Sylvia Plath Poetry Analysis - 1301 Words

Poets, Judith Wright, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickenson all express their views on life and death, however, do so in varying manners. Through imagery, Wright and Plath both consider life’s beginnings, however, Wright considers it to be a beautiful gift, whereas Plath views birth as an empty burden. Subsequently, through structure Dickenson and Wright each acknowledge life, expressing how in some cases it is difficult, yet in other circumstances it is celebrated. Finally, through tone, Dickenson and Plath convey their views on death, yet differ in that Plath believes it is purifying and holds a sick fascination with it, while Dickenson instead holds a unique curiosity about it. Therefore, whilst each poet recognises the journey of birth,†¦show more content†¦This simile is a representation of the egocentric attitude of the poet, as the birth of her child is simply a reminder of her disintegrating life. While Wright and Plath both convey views on the beginning life, Wrig ht focuses on how it is natural and beautiful, while Plath considers birth to be a burden. After birth follows life, as expressed by Dickenson and Wright. Through structure, Dickenson and Wright express their holistic views through both critiquing and celebrating life. Dickenson’s poem, ‘187’, reflects the life of a domesticated woman. The poet directly addresses the audience when she suggests, â€Å"Stroke the cool forehead – hot so often†. Through inclusive language, in addition to hyphenation, the audience are made to feel involved, hence understand how the woman is now at peace after having worked laboriously her whole life. The last line of the poem, â€Å"Indolent Housewife – in Daisies – lain!†, further enforces that the woman is at peace through the personification of daisies and the exclamation mark emphasising that her life was so hard-working that in death she can finally relax. Wright also employs a similar idea in her poem, ‘Metho-Drinker’. Like Dickenson, Wright utilises personification when she states, â€Å"who cried to Nothing and the terrible nightà ¢â‚¬ . Through personifying â€Å"Nothing† the audience understands that this man’s life was lonely and hopeless, hence through death, he became â€Å"safe in the house of Nothing†. A gentleShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Poetry By Sylvia Plath1374 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry to some is the frustration of a riddle that cannot be solved. To others, it is the joy one feels while solving the same riddle. A writer has the power to convey certain themes and ideas within a poem in a span of one line or a hundred lines. They can create the tone for the poem with the help of a single word, or a comma placed in the correct spot. With the use of figures of speech such as metaphor, a writer can give the reader images and compare different ideas that have similar qualitiesRead MoreLady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath - Poetry Analysis1110 Words   |  5 PagesLady Lazarus was written by Sylvia Plath. On a literal level, this poem is about death and attempting suicide. It is most lik ely that it was written from Plaths personal experience as she was known for her suicidal nature. This poem has 28 tercet stanzas. There is no clear rhyme scheme yet rhyming can be found throughout this poem, for example I have done it again/One year in every ten, so there is an irregular rhyme scheme. Literary devices such as end-stopped lines and enjambment are alsoRead MoreA Reflection in Sylvia Plaths Mirror1013 Words   |  5 PagesA Reflection in Sylvia Plath’s Mirror Amanda L. Wilson Eng:125 Introduction to Literature Professor Lyndsey Lefebvre November 18, 2013 A Reflection in Sylvia Plath’s Mirror Sylvia Plath’s poem Mirror (1963) is evocative, provocative, and expressive. According to Clugston (2010) these are important components of poetry. Sylvia Plath’s first line is a projection of the mirror providing its introduction saying, â€Å"I am silver and exact†(Plath, 1963, line 1). The mirror is the protagonist whoRead MoreEssay about Sylvia Plath1185 Words   |  5 PagesSylvia Plath This line is from Sylvia Plaths poem Lady Lazarus, one of many that helped make her an icon of modern American poetry. They have an eerie, prophetic quality, seeming to foreshadow the tragic death of this young writer. Understanding Sylvia Plaths words require a closer look at both her life and a few of her works. Though critics have described her writing as governed by negative vitalism, her distinct individuality has made her a conversation piece among those familiarRead MoreBiography of Sylvia Plath1452 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis Sylvia Plath, a great American author, focuses mostly on actual experiences. Plath’s poetry displays feelings and emotions. Plath had the ability to transform everyday happenings into poems or diary entries. Plath had a passion for poetry and her work was valued. She was inspired by novelists and her own skills. Her poetry was also very important to readers and critics. Sylvia Plath’s work shows change throughout her lifetime, relates to feelings and emotions, and focuses on dayRead MoreDickinson and Plath Comparative Analysis Essay example1530 Words   |  7 PagesPoetry is an intense expression of feelings and ideas which reflect the joys and struggles of the person writing it. We use it to convey love, to mourn a loss, tell a story, or to say the things we are afraid to tell an actual person. Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath dont write sonnets. These two poets clearly used poetry as a cathartic release for the troubles of their lives. Their struggles with even the rudimentary, plagued them throughout their short lifetime. Life and death being in constantRead MoreMutilating Self Into Spirit: Sylvia Plaths Poems.4131 Words   |  17 PagesSylvia Plath’s poems: Translation of the self into spirit, after an ordeal of mutilation. Introduction of the poems and the essay: * â€Å"Daddy† Sylvia Plath uses her poem, â€Å"Daddy†, to express intense emotions towards her father’s life and death and her disastrous relationship with her husband. The speaker in this poem is Sylvia Plath who has lost her father at age ten, at a time when she still adored him unconditionally. Then she gradually realizes the oppressing dominance of her father, andRead MoreAnalysis of Sylvia Plaths Mirror1281 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Analysis of Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"Mirror† Sylvia Plath is known as the poet of confession. Her life is strongly connected to her works. She uses poetry as a way to confess her feelings, to express and release her pain in life. â€Å"Mirror† is one of her most famous poems. Sylvia Plath wrote the poem in 1961, just two years before her actual suicide. After suffering a miscarriage, she realized that she was pregnant again. She and her husband moved to a small town and their marriage began going worse. TheRead MoreEssay on A Womans Struggle 1373 Words   |  6 PagesA Woman’s struggle Analysis The plague of male dominancy and female oppression has spread throughout time and cultures like a pandemic infection, targeting women. Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"Daddy† and Janice Mirikitani’s â€Å"Suicide Note,† show the struggle and pain that oppressive forces perpetrated on women. Although, both speakers are oppressed the way they end the oppression and the cause of it are very different. Patriarchy has always existed, and it affects women all over the world. For example, bannedRead MoreThe Fight For Women s Rights1247 Words   |  5 Pagesequal pay regardless of gender and maternity leave. Many women feel like they are fighting an uphill battle, and many women feel like they are being oppressed by the opposite gender. Sylvia Plath was one of these women who felt like she was oppressed by men and even her own father, who died early in her life. Sylvia Path turned to using imagery in her poem â€Å"Daddy† such as comparing her father and men to ghastl y statues, Nazis, and even vampires; meanwhile she compares herself, and to a larger extent