(Not all poems are included here!! I have only covered a few: Daddy, Medusa, Tulips, Getting There, Lady Lazarus, Paralytic, Ariel, Cut, The Applicant) This is basically a line by line analysis of the poems with close reading for each stanza. Everything in the analysis can be related to themes and ...
Ariel, getting there, medusa, daddy, lady lazarus, the applicant, tulips, fever 103, paralytic, cut
October 19, 2021
49
2020/2021
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ariel
sylvia plath
plath
english
english literature
sylvia plath ariel
plath ariel
sylvia plath poems
poetry
poetry analysis
sylvia plath analysis
plath analysis
ariel analysis
daddy plath
medusa
lady
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Sylvia Plath (English a level poetry full notes, 35+ PAGES)
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ARIEL NOTES
, ARIEL (p. 28)
Quotation Analysis E ect + Signi cance
Stanza One: Setting of the Stasis implies stillness, and the Establishes the setting of the poem by
poem, breaking of dawn darkness here applies to the showing us the stillness of it at the
night/dawn = the setting of the poem beginning.
“Stasis in darkness.” (before rebirth) This helps to show the transition of the
setting throughout the poem (from
“darkness” to “red eye, the cauldron of
morning”). This then helps to show the
speaker’s physical journey to rebirth.
“Then the substanceless blue “Then” is a trigger, suggesting This shows the speed of the speaker on
pour of tor and distances” movement. The “substanceless blue” the horse, the momentum of her
also refers to darkness, the blue hue of journey into rebirth. This helps to
daybreak. “Pour of tor” refers to the establish the setting. This also suggest
uidity of hills and landscapes, and emptiness/nothingness from the
combined with “distances” suggests speaker’s POV; This then shows the
an element of speed. Speed to the speaker’s lack of attachment to the
point that surroundings begin to earth because of the perceived
blend together (pour) nothingness of the speaker.
Stanza Two: Horse Riding (Ariel = God’s Lion) Use of “God’s By feminising the name “Ariel”, the
lioness” instead of the traditional speaker empowers herself. This could
“God’s lioness” “God’s lion”, shows the speaker be seen as her harnessing the power of
appropriating traditionally masculine men to project herself into rebirth.
terms, using it here to empower Important to her sense of self: She gives
herself; As “Lion” suggests strength, herself the power and strength to
power, and wildness. It also “ascend”. Also suggests that she views
establishes that the speaker is female. herself as a powerful being.
“How we grow, pivot of Shows us the speed of the horse and This creates the image of speed, the
heels and knees!” the speaker. Image of growth and speed and power that she needed for
pivots suggest movement, which rebirth. (From the speed/movement of
characterises the journey. The use of the horse) Image making is very clear
“one” shows the speaker as one with here, depicting the speaker moving so
the horse, harnessing its power and fast that she can’t even decipher her
momentum to empower herself for own body clearly. This might signify
rebirth. the beginning of her ascension into
rebirth.
1
,Stanza Three: Losing control Shows the speaker’s fast movement, Suggests that a lot of momentum is
and momentum from the journey, to needed for the journey into rebirth.
“The furrow splits and the point that her surroundings begin Also suggests that the speaker’s process
passes” to “split”. of rebirth had begun, as her earthly
surroundings begin to blur, and can no
longer be deciphered by the speaker.
This shows the reader the process of
the journey into rebirth.
“Sister to the brown arc of “I cannot reach” suggests a sense of This loss of contact to her physical
the neck I cannot catch” abandonment, as she begins to lose body (the horse) and her surroundings
control of the horse. The fact that she (the furrow) depicts the speaker’s
was at one with the horse previously journey into rebirth as she begins to
(“one we grow”), and is now lose contact with the physical, and her
disconnected from it suggests that she earthly body, which weighs her down.
is disconnected from her physical This creates the idea of the speaker
human body (which is represented by losing sight and control of her
the horse). The furrow being “Sister physicality as she gains enough power
to” the arc that she cannot reach then to launch herself into the sun, for
suggests that she cannot grasp her rebirth.
surroundings.
Stanza Four and Five: Earthly (Berries = Reference to the biblical The image making here shows the
Temptations/Restraints fruits of temptations) Paints the speaker’s earthly restraints and
image of bright white berries that are temptations that hold her back. This
“Nigger eye berries” surrounded by darkness, which allows suggests to readers that the process of
the berries to stand out. Emphasises rebirth is not as easy as it may appear,
their presence. This creates a certain and that there are still important things
draw to the berries, which then tempt that hold her back and prevent her
the speaker. (Berries as part of nature, from moving on. May suggest that
part of the earth-- earthly beings there is a refusal to move on and let go
trying to hold the speaker back) of the past.
“Cast dark hooks” “Hooks” suggests that there is This suggests that the speaker feels pain
something holding the speaker back. in letting go and moving on, which
It also suggests pain as they hook onto then leads to reluctance to continue her
her body. journey into rebirth. This suggests
di culty in undergoing rebirth as it
pains the speaker to let go of her earthly
stringencies.
2
, “Black sweet blood Description of the taste of the berries. Image making here shows readers the
mouthfuls” “Sweet” suggests a certain allure to speaker’s earthly bounds that are
the speaker, tempting the speaker to holding her back, creating di culty in
stay instead of moving on. “Blood” progressing with the journey of rebirth.
may also refer to her blood (of her Shows that the speaker values her
physical body) suggesting that her physical world, in spite of her desire to
body is preventing the speaker from be reborn. The journey into rebirth is
progressing. This coincides with the not easy, even with the momentum and
earth/the physical hindering the power that she has acquired.
speaker’s progress into rebirth.
“Shadows” “Shadows” suggest a looming Shows the struggles speaker faces
presence (threatening?) which then during the journey. Creates a sort of
suggests that her earthly temptations threatening nature to the stringencies
are “haunting” her, and constantly that hold her back (“shadows, dark
tempting her to stay. (Note that it is a hooks, black sweet blood”) which
reference to the berries) suggests that the speaker views the
physical as something to be afraid of, as
something that scares her and harms
her (pain caused via “hooks”)
Stanza Six: Freedom & “Something else” suggests the Shows that the speaker has gained
Rebirth presence of a higher power. “Hauls” enough power from the journey/the
suggests a pulling force, and a loss of horse (may even be too much because
“Something else hauls me control/lack of restraint on the of the lack of control) and is able to
through the air” speaker’s part. (The power harnessed proceed into rebirth. Shows success in
to project herself into the sky was also the speaker’s harvesting of power, and
the power used to overcome successfully overcoming the earthly
temptation?) temptations that threatened to hold her
back. (IMPORTANT!!!)
“Thighs, hair; Flakes from Suggests that the speaker is shedding Depiction of speaker shedding her
my heels” her female body as she begins to physical female body suggests that she
“ ake”, and parts of her physical body is free of her biggest restraint (her
begin to fall o her. body) and is able to progress into the
freedom of rebirth. The process is
described as enlightening (compared to
previous desc.) as she ies into the air
and sheds the very thing that weighs
her down. This is important as the
speaker nally begins to free herself of
her body, and proceed into rebirth.
3
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