uses sound in an obviously negative way. “It must be shot down. Pom! Pom!” (“Swarm” 19). The sound used in this poem isn’t like in the others, it’s actually an onomatopoeia. This “Pom! Pom!” sound focuses the reader on a violent image, the sound of a gunshot. This sound is repeated several time throughout the poem, “Pom! Pom! They fall.” (“Swarm” 36), and connects the reader to other images of war and violence, as well as contributing to the overall violent and bitter tone of the poem. Also in “The Swarm” there is a line of sound imagery like those in the previously mentioned poems. “The bees argue, in their black ball,” (“Swarm” 31). This negative sound, arguing, connects the reader to the feelings of anger and frustration that the poem is all about.
No matter the connotation of tone of the overall poem, Plath uses images of sound to help connect her readers by directly appealing to their senses with sound. Something most of us are familiar with, Plath effectively puts forth her message. No matter the context, there is something about sound that appeals to every reader.
Tasha Eulberg
Longing for Winter: Reflections of Sylvia Plath’s Use of Winter Imagery Throughout Her Poems
Word Count: 681
Throughout her poems, Sylvia Plath utilizes vivid imagery to convey to the readers a sense of something beyond the flat lines of printed ink, to reach out from behind the page and subtly let the insinuations of her words escape. Death, bees, and Holocaust imagery are all well-known motifs of her work and are often inferred to relate to her own life: her father’s death, hr failed marriage, her suicide attempts, her self-realization. One, however, that is not as widely known, is the motif of images that indirectly shed light on Plath’s feminist ideals and her own life: the images of winter. In her poems “Spinster” and “Wintering”, Sylvia Plath uses images of winter to illuminate society’s double standard and its imposition on women in their search and desire for both independence and respect, and for families and meaningful relationships.
Imagine a winter landscape: barren, empty, dead, covered in frozen snow and impenetrable ice. Everything is exposed, plain and clear – easy to see. Plath paints a picture in “Spinster” of a young woman who, when betrayed by her lover, “withdrew neatly” from the chaos and disorder of relationships and love – “a rank wilderness of fern and flower…the whole season, sloven”. This girl, thusly injured, wishes for the “scrupulously austere…order of black and white”: for her own independence, for respite from reliance upon a man for support and societal approval. She imagines that without the complications of love and dependence in her life, her life will be easier and more enjoyable. Additionally, the idea of a winterland conjures images of emptiness or barrenness, a side effect of being a “spinster”. These sentiments of solidarity and stubborn independence are echoed in “Wintering” when, in describing the wine cellar – “the room [she] could never breathe in”, Plath describes marriage as an oppressive dark “without windows”. She says, “They have got rid of the men…Winter is for women”.
Despite the ferocity of the stormy independence in the winter, the seasons – like everything – ebb and flow and change. The woman begins to realize as “the cold [of winter] sets in” that to be alone is not always ideal: “[she tastes] for spring”, longing again for the interactions and companionship that they instinctually crave. And, like spring thaws the winter’s chill, the woman’s resentful and determined desire to be alone melts into something else: a desire for human companionship, for love, for a family. She comes to a fork in the road: should she surrender her newly-acquired independence for something that could easily give her just as much pain as pleasure? Or should she continue to live a life of solitude and loneliness, desiring love but never attaining it? If the first, they come to terms with societal restrictions and the drawbacks of their positions while embracing their new desire for relationships; however, even then there is no definite as to their happiness. “Will the gladiolas /succeed in banking their fires/to enter another year?” Will they be able to stand societal restrictions placed on them and retain who they are? If the woman chooses to remain ensconced in winter, then she must be alone forever while constantly desiring a family or love, even while wishing she wouldn’t, leading to a bitter and lonely life set by a “barricade of barb and check around her heart”.
Sylvia Plath’s use of winter imagery in “Spinster” and “Wintering” reveal her struggle and the struggle of women all over to find a happy medium in their lives. Plath struggled, especially after her separation from Ted Hughes, to maintain balance among motherhood, her family, and her own career as a writer. This motif illustrates how society has placed women in a position where there is no compromise between the chaotic disorder of spring – or marriage and motherhood – and the barren, lonely, “frosty discipline” of financial and social independence. It is reflective of the resulting resentment and the construction of “such a barricade” around their hearts that neither situation brings them happiness.
Word Count: 681
Throughout her poems, Sylvia Plath utilizes vivid imagery to convey to the readers a sense of something beyond the flat lines of printed ink, to reach out from behind the page and subtly let the insinuations of her words escape. Death, bees, and Holocaust imagery are all well-known motifs of her work and are often inferred to relate to her own life: her father’s death, hr failed marriage, her suicide attempts, her self-realization. One, however, that is not as widely known, is the motif of images that indirectly shed light on Plath’s feminist ideals and her own life: the images of winter. In her poems “Spinster” and “Wintering”, Sylvia Plath uses images of winter to illuminate society’s double standard and its imposition on women in their search and desire for both independence and respect, and for families and meaningful relationships.
Imagine a winter landscape: barren, empty, dead, covered in frozen snow and impenetrable ice. Everything is exposed, plain and clear – easy to see. Plath paints a picture in “Spinster” of a young woman who, when betrayed by her lover, “withdrew neatly” from the chaos and disorder of relationships and love – “a rank wilderness of fern and flower…the whole season, sloven”. This girl, thusly injured, wishes for the “scrupulously austere…order of black and white”: for her own independence, for respite from reliance upon a man for support and societal approval. She imagines that without the complications of love and dependence in her life, her life will be easier and more enjoyable. Additionally, the idea of a winterland conjures images of emptiness or barrenness, a side effect of being a “spinster”. These sentiments of solidarity and stubborn independence are echoed in “Wintering” when, in describing the wine cellar – “the room [she] could never breathe in”, Plath describes marriage as an oppressive dark “without windows”. She says, “They have got rid of the men…Winter is for women”.
Despite the ferocity of the stormy independence in the winter, the seasons – like everything – ebb and flow and change. The woman begins to realize as “the cold [of winter] sets in” that to be alone is not always ideal: “[she tastes] for spring”, longing again for the interactions and companionship that they instinctually crave. And, like spring thaws the winter’s chill, the woman’s resentful and determined desire to be alone melts into something else: a desire for human companionship, for love, for a family. She comes to a fork in the road: should she surrender her newly-acquired independence for something that could easily give her just as much pain as pleasure? Or should she continue to live a life of solitude and loneliness, desiring love but never attaining it? If the first, they come to terms with societal restrictions and the drawbacks of their positions while embracing their new desire for relationships; however, even then there is no definite as to their happiness. “Will the gladiolas /succeed in banking their fires/to enter another year?” Will they be able to stand societal restrictions placed on them and retain who they are? If the woman chooses to remain ensconced in winter, then she must be alone forever while constantly desiring a family or love, even while wishing she wouldn’t, leading to a bitter and lonely life set by a “barricade of barb and check around her heart”.
Sylvia Plath’s use of winter imagery in “Spinster” and “Wintering” reveal her struggle and the struggle of women all over to find a happy medium in their lives. Plath struggled, especially after her separation from Ted Hughes, to maintain balance among motherhood, her family, and her own career as a writer. This motif illustrates how society has placed women in a position where there is no compromise between the chaotic disorder of spring – or marriage and motherhood – and the barren, lonely, “frosty discipline” of financial and social independence. It is reflective of the resulting resentment and the construction of “such a barricade” around their hearts that neither situation brings them happiness.
Nitya Gopinath
Death and misery is an apparent image in Sylvia Plath’s poems. As a child, Sylvia had gone through many tragic experiences like her father’s death and shock treatments to “cure her” of depression. Sylvia only got along with her father and never with her mother and after her father died she felt like she had no point of living or anyone to talk to. In writing her poems, Sylvia usually chooses to talk about her dead father or about her suicide attempts. In “Stillborn” and “Lady Lazarus”, images of death bring out her inner feelings as well as a reflection of her life.
The poem “Stillborn” talks about a stillborn baby and Sylvia’s dead poems. She says “These poems do not live: it’s a sad diagnosis” (Stillborn 1). This is the only line where she talks about her poem in a literal way and then writes about a stillborn baby which alludes to her poem’s death. All throughout the poem, Sylvia writes about the mother’s sadness of carrying the baby for nine months and after she goes through labor the baby is dead. She says “But they are dead, and their mother near dead with distraction” (Stillborn 14). This can be interpreted as the baby being her poems and the mother as Sylvia Plath, poet. The mother/poet is distracted by her depression and other events in her life like her father’s death. She is also confused of what is happening in her life; “They sit so nicely in the pickling fluid! / They smile and smile and smile at me. / And still the lungs won’t fill and the heart won’t start.” She’s wondering why her poems are not great like it used to be and now she is having a difficult time trying to start her magnificent writing but it just won’t start. The first two stanzas are about the mother’s / poet’s sadness and how confused they are but the last stanza is about the mother getting mad and blaming the baby/poem for its death.
In “Lady Lazarus”, Sylvia PLath chooses to talk about her suicide attempts. Lazarus is a biblical illusion to a man named Lazarus, also known as Lazarus of Bethany and one day his sister, Mary and Martha, went to Jesus and told Him that their brother was ill. By the time Jesus could arrive, Lazarus had been in his tomb for four days. Jesus assured Martha that “he that believeth in me, though he were shall never die.” In the presence of a Jewish crowd, Jesus had the stone rolled away from the tomb and bade Lazarus to come out of his tomb. From this point on Lazarus became known as the “man of rebirth” since he came back from the dead. Sylvia Plath uses this biblical allusion to signify her “rebirth” from her suicide attempts. Her first suicide attempt was when she locked herself in the basement of her house, leaving a note saying that she was out with her friend, and swallowed her mother’s pills. She does this after her father died because she did not know how to deal with it. However, her mother hears a noise coming from the basement and finds her daughter lying on the floor and calls the doctor right away saving Sylvia’s life. This is an example of rebirth since she was unconscious at first and then became conscious again.
Sylvia Plath viewed her life unworthy, depressing, and expressed her feelings through her poems. She talks to her dad in some poems trying to come up with a solution of how to deal with her father’s death. This is the only way she could communicate to someone. Due to her depression, images of death are prominent in every one of her poems. Many people view poetry as just another type of art but truly poetry is the only art form in which you can express your feelings through imagery and comparisons.
The poem “Stillborn” talks about a stillborn baby and Sylvia’s dead poems. She says “These poems do not live: it’s a sad diagnosis” (Stillborn 1). This is the only line where she talks about her poem in a literal way and then writes about a stillborn baby which alludes to her poem’s death. All throughout the poem, Sylvia writes about the mother’s sadness of carrying the baby for nine months and after she goes through labor the baby is dead. She says “But they are dead, and their mother near dead with distraction” (Stillborn 14). This can be interpreted as the baby being her poems and the mother as Sylvia Plath, poet. The mother/poet is distracted by her depression and other events in her life like her father’s death. She is also confused of what is happening in her life; “They sit so nicely in the pickling fluid! / They smile and smile and smile at me. / And still the lungs won’t fill and the heart won’t start.” She’s wondering why her poems are not great like it used to be and now she is having a difficult time trying to start her magnificent writing but it just won’t start. The first two stanzas are about the mother’s / poet’s sadness and how confused they are but the last stanza is about the mother getting mad and blaming the baby/poem for its death.
In “Lady Lazarus”, Sylvia PLath chooses to talk about her suicide attempts. Lazarus is a biblical illusion to a man named Lazarus, also known as Lazarus of Bethany and one day his sister, Mary and Martha, went to Jesus and told Him that their brother was ill. By the time Jesus could arrive, Lazarus had been in his tomb for four days. Jesus assured Martha that “he that believeth in me, though he were shall never die.” In the presence of a Jewish crowd, Jesus had the stone rolled away from the tomb and bade Lazarus to come out of his tomb. From this point on Lazarus became known as the “man of rebirth” since he came back from the dead. Sylvia Plath uses this biblical allusion to signify her “rebirth” from her suicide attempts. Her first suicide attempt was when she locked herself in the basement of her house, leaving a note saying that she was out with her friend, and swallowed her mother’s pills. She does this after her father died because she did not know how to deal with it. However, her mother hears a noise coming from the basement and finds her daughter lying on the floor and calls the doctor right away saving Sylvia’s life. This is an example of rebirth since she was unconscious at first and then became conscious again.
Sylvia Plath viewed her life unworthy, depressing, and expressed her feelings through her poems. She talks to her dad in some poems trying to come up with a solution of how to deal with her father’s death. This is the only way she could communicate to someone. Due to her depression, images of death are prominent in every one of her poems. Many people view poetry as just another type of art but truly poetry is the only art form in which you can express your feelings through imagery and comparisons.
Andrew K. Freiwald
“Daylong a duet of shade and Light”: Seasonal Imagery in Plath’s Poetry
The use of imagery in literary pieces is an integral component in helping the reader to further understand the underlying themes and ideas which the author is trying to convey. Sylvia Plath utilizes imagery in her poems in order to immerse the reader into her ideas and complex emotional feelings which she has intricately woven into the fabric of her literary work. In “Two Sisters of Persephone,” and “Spinster,” Plath uses the images of spring and winter to convey to the reader the themes of rejuvenation and bitterness. She does not use one specific image to represent these themes, but both themes are conveyed through both of the images.
In “Two Sisters of Persephone,” Plath is alluding to Persephone, the Greek Goddess of Harvest, who in Greek mythology, was the reason why there were changes in the seasons. Through this allusion, Plath contrasts two seemingly different girls by saying, “Two girls there are: within the house one sits; the other, without. Daylong a duet of shade and light..” (Perephone 1). Plath describes one of the girls in a dark, mysterious way in reference to winter, by using images such as “dark,” “barren,” and “root-pale” to symbolize the bitterness and “scrupulous [austerity]” of her character. In contrast, Plath describes the other girl in a bright, happy tone in reference to spring and says, “Bronzed as earth, the second lies, hearing ticks blown gold like pollen on bright air” (13). Plath utilizes the bright images of spring to symbolize the pure, untainted nature of the girl, and dark images of winter to symbolize the bitter solemnity of the other girl. The contrast of character between the two girls is important in helping the reader to distinguish the seemingly different emotional aspects of each girl.
In “Spinster,” Plath describes a girl who by her own choice decides not to marry and becomes a spinster. It starts out on a spring day as the girl and her potential marriage partner go out and take a walk. Then, all of a sudden she looks around her and decides that she does not like the spring weather, which can be seen when she says, “She found herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck by the bird’s irregular babel and the leaves litter.” The girl realizes that she could not share her life with a man since it would result in her losing control of her strictly ordered life as a single person, and the spring represents the blossoming of the chaos and disarray of love that she wants to avoid. The girl does not want to take the chance of love because she does not want the disorder to ruin her simple lifestyle. Plath put a negative tone on the imagery of spring and says, “Treason not to be borne; let idiots reel giddy in bedlam spring.” The girl instead longs for it to be winter. The winter represents the straightforward and peaceful way of life that the girl strives to maintain, and says, “How she longed for winter then! Scrupulously austere in its order of white and black, ice and rock”(Spinster 13). The girl did not want to lose her ordered, simple life as a single person to the uncertainty of marriage.
In Spinster, Plath successfully uses the season of winter to show the girls emotional rejuvenation and spring to represent the bitterness and chaos of love that she wants to avoid, which is contrary to popular belief because spring is usually associated with rebirth and winter is usually associated with bitterness, as it is in “Two Sisters of Persephone.”
Word Count: 618
The use of imagery in literary pieces is an integral component in helping the reader to further understand the underlying themes and ideas which the author is trying to convey. Sylvia Plath utilizes imagery in her poems in order to immerse the reader into her ideas and complex emotional feelings which she has intricately woven into the fabric of her literary work. In “Two Sisters of Persephone,” and “Spinster,” Plath uses the images of spring and winter to convey to the reader the themes of rejuvenation and bitterness. She does not use one specific image to represent these themes, but both themes are conveyed through both of the images.
In “Two Sisters of Persephone,” Plath is alluding to Persephone, the Greek Goddess of Harvest, who in Greek mythology, was the reason why there were changes in the seasons. Through this allusion, Plath contrasts two seemingly different girls by saying, “Two girls there are: within the house one sits; the other, without. Daylong a duet of shade and light..” (Perephone 1). Plath describes one of the girls in a dark, mysterious way in reference to winter, by using images such as “dark,” “barren,” and “root-pale” to symbolize the bitterness and “scrupulous [austerity]” of her character. In contrast, Plath describes the other girl in a bright, happy tone in reference to spring and says, “Bronzed as earth, the second lies, hearing ticks blown gold like pollen on bright air” (13). Plath utilizes the bright images of spring to symbolize the pure, untainted nature of the girl, and dark images of winter to symbolize the bitter solemnity of the other girl. The contrast of character between the two girls is important in helping the reader to distinguish the seemingly different emotional aspects of each girl.
In “Spinster,” Plath describes a girl who by her own choice decides not to marry and becomes a spinster. It starts out on a spring day as the girl and her potential marriage partner go out and take a walk. Then, all of a sudden she looks around her and decides that she does not like the spring weather, which can be seen when she says, “She found herself, of a sudden, intolerably struck by the bird’s irregular babel and the leaves litter.” The girl realizes that she could not share her life with a man since it would result in her losing control of her strictly ordered life as a single person, and the spring represents the blossoming of the chaos and disarray of love that she wants to avoid. The girl does not want to take the chance of love because she does not want the disorder to ruin her simple lifestyle. Plath put a negative tone on the imagery of spring and says, “Treason not to be borne; let idiots reel giddy in bedlam spring.” The girl instead longs for it to be winter. The winter represents the straightforward and peaceful way of life that the girl strives to maintain, and says, “How she longed for winter then! Scrupulously austere in its order of white and black, ice and rock”(Spinster 13). The girl did not want to lose her ordered, simple life as a single person to the uncertainty of marriage.
In Spinster, Plath successfully uses the season of winter to show the girls emotional rejuvenation and spring to represent the bitterness and chaos of love that she wants to avoid, which is contrary to popular belief because spring is usually associated with rebirth and winter is usually associated with bitterness, as it is in “Two Sisters of Persephone.”
Word Count: 618
Angelina Sorokin
Is Marriage truly "your last resort"?: the element of injury
The poetic images of injury are intertwined in “The Applicant” and “Two Sisters of Persephone” to emphasize how life with and without marriage and sex has a negative effect on women. “The Applicant” shows the injuries of life before marriage and “Two sisters of Persephone” contradicts the theme of a happy and pain free life that is shown in “The Applicant” by showing life during and after marriage and this is accomplished by involving the element of injury.
Both poems use injuries to affect the different aspects of marriage that are presented in the two poems. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, marriage is transformed from a wonderful awaited experience into something dreadful that brings no lasting happiness. Although the marriage of the second girl in the poem starts off good in the beginning, with her being “bronzed as earth” (13), it slowly changes her into a “bitter” (24) women. This girl was the care free one who decided to get married unlike her sister who stayed in her “dark” (5) room and in the end of her life “goes graveward with flesh laid waste” (27). The married girl felt that she was making her life easier and better in a since, but for some reason she still turns as “sallow as any lemon” (25). This shows that marriage may keep you happy for a while, but that happiness doesn’t last forever. On the contrary marriage is glorified and held in high regard in “The Applicant” and the use of injury in the beginning of the poem enhances the benefits of marriage. When the speaker of the poem asks if “you war a glass eye, false teeth or a crutch…” (3), the poem tries to show that everyone is incomplete without marriage and that if you have ”stitches to show something’s missing” (6) then marriage will surely work for you. Interestingly enough the rest of the poem only shows how marriage completes the male figure, leaving the women empty. Line 39 tells the man that “it’s your last resort” as if the women will survive without marriage but not vice versa. Marriage becomes a trap that women fall into because of the injuries that they experience in life, and the feeling of being “empty” (10).
Marriages usually involve sex and both poems use the element of injury to shed new light on what sex actually does to the women and to show that it is not entirely a good thing. In “The Applicant” the theme of sex is hidden and not a main part of the poem. The “living doll” (33) in the poem will “do whatever you tell it” (13) and that’s a “[guarantee]” (15), showing the women’s vulnerability when it comes to sex. The women doesn’t want to go back to her old life which was full of injuries so she continues with whatever she has to do to keep her marriage . Sex is a clear theme in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and the strong words that Sylvia Plath uses make it clear to the reader that sex brings many injuries. The carefree girl is the target of injuries because of her choosing sex. “She sees how their red silk flare of petaled blood burns open to the sun’s blade” (17). This one sentence has so much emotion in it, showing all the hurt of marriage. By using words such as red, blood, burns, and blade we see that sex is negatively portrayed. Especially because it leads the girl to becoming “bitter” (24) no matter how good it was. These two poems definitely use injuries due to sex to show that trying it doesn’t give you anything to be proud of in life, because in the end you will still end up empty.
Examining these two poems shows that the usage of injury makes the themes what they are and that marriage and sex both dont bring any lasting please to a women, but just leave her empty and lost.
The poetic images of injury are intertwined in “The Applicant” and “Two Sisters of Persephone” to emphasize how life with and without marriage and sex has a negative effect on women. “The Applicant” shows the injuries of life before marriage and “Two sisters of Persephone” contradicts the theme of a happy and pain free life that is shown in “The Applicant” by showing life during and after marriage and this is accomplished by involving the element of injury.
Both poems use injuries to affect the different aspects of marriage that are presented in the two poems. In “Two Sisters of Persephone”, marriage is transformed from a wonderful awaited experience into something dreadful that brings no lasting happiness. Although the marriage of the second girl in the poem starts off good in the beginning, with her being “bronzed as earth” (13), it slowly changes her into a “bitter” (24) women. This girl was the care free one who decided to get married unlike her sister who stayed in her “dark” (5) room and in the end of her life “goes graveward with flesh laid waste” (27). The married girl felt that she was making her life easier and better in a since, but for some reason she still turns as “sallow as any lemon” (25). This shows that marriage may keep you happy for a while, but that happiness doesn’t last forever. On the contrary marriage is glorified and held in high regard in “The Applicant” and the use of injury in the beginning of the poem enhances the benefits of marriage. When the speaker of the poem asks if “you war a glass eye, false teeth or a crutch…” (3), the poem tries to show that everyone is incomplete without marriage and that if you have ”stitches to show something’s missing” (6) then marriage will surely work for you. Interestingly enough the rest of the poem only shows how marriage completes the male figure, leaving the women empty. Line 39 tells the man that “it’s your last resort” as if the women will survive without marriage but not vice versa. Marriage becomes a trap that women fall into because of the injuries that they experience in life, and the feeling of being “empty” (10).
Marriages usually involve sex and both poems use the element of injury to shed new light on what sex actually does to the women and to show that it is not entirely a good thing. In “The Applicant” the theme of sex is hidden and not a main part of the poem. The “living doll” (33) in the poem will “do whatever you tell it” (13) and that’s a “[guarantee]” (15), showing the women’s vulnerability when it comes to sex. The women doesn’t want to go back to her old life which was full of injuries so she continues with whatever she has to do to keep her marriage . Sex is a clear theme in “Two Sisters of Persephone” and the strong words that Sylvia Plath uses make it clear to the reader that sex brings many injuries. The carefree girl is the target of injuries because of her choosing sex. “She sees how their red silk flare of petaled blood burns open to the sun’s blade” (17). This one sentence has so much emotion in it, showing all the hurt of marriage. By using words such as red, blood, burns, and blade we see that sex is negatively portrayed. Especially because it leads the girl to becoming “bitter” (24) no matter how good it was. These two poems definitely use injuries due to sex to show that trying it doesn’t give you anything to be proud of in life, because in the end you will still end up empty.
Examining these two poems shows that the usage of injury makes the themes what they are and that marriage and sex both dont bring any lasting please to a women, but just leave her empty and lost.
Nikola D. Dosev
“Tulips…like Dangerous animals”: The truth about flowers in Plath’s poetry
Flowers have been a symbol of love and care throughout human history. They are an expression of emotion and an image of good intention. It has been such a part of the everyday life flowers have created a stereotype for themselves, and that is good, harmless, and never hurting gifts. However, this stereotype is argued and shown to us by Plath in a different prospective.
In “Tulips” and “Two sisters of Persephone” Sylvia Plath uses flowers to convey purity, infancy and innocence, sometimes in ironic or sarcastic manner, in order to represent the true nature of flowers and their effect.
The gift of flowers has always been a great gesture in its gentle and loving manner. Representing good feelings and emotions flower’ infancy and innocence are undoubtfull. As images In Plath’s poetry they tend to represent the same stereotypical feelings as the reader would imagine. However, behind this façade, hides a grotesque and painful image.
The images of flowers Sylvia Plath presents are very beautiful and colorful at first. “Lulled near a bed of poppies,”(Two sisters of Persephone 15-16). This quote gives the reader an image of color and beauty, undisturbed. Its true meaning, however, represents sex and pain, and later on continues on to becoming suffering. In this idea, flowers lead to painful things, colorful and “happy” at first they become a burden to the confused recipient. Through this idea Plath conveys the shallowness of flowers in their role to lull a person, and later on hurt this individual. She expands more on this idea of fake purity in “Tulips” where she states “The tulips are too red, they hurt me”(“Tulips” 36). In her words, she emphasizes on their brightness, which by stereotype, shows emotion and care. However, instead those features are the ones making her sick and uncomfortable, by pressuring her into fake emotion.
Plath also conveys flowers’ fake nature in cynically conveying their innocence. “The Tulips are too excitable”(Tulips 1). Like children, they are over energized, almost too full of joy to be real. Behind their innocent nature they could really hurt a person. As a child ruins peace and quite, so do the tulips and flowers as a whole. “, it is winter here, Look how white everything is, how quiet” (“Tulips” 2).Often enough, the flower brings unwanted emotion, ruining inner peace, distorting reality and imagination and create problems for the person they are supposed to lull “near a bed of poppies”.
Flowers often get too aggressive in Plath’s poetry. In “Two sisters of Persephone” the author uses “petalled blood”, expressing violence and pain. This image shows the true collors of what flowers are, which is an expression of emotion. However this emotion is often very aggressive and hurts the recipient, in this case Plath. In “Tulips” she compares the flowers to dangerous animals. This shows us that the flowers are the ones tormenting her peace; they are the ones that should be blamed for all the pain. They become very aggressive in their intension to provide closeness. Therefore, her conclusion is they should be “behind bars”, in jail, somewhere far away where they cannot hurt her. Plath decides she can live without them in peace and quiet, which she strives for. Flowers are forcing their presence with their bright colors and invasive emotions.
The reader’s conception of flowers truly changes after evaluating the imagery of flowers in the two poems “Tulips” and “Two sisters of Persephone” Flowers are not as innocent and pure as they seem to be at first look. Instead they present pushy and hurtful emotions and their forced purity and innocence creating an idea of a fake and painful image in Plath’s poetry.
Flowers have been a symbol of love and care throughout human history. They are an expression of emotion and an image of good intention. It has been such a part of the everyday life flowers have created a stereotype for themselves, and that is good, harmless, and never hurting gifts. However, this stereotype is argued and shown to us by Plath in a different prospective.
In “Tulips” and “Two sisters of Persephone” Sylvia Plath uses flowers to convey purity, infancy and innocence, sometimes in ironic or sarcastic manner, in order to represent the true nature of flowers and their effect.
The gift of flowers has always been a great gesture in its gentle and loving manner. Representing good feelings and emotions flower’ infancy and innocence are undoubtfull. As images In Plath’s poetry they tend to represent the same stereotypical feelings as the reader would imagine. However, behind this façade, hides a grotesque and painful image.
The images of flowers Sylvia Plath presents are very beautiful and colorful at first. “Lulled near a bed of poppies,”(Two sisters of Persephone 15-16). This quote gives the reader an image of color and beauty, undisturbed. Its true meaning, however, represents sex and pain, and later on continues on to becoming suffering. In this idea, flowers lead to painful things, colorful and “happy” at first they become a burden to the confused recipient. Through this idea Plath conveys the shallowness of flowers in their role to lull a person, and later on hurt this individual. She expands more on this idea of fake purity in “Tulips” where she states “The tulips are too red, they hurt me”(“Tulips” 36). In her words, she emphasizes on their brightness, which by stereotype, shows emotion and care. However, instead those features are the ones making her sick and uncomfortable, by pressuring her into fake emotion.
Plath also conveys flowers’ fake nature in cynically conveying their innocence. “The Tulips are too excitable”(Tulips 1). Like children, they are over energized, almost too full of joy to be real. Behind their innocent nature they could really hurt a person. As a child ruins peace and quite, so do the tulips and flowers as a whole. “, it is winter here, Look how white everything is, how quiet” (“Tulips” 2).Often enough, the flower brings unwanted emotion, ruining inner peace, distorting reality and imagination and create problems for the person they are supposed to lull “near a bed of poppies”.
Flowers often get too aggressive in Plath’s poetry. In “Two sisters of Persephone” the author uses “petalled blood”, expressing violence and pain. This image shows the true collors of what flowers are, which is an expression of emotion. However this emotion is often very aggressive and hurts the recipient, in this case Plath. In “Tulips” she compares the flowers to dangerous animals. This shows us that the flowers are the ones tormenting her peace; they are the ones that should be blamed for all the pain. They become very aggressive in their intension to provide closeness. Therefore, her conclusion is they should be “behind bars”, in jail, somewhere far away where they cannot hurt her. Plath decides she can live without them in peace and quiet, which she strives for. Flowers are forcing their presence with their bright colors and invasive emotions.
The reader’s conception of flowers truly changes after evaluating the imagery of flowers in the two poems “Tulips” and “Two sisters of Persephone” Flowers are not as innocent and pure as they seem to be at first look. Instead they present pushy and hurtful emotions and their forced purity and innocence creating an idea of a fake and painful image in Plath’s poetry.
Justin Lin
A Hive of Emotion: Weighing the Bee Poems
“The human mind always makes progress, but that progress is in spirals.” French scholar Madame de Stael once made this statement in reference to the voracious intellectual searching of the Enlightenment but is applied here as the summary of the mind of Sylvia Plath. Throughout her life, Plath turned to her poetry as an outlet for her troubled mind, which causes many of her poems to draw parallels to the emotional timeline of her life. Plath was able to shape the waters of her flooded emotional well into specific and significant symbols embodied by a plethora of imagery that ranges from the Colossus of Rhodes to the Holocaust. Plath’s images of bees in “The Arrival of the Bee Box” and “Wintering” embody the evolution of Plath’s ideals.
Strangely, Plath’s Bee poems do not open with “The Arrival of the Bee Box” but with a gathering of individuals at a “Bee Meeting.” Upon reading both; however, one realizes that the placement of a “Meeting” before “The Arrival” is far more logical. Within “The Bee Meeting,” Plath gathers the fragments of her emotions as “the agent for the bees.” As Plath steels herself for “The Arrival,” she desperately masks “[her] my fear, my fear, my fear.” ("Meeting" 10) “The villagers” ("Meeting" 1) in “The Bee Meeting” are actually the bees themselves, with bees, in effect, the avatars of Plath’s emotions thus setting the stage for “The Arrival of the Bee Box.”
While “The Arrival of the Bee Box” is a comparatively short piece and never explicitly mentions bees except in the title, “Arrival” is easily manifested in live bees. The foundation of “Arrival” was set by “Meeting” where the bees represent the various aspects of Plath’s emotions, and then in “Arrival,” when the “clean wood box,”("Arrival" 1) a parallel to Plath’s neat, idyllic exterior is received, it appears as “the coffin of a midget.” ("Arrival" 3) The bees, Plath’s emotions, are contained by the “clean wood box” much like real bees would be interred in an artificial hive. The small size of the midget represents repressed and shrunken emotions that are now dead, stifled and suppressed by Plath’s keeping up of appearances, manifested in the clean wood box. Fortunately, the poem allows Plath to reconcile with herself, ending with “Tomorrow I will be a sweet God, I will set them free./The box is only temporary.” ("Arrival" 35-36) This ultimately places Plath back into a position of power, setting the bees, and her emotions, free to break the social bonds that restrain her.
Once these bonds are broken, Plath progresses through her remaining Bee poems expanding and extrapolating her emotions until she reaches “Wintering” the last poem in the sequence. Here, Plath’s references to be imagery such as “I have my honey,/six jars of it” ("Wintering" 3-4) serve to show the emotional sustenance her poetry has given her. In “Wintering” she invokes that fact by showing the final moments of her emotional state. Plath meant “Wintering” to be her final poem and as thus imbued the poem with references to her end. The gradual blooming of the flowers, the lifeblood of bees, in “Wintering” in combination with phrases of suffering such as “Possession. It is they who own me.” ("Wintering" 18-19) and “Her body a bulb in the cold and too dumb to think.” ("Wintering" 50) paint a picture of a woman who yearns to be free from others, frozen in one location as bees are bound to their fields. Plath eventually finds the strength to release her spirit and ends with a hopeful image, “The bees are flying. They taste the spring.” ("Wintering" 55)
As “The Arrival of the Bee Box” gave images of Plath’s emotional avatars meeting and steeling themselves for a deep exposé, “Wintering” gives that exposé and ends on a high note. The disparity between the Bee Poems and Plath’s other poetry show her peaceful end and emotional settling. Poetry was Plath's vehicle for emotional expression and the Bee Poems were her hopeful death note.
Word Count: 645
“The human mind always makes progress, but that progress is in spirals.” French scholar Madame de Stael once made this statement in reference to the voracious intellectual searching of the Enlightenment but is applied here as the summary of the mind of Sylvia Plath. Throughout her life, Plath turned to her poetry as an outlet for her troubled mind, which causes many of her poems to draw parallels to the emotional timeline of her life. Plath was able to shape the waters of her flooded emotional well into specific and significant symbols embodied by a plethora of imagery that ranges from the Colossus of Rhodes to the Holocaust. Plath’s images of bees in “The Arrival of the Bee Box” and “Wintering” embody the evolution of Plath’s ideals.
Strangely, Plath’s Bee poems do not open with “The Arrival of the Bee Box” but with a gathering of individuals at a “Bee Meeting.” Upon reading both; however, one realizes that the placement of a “Meeting” before “The Arrival” is far more logical. Within “The Bee Meeting,” Plath gathers the fragments of her emotions as “the agent for the bees.” As Plath steels herself for “The Arrival,” she desperately masks “[her] my fear, my fear, my fear.” ("Meeting" 10) “The villagers” ("Meeting" 1) in “The Bee Meeting” are actually the bees themselves, with bees, in effect, the avatars of Plath’s emotions thus setting the stage for “The Arrival of the Bee Box.”
While “The Arrival of the Bee Box” is a comparatively short piece and never explicitly mentions bees except in the title, “Arrival” is easily manifested in live bees. The foundation of “Arrival” was set by “Meeting” where the bees represent the various aspects of Plath’s emotions, and then in “Arrival,” when the “clean wood box,”("Arrival" 1) a parallel to Plath’s neat, idyllic exterior is received, it appears as “the coffin of a midget.” ("Arrival" 3) The bees, Plath’s emotions, are contained by the “clean wood box” much like real bees would be interred in an artificial hive. The small size of the midget represents repressed and shrunken emotions that are now dead, stifled and suppressed by Plath’s keeping up of appearances, manifested in the clean wood box. Fortunately, the poem allows Plath to reconcile with herself, ending with “Tomorrow I will be a sweet God, I will set them free./The box is only temporary.” ("Arrival" 35-36) This ultimately places Plath back into a position of power, setting the bees, and her emotions, free to break the social bonds that restrain her.
Once these bonds are broken, Plath progresses through her remaining Bee poems expanding and extrapolating her emotions until she reaches “Wintering” the last poem in the sequence. Here, Plath’s references to be imagery such as “I have my honey,/six jars of it” ("Wintering" 3-4) serve to show the emotional sustenance her poetry has given her. In “Wintering” she invokes that fact by showing the final moments of her emotional state. Plath meant “Wintering” to be her final poem and as thus imbued the poem with references to her end. The gradual blooming of the flowers, the lifeblood of bees, in “Wintering” in combination with phrases of suffering such as “Possession. It is they who own me.” ("Wintering" 18-19) and “Her body a bulb in the cold and too dumb to think.” ("Wintering" 50) paint a picture of a woman who yearns to be free from others, frozen in one location as bees are bound to their fields. Plath eventually finds the strength to release her spirit and ends with a hopeful image, “The bees are flying. They taste the spring.” ("Wintering" 55)
As “The Arrival of the Bee Box” gave images of Plath’s emotional avatars meeting and steeling themselves for a deep exposé, “Wintering” gives that exposé and ends on a high note. The disparity between the Bee Poems and Plath’s other poetry show her peaceful end and emotional settling. Poetry was Plath's vehicle for emotional expression and the Bee Poems were her hopeful death note.
Word Count: 645
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