Sylvia's Use of Senses in Ariel
"Ariel" possesses power and importance, a certain element of orgasmic stress to the degree to which the horseback ride Plath once took becomes something more—a ride into the abyss of the unknown, a stare back into the eye of the sun, an odyssey to death, a stripping of personality and selfhood, a sort of blatant exposition. To treat "Ariel" as a confessional poem is to suggest that its actual importance lies in the horse- ride taken by its author, in the author's psychological problems, or in its position within the biographical development of the author. None of these issues is as significant as the imagistic and thematic developments rendered by the poem itself.
Probably the finest single construction of Plath, "Ariel" has articulate precision and depth of its images. In its account of the ritual journey toward the center of life and death, Plath perfects her method of leaping from image to image in order to represent mental process. The sensuousness and concreteness of the poem—the "Black sweet blood mouthfuls" of the berries; the "glitter of seas"—is unmatched in contemporary American poetry. We see, hear, touch, and taste the process of disintegration: the horse emerging from the darkness of the morning, the sun beginning to rise as Ariel rushes uncontrollably across the countryside, the rider trying to catch the brown neck but instead "tasting" the blackberries on the side of the road. Then all the rider's perceptions are thrown together: the horse's body and the rider's merge. She hears her own cry as if it were that of a child and flies toward the burning sun that has now risen.
To a reader who is unaware of Plath’s biography “ARIEL” would probably most immediately call to mind the "airy spirit" who in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a servant to Prospero and symbolizes Prospero’s control of the upper elements of the universe, fire and air. And seen from a more intimate level, “ARIEL” was the name of her favorite horse, on whom she weekly went riding.
The two reflections about the name “ARIEL” have often been noticed and pointed out, with the emphasis, from a critical perspective, being placed on the biographical referent.
But there is another possible referent in the title of the poem, which no one has yet noted, although the poet, apparently, went out of her way to make reference, even obvious reference, to it.
Plath’s difficulties with narrative prose contrasts between her novelistic dreams and her character. Plath’s passion for classic novelists and her own talent made her realize the fitting narrative prose were densely constructed (Hughes 1). Plath’s poetry goes through constant changes (Smith 2). The bee was a motif that was often used (Smith 3).Jerome Mazzaro considers Plath’s achievements in The Bell Jar to be less gendered. Mazzaro also believes Plath’s novel is a statement of fascination of the midcentury (“The Importance…” 2). Marilyn Yalom wrote in Maternity, Morality, and the Literature of Madness that Plath’s novel about her breakdown and her recovery, The Bell Jar, is a pre-feminist disclosure of the effects of the sexist culture. Yalom’s critical view increased from the feminist and psychoanalytic critic of the 1980s (“The Importance…” 1). Plath’s lyricism ranges from simple but effective to a Hopkinsian ode for her beloved (Magill 2223). Her best ability was turning everyday experiences into diary entries (Magill 2225). Plath’s poems from Ariel reflect her fury and sullenness toward life (Draper 2734).
Boy Willie- A thirty year old, self-centered man who is only concerned with himself. He is very crude in manner but honest in what he believes. A very boyish and impulsive character, Boy Willie is a wild card.
Therefore, Oliver’s incorporation of imagery, setting, and mood to control the perspective of her own poem, as well as to further build the contrast she establishes through the speaker, serves a critical role in creating the lesson of the work. Oliver’s poem essentially gives the poet an ultimatum; either he can go to the “cave behind all that / jubilation” (10-11) produced by a waterfall to “drip with despair” (14) without disturbing the world with his misery, or, instead, he can mimic the thrush who sings its poetry from a “green branch” (15) on which the “passing foil of the water” (16) gently brushes its feathers. The contrast between these two images is quite pronounced, and the intention of such description is to persuade the audience by setting their mood towards the two poets to match that of the speaker. The most apparent difference between these two depictions is the gracelessness of the first versus the gracefulness of the second. Within the poem’s content, the setting has been skillfully intertwined with both imagery and mood to create an understanding of the two poets, whose surroundings characterize them. The poet stands alone in a cave “to cry aloud for [his] / mistakes” while the thrush shares its beautiful and lovely music with the world (1-2). As such, the overall function of these three elements within the poem is to portray the
The Tempest by William Shakespeare is one of the most relevant and studied plays of the Elizabethan period among scholars, from both, ancient and actual times. One of the many readings that have prevailed suggests that the play’s protagonist, Prospero, and his two su-pernatural servants, Ariel and Caliban, can work as a single psychological unit is constantly discussed by the academics. This reading is not new; it has been considered for longer than the idea of The Tempest as an autobiographical allegory, being first proposed by Thomas Campbell in 1838 (Yachnin).
Sylvia Plath may be one of the most remarkable and idolized modern poets of the twentieth century. Sylvia Plath had an emotional life, and a troublesome past with her father's death, insecurities because of self-doubt, a tragic break up with her husband and severe depression, leading to her suicide in 1963. These tragic events in Plath’s life played a vast part in her career as a poet and novelist, by inspiring her to create her melancholy and notorious masterpieces.
... through his beliefs. He is outspoken on his beliefs on race despite his racial background and experiences. His sister always reminds him of his current status and still Boy Willie refuses to settle with believing in less than what he believes he deserves.
The speaker begins the poem an ethereal tone masking the violent nature of her subject matter. The poem is set in the Elysian Fields, a paradise where the souls of the heroic and virtuous were sent (cite). Through her use of the words “dreamed”, “sweet women”, “blossoms” and
Plath, Sylvia. “Daddy” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th Compacted ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 739. Print
According to the text, “Boy Willie is thirty years old. He has an infectious grin and a boyishness that is apt for his name. He is brash and impulsive, talkative and somewhat crude in speech and manner”. This was shown when he argues with his sister, Berniece, constantly. She had a great deal of sentimental value within that piano, but Boy Willie was very tenacious about selling it despite his sister’s wishes. He got himself into a quite a situation, and it isn’t until the very end that it was resolved. Sutter’s ghost begins to start attacking Boy Willie after he tries to take the piano out of the house. The ghost doesn’t subside until Berniece plays the piano and calls the spirits of their family to rid of Sutter’s ghost. After all, this symbolizes the true value of the piano and their ancestry.
In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.
In the comedic, yet thrilling play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare uses characters such as Caliban, Alonso, and Ariel to show Prospero’s immense cruelness and pure monstrosity. Moreover, these Shakespearean characters are also used to highlight Prospero’s change in character into a kinder and more forgiving person. Prospero starts the play out as a vengeful monster, after an illuminating moment however, his persona transforms into his true identity of a compassionate man.
The power is found in the many, these amazing social changes would not have been accomplished if Gandhi was not able to gather such a large number of people who desperately needed change and were willing to do anything to make it happen. In theory, if the entire world used the ideals of satyagraha, we would live forever in peace and happiness. There would be no war because war is a violent technique. There would be no hatred because hate is a violent act. One of the many problems with humanity is also the thing that makes humans so unique. Our ability to experience intense emotion controls many actions that we make. Gandhi once encouraged nonviolent techniques to be used against Hitler and the Nazis. Gandhi was filled with a lot of love, but there have been people whose hatred cannot be overcome with love. Hitler and his army of Nazis is such a specific circumstance that was planned so it took the humanity out of each of his followers. They each had one small job in the process of exterminating a race that they did not feel as if they were really doing anything wrong. They did not blame themselves for the deaths of the innocent because they did not have to experience the entire process. The British rule over India was extremely different. Although they ruthlessly killed, the British had to live with the Indians, often having to communicate directly with Indians everyday. This is why Gandhi’s
Otto Plath’s death was a traumatic event for young Sylvia and lead to some of her later emotional troubles, consequently affecting her for the rest of her life. In the beginning of Plath’s poem, “The Colossus,” the speaker struggles in repairing the listener who has taken on ...
The opening paragraph of the story emphasizes the limitations of the individual’s vision of nature. From the beginning, the four characters in the dingy do not know “the colors of the sky,” but all of them know “the colors of the sea.” This opening strongly suggests the symbolic situations in which average peo...
In the play The Tempest, William Shakespeare portrays Ariel as an influential and humanlike spirit. In the beginning of the play, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, rescues Ariel from the torturous ruler Sycorax. Sycorax, the mother of Caliban, traps Ariel in a cloven tree after Ariel denies him the use of his magic to complete the evil commands he wished. Eventually Prospero rescues Ariel from the tree, enslaving Ariel as his loyal spirit. Shakespeare displays Ariel’s growth as a spirit through his relationships with Prospero and Caliban on the island. Ariel uses compassion, sympathy, reason, and cleverness to guide Prospero’s decisions throughout the play.