I felt that the poem, Daddy developed as the speaker chronologically developed. Plath describes her father at first it is a child describing memories of her father. Physical, social, and emotional memories. Then the voice grew older and she began to share what her father seemingly pushed her towards. Then as an adult she describes the psychological effects he had on her. Obviously, the poem wasn’t a joyful memoir, rather a painful out let that the author wanted to share. She uses heritage to explain her sorrow and anger about her father.
“… I have killed you…” I think she is trying hard to ‘kill’ what ever negative effects or emotions that her father has left her with. In a way this poem can be the beginning of ‘letting go’ and forgiving her father of the hurt he left her with.
This poem also allows the author to speak freely, as she wasn’t able to do before. She can tell her father everything she’s been holding in, and she can say it fluidly. As opposed to…
“ I never could talk to you
The tongue stuck in my jaw…
Ich, Ich, Ich, Ich
I could hardly speak…”
Ich, in German means ‘I’… therefore the “Ich, Ich, Ich, Ich,” in the poem, resembled a person stuttering. Stuttering is a sign of fear. She even says in the poem, “I have always been scared of you…” and now after writing the poem, and letting out the anger, she concludes with, “…Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through.”
In Medusa, Plath seems to be speaking of religion. Christianity in particular. I’m not sure I pick up all of the clues that the poem has in it, however she seems to be poking fun at religion, and maybe more specifically institutional religion. She speaks of, Mercy, Stigmata, Jesus, a communion wafer, The Vatican, and sins. I know that if taken apart this poem probably has many strikes against religion. Regardless of a person’s opinion of right or wrong. It would be interesting to see what she has to pick out about religion. I always enjoy critiques of beliefs because as a professor told me, and something that I believe is that you have to get ‘messy’ sometimes and pick apart your faith to better understand what it is that you truly believe.
I enjoy Plath’s way of writing. She uses images well in representing what she is trying to say. When I read her poems, I can visualize what it is that she is trying to get across.