Commentary on Plath's A Commentary on Plaths The Surgeon at 2am
A Commentary on Plath's The Surgeon at 2am Fraught with the stress of depression combined with the pain of a recent miscarriage, Plath was preoccupied with the concept of hospitalisation when writing 'The Surgeon at 2am'. Taking on the persona of a male surgeon, the controlling role to her more passive role as patient, she explores the concept as the surgeon as master and alludes to a higher power in explaining the apparent magic and complexity of the human body. The title of this poem introduces us to its major subject matter, as is typical of Plath's poetry. The first two lines of the first stanza appear subjective and clinical, introducing us to the idea of the surgeon being a man of science. The line 'hygienic as heaven' also alludes to death, a commonplace occurrence in any hospital. This is followed through by the reference to the death of the microbes. This also gives an air of control to the poem and allows the reader to understand the controlling role of the surgeon as he performs his work. This stanza also introduces the idea of the surgeon operating as a higher power behind the scenes; 'a snowfield, frozen and peaceful' explains that he is all alone in his work and that, with the patient being under anaesthetic, he has total control. The metaphor 'a lump of Chinese white' for the mask of the patient dehumanises him somewhat; the surgeon is left with a body to play
'The Power of Plath's Imagery comes from her surprising, often controversial imagery' How far do you agree with this statement?
‘The Power of Plath’s poetry comes from the surprising, often controversial imagery’ ‘Daddy’ and ‘Hawk Roosting’ with ‘The Bee Meeting’ and ‘The Tender Place’ * Daddy and Hawk Roosting both share the same sense of power and violence. * They are dominant and are to be feared and revered as ‘gods’ * The use of stark and blunt imagery shown through ‘the boot in the face’ speaks volumes about the brutality and cruelty shown by the father figure. Also in Hawk Roosting ‘My manners are tearing off heads’ shows through a different light the same strand of aggression and viciousness. Plath * Strength and power: 'A man in black with a Meinkampf look' * Violent image: 'There is a stake in your fat black heart' /disturbing and graphic Hughes * Control: 'I kill where I please because it is all mine' * Power: Hooked head and hooked feet' * Link: ' Now I hold Creation in my foot' / no longer feet, lost the plural, relates to amputation in Daddy and autobiographical. The power of Plath's poetry comes from her surprising, often controversial use of imagery.' Plath shows her surprising and often controversial imagery through the remarkable art of taking inanimate, lifeless objects and using them to describe emotion and personal suffering. Her choice of language elicits an effect which not only disturbs but forces the reader into a deep state of
Sylvia Plath's presentation of parent-child relationships
Sylvia Plaths presentation of parent-child relationships Plath deals with the themes she chooses to write about, such as death, suicide and depression, in a very interesting fashion. However, out of all her themes, the one that is the most interesting is her presentation of relationships between parents and children. The way in which she deals with this theme is very different to her other poetry. She breaks many of the rules that were laid down by poets before her, such as the romantics. These series of poets stressed the idea of family and the importance of parents to children and vice versa. As a result, the vast majority of poets that wrote about these relationships thereafter presented them in a very idealistic manner, implying family harmony and lack of conflict. Therefore, when Plath started to write about family relationships in a decidedly unromantic and disturbing style, some were shocked. Instead of her poems being about the healthiness of relationships between parents and children, they are about the darker, less talked about side. It is mainly due to this difference between her and some previous presentations of parent-child relationships that makes her poetry tackling the subject interesting. As with most of Plath's other material, her method of dealing with this theme is by no means straightforward. This is shown in the fact that there are two types of
Critical appreciation of the poem "Old Ladies' Home" by Sylvia Plath with reference to the presentation of old age
Dealing with old age and loneliness can be both complicated and perplexing. Sylvia Plath shows us this through her poem "Old Ladies' Home, where she shares her views on the harsh reality of growing into old age and awaiting death alone. In this poem, the omniscient speaker employs a detached tone to describe the old ladies in the home as fragile, lifeless and neglected. The poem takes place in a home for aged women, as can be inferred from the title of the poem and contains several images and metaphors that bring out the poem's main theme of death. Several symbols are used to represent death in this poem. A few such examples would be "black fabric", "ghosts" and "coffins". These symbols present death as dull and eerie, rather than as the celebration of a life well lived, hence building a sombre and gloomy atmosphere in the poem. This in turn reflects the old ladies' melancholic state as they await their death in the home. Death, for these old women, is also presented as being unpredictable and as an issue that lingers in their mind every night. For example, the last stanza of the poem says, "And Death, that bald-head buzzard, / Stalls in halls where the lamp wick/ Shortens with each breath drawn." Metaphor is used here to compare death to the buzzard which is a scavenging bird, similar to the vulture. Death is described as something that lurks within the home, waiting for
Spinster- A Commentary
Spinster- A Commentary Spinster is a poem which juxtaposes the order and disorder of the seasons and how exactly this affects the persona's desperation to keep control. The title 'Spinster' implies that the persona has a chosen a life without men, which also implies that she wants full control over her life. Stanza one begins very formally, 'During a ceremonious April walk/ With her latest suitor'. Lexis such as 'ceremonious' and 'suitor' creates a very formal atmosphere, therefore creating more structure, which is also implied by the use of the word 'suitor', which suggests very little or no feeling towards him. The stanza continues to imply that the woman can hardly stand disorder, 'intolerably struck/ By the birds irregular babel/ And the leaves litter'. The poet uses alliteration and positive alliteration to suggest that the woman can not handle disorder with words such as 'irregular' and 'litter'. Then, in stanza two, Plath stays detached from the poem, and the whole stanza implies disorder. 'Observed' suggests that the woman in the poem was watching from a distance, and therefore the writing is very detached and as if a step has been taken back in order to see things as a whole. Also, the whole stanza implies disorder with lexis such as 'unbalanced', 'uneven', 'wilderness' and 'disarray', all of which suggest disarray and no order. Almost all of these words are
Comparison of loneliness in the poems "Mirror" and "Spinster" by Sylvia Plath.
Comparison of loneliness in the poems mirror and spinster" by Sylvia Plath. The poems mirror and spinster by Sylvia Plath are unique in the presentation of a theme of loneliness engulfing the protagonists. The poem mirror is written in free verse with no set pattern of rhythm and rhyme. The poem probes into the corners of human nature, Beauty, life and death and deals at large with the eternal truth of human life. The mirror is isolated and alienated from humanity. It likes to be associated with the wall and through the wall it has plenty of opportunities to reflect on human life-its joys and fears. And it despises anyone that comes between it and the wall, thereby disturbing its meditation in isolation. The wall is a part and parcel of its existence. The mirror serves as an emblem of objective truth. But it is not cruel. The mirror is a metaphor that teaches humanity that appearances are secondary. It is like the eye of god that reflects the truth. The mirror is objective about everything it observes, and gives a vent to its feelings without any bias, prejudice or discrimination. It takes pride in its honesty. The mirror also deplores the sad fate of humanity where man is not ready to reconcile to the hard facts of life. By becoming a lake the poetess further dwells on the theme of loneliness. But the lessons that the mirror and the lake give us are rendered futile. The
How does Plath use intricate patterning of sounds, words, images and rhythm to create an impact on the reader?
How does Plath use intricate patterning of sounds, words, images and rhythm to create an impact on the reader? Almost all of Plath's poems are so deep and full of emotions that it would be impossible to be impacted by them. However, her intricate use of linguistic and literary devices help the reader to understand the true meaning of her poems therefore adding to the impact. For this essay I will look mainly at the linguistic and literary features Plath uses in her poem 'Daddy'. This poem, like many of her others, uses an intricate patterning of sounds to create a certain moods at points in the poem. For instance the first three stanzas of the poem uses assonance; the soothing sound 'oo'; "you do not do", "I have had to kill you" and, "Where it pours bean green over blue". This sound draws out the words resulting in a longer, protracted sound. This slows the flow of these stanzas and creates a calm mood. This patterning of sounds can also be seen in her other poems. For example in Miss Drake Proceeds to Supper, in which she patterns the 'd' harsh sound to create a faster pace and cutting mood. Plath creates imagery in many of her poems with the use of colour. In Daddy she patterns the use of colour from black and white in the first stanza to black and red in the eleventh and twelfth stanza. The colours black and white are antithetical and when placed in close proximity
How powerful is The Bell Jar as a feminist text?
How powerful is The Bell Jar as a feminist text? Feminism = a movement that advocates equal rights for women. The Bell Jar is an attempt by Sylvia Plath to write about growing up as a woman, in America during the forties and fifties. It was first published in January 1963, before the fights for equal rights were debated in the late sixties and seventies. This was one of only a few novels, at its time, in which the main character and narrator was a woman. The novel may also show Esther's search for her identity, she thinks she knows what she wants but she becomes more and more uncertain as the novel unfolds. The struggle for women in those days is something which would we could not possibly understand. A lady could not even get a loan from the bank without her husband or father co-signing it. Unmarried women were denied birth control, and girls should not attend college. If they did it was expected that they were looking for a husband. The other girls in Esther's dormitory in college told her she was wasting her "golden college years". Throughout the book, there are many possible role models for Esther, not all of who have a positive influence on her. Jay Cee is an experienced, successful editor at the magazine where Esther has won an internship. Plath writes of Jay Cee as being somewhat masculine. This may have been because at the time only men were successful so she felt
An evaluation of Sylvia Plath`s poetry concerning pregnancy and motherhood
In evaluating Sylvia Plath`s poetry concerning pregnancy and motherhood to what extent do you believe the attitudes and feelings expressed in her imagery are representative of mothers generally. Plath`s poems regarding pregnancy and motherhood vary hugely in terms of the sentiment expressed, ranging from maternal love to resentment. This could be explained as a symptom of her bipolar disorder, but equally could also be a natural reaction to a daunting process. In Morning Song Plath appears to show mixed emotions regarding her child, with the ambiguous title being a homonym as well as a metaphor, possibly referring to the morning as the bright beginning of her child`s life or to the process Plath is undergoing, mourning the loss of her freedom. The first stanza appears to show Plath`s love for the child, 'Love set you going,' and also how she views the child as something precious and her giving birth as a natural and inevitable process, 'fat gold watch...took its place among the elements.' She may be unsure of this love however, as the poetic synaesthesia of, 'your bald cry' shows the confusion of audible and visual senses, and this could represent Plath`s sense of love for the child interacting with the fear she showed before the birth in The Manor Garden, 'a difficult borning.' This confusion is probably rather typical of a new mother, as the birth of a child would signify
The poem Two Sisters of Persephone by Sylvia Plath is a truly remarkable piece that I greatly enjoyed reading. This piece is filled with numerous symbols, allegories, and images that stand out
Commentary on 'Two Sisters of Persephone' The poem 'Two Sisters of Persephone' by Sylvia Plath is a truly remarkable piece that I greatly enjoyed reading. This piece is filled with numerous symbols, allegories, and images that stand out to the reader and they become more vivid each time you look deeper and deeper into the piece. In literal terms, the poem is about two girls that lead complete opposite lives and have different duties to fulfill. The poem goes on describing what they do and the settings of where they perform their rightful tasks. What is rather interesting about the poem is that we are tricked into believing the first sister leads the cold, bitter life. Plath uses words with negative connotation to give the character a stressed out and hopeless feel. She ties in the thoughts of problems, darkness, and un-fruitful work to the character of the first sister. The poem then suddenly twists into a brighter and warmer mood when Plath starts talking about the second sister. At first sight, the words trick us into believing she is truly happy and peaceful. Words like 'lulled', and 'bright air', bring a positive connotation to the second sister. When we look at the words carefully, we see that she truly isn't really that happy. When Plath says she was lulled near a bed of poppies, we get the thought that she may be drugged, since poppies are an opiate. This
