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In "Daddy," Plath wishes to cast off or kill (expressed in "...you do not do / Any more..." and "Daddy, I have had to kill you," and "There's a stake in your fat black heart") the shadow of her father, whom she resents for having negatively haunted her life including in her marriage, since she feels she married a man much like her father in an attempt to replace her father in her life because she lost him too soon; he died when she was only ten years old. Now she wants to be "through" with both men. In comparing herself to a Jew, she is saying she is a victim of her father's ways, death and legacy.
Plath shows deep anger and disgust toward her father, by comparing him to Hitler and to her husband, whom she is clearly unhappy with and also wants to be done with ("If I've killed one man, I've killed two," both her husband and her father). She accuses her father of having trapped her as part of him, "like a foot" in his shoe or a prisoner in a concentration camp, behind barbed wire. She similarly accuses her husband of being like a "vampire," feeding off of her.
Regarding how her father continues to impact her life, even though he has already passed away, Plath expresses that she was "scared of" him, but still in awe of his powerful image (conveyed in the controversial lines "every woman adores a Fascist / The boot in the face, the brute"), which she exclaims as god-like but makes him "no less a devil." However, he died before she got to deal with him and her feelings toward him (conveyed by "I could never talk to you" and previously "You died before I had time"). Ultimately, she feels that her attraction to his power and her need for him after he passed away too soon, when she was ten ("I used to pray to recover you" and she says that he "bit" her "pretty red heart in two" by passing away, so she "...tried to die / and get back, back, back to you"), led her to marry a man much like him ("I made a model of you" and he is "the vampire who said he was you / And drank my blood for a year, / Seven years...").
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∙ 10y ago
Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy" describes her complex relationship with her father, intertwining themes of family, death, and power dynamics. The poem explores her feelings of oppression and ultimately hints at her struggle to break free from his influence even after his death. Plath uses intense imagery and language to convey the pain and trauma associated with this relationship.
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∙ 13y agoplaths father was otto plath who had arguments with plath
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What are some Sylvia Plath poems on family relationships?
Some of Sylvia Plath's poems that explore family relationships include "Daddy," which delves into her complex feelings towards her father, and "Full Fathom Five," which touches on themes of motherhood and her own relationship with her mother. Plath's "Child" also examines the theme of motherhood and the responsibilities and joys of raising children.
What is an example of confessional poetry?
Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus" is an example of confessional poetry. Plath's raw and emotional honesty in addressing personal experiences and her inner struggles with mental illness align with the confessional poetry movement of the mid-20th century.
What are the metaphor in the poem daddy from Sylvia Plath?
In Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy," the speaker uses metaphors such as comparing her father to a vampire, a Nazi, and a ghastly statue to express her complex feelings towards him. These metaphors portray the oppressive and domineering nature of the father figure in the speaker's life, as well as the emotional trauma that he inflicted upon her.
Was Sylvia Plath's father a Nazi?
No. In her poem, Daddy, she references her father being a Nazi because of her hatred towards him, and how he treated her. He was not literally a Nazi.
What is the lesson of the poem Daddy from Sylvia Plath?
The poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath explores the complexities of the speaker's relationship with her father, portraying themes of power dynamics, oppression, and unresolved emotional wounds. The poem also delves into the impact of a traumatic childhood on the speaker's adult life, ultimately highlighting the struggle to break free from the influence of a domineering figure.
Where is the shift in the poem daddy by Sylvia Plath?
The shift in the poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath occurs when the speaker transitions from expressing her anger and resentment towards her father to exploring her complex feelings of love and longing for him. This shift happens towards the end of the poem when the tone becomes more introspective and reflective.
What are some of Sylvia Plath's more well know poems?
Sylvia Plath's most well known poems were mostly written at the end of 1962, during her separation from her husband. They include Ariel, Daddy, Lady Lazarus, and The Applicant. Morning Song and Blackberrying are others that are anthologized as well.
What does a love of the rack and the screw mean in the poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath?
In Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy," the phrase "love of the rack and the screw" refers to a complex blend of masochism and desire for the father figure. It suggests a disturbing mix of mental anguish and longing for a dominating authority figure. Plath uses this imagery to convey her conflicted feelings towards her father and the oppressive male figures in her life.
Write a critical essay on the poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath?
"Daddy" by Sylvia Plath is a complex and controversial poem that explores themes of repression, trauma, and the complexities of father-daughter relationships. The use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a haunting and intense atmosphere that reflects the speaker's unresolved feelings towards her father. Plath's incorporation of Holocaust imagery and references to Nazism serve to heighten the poem's sense of anguish and anger. Overall, "Daddy" is a challenging and provocative work that continues to spark debates and interpretations among readers and scholars.
Some critics have called parts of the poem daddy by Sylvia Plath surrealistic argue why the word is or is not appropriate?
The term "surrealistic" may be appropriate for parts of the poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath because of its dream-like imagery and the fusion of reality with the unconscious mind. The poem portrays complex emotions and uses vivid, often unsettling, imagery that can be associated with the Surrealist movement. While not strictly adhering to Surrealist principles, the poem's use of metaphor and symbolism can be seen as surrealistic in nature.
How does Sylvia Plath use her family in her poetry?
Plath was greatly affected by the death of her father at the age of 8. This lead her to wright poetry about him and how she felt about it using his as a source of miscommunication and confusion in her poetry. In one of her most famous poems "Daddy" she lets her emotions out about how he left her to early and how she had finally accepted his death. He is also mentioned in other works including "Lady Lazarus" and "The Bee Keepers Daughter." She also wrote a lot about bees, because her father had raised bees in the front yard while he was still alive. She descries watching him go out to tend them and then talks about how she wears the protective gear to tend to them herself and she feel claustrophobic. This however may be referring to her emotions and how she has so many she can't think straight.
Lyrics your daddy ain't your daddy but your daddy don't know?
You should tell your daddy
