What is the theme of Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy?
Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy The poem Medusa explores the theme of jealousy and anger; the poet illustrates this using the extended metaphor of a Greek mythological creature Medusa, whose story describes her as a beautiful maiden that is turned into a hideous creature after being raped by Poseidon.
What does the poem Medusa mean?
The poem reimagines Medusa as a modern wife who suspects her husband of being unfaithful, and charts her transformation from beautiful young bride into a terrifying, murderous monster. This new self, both pitiable and frightening, reveals the destructive potential of anger, bitterness, and suspicion.
What are common themes in Sylvia Plath?
There appear to be some of common problems jogging through all of plath’s poems, which encapsulate her private attitudes and feelings of existence at the time she wrote them. Of those topics, the most famous are: death, victimization, patriarchy, nature, the self, the body, motherhood, sexuality and love.
What type of poem is Medusa?
‘Medusa’ is a poem in free verse divided into 8 (mostly) equal stanzas. It employs many clever features. It is packed with rhymes and half rhymes which gives the poem an almost musical flow. It contains examples of sibilance (a form of alliteration) It uses tricolons, which are groups of three to emphasise emotions.
Who was Medusa before she became Medusa?
Legend states that Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of Athena who was cursed for breaking her vow of celibacy. She is not considered a goddess or Olympian, but some variations on her legend say she consorted with one.
How death and suicide are important themes in Sylvia Plath poems?
The idea of death as a means of rebirth and regeneration is an element which makes Plath’s poetry so different . The use of the word sky in I am vertical portrays death as an elevated state of spirituality and fulfillment. she ponders over death as a means to an end and the end is Greater awareness.
What is the moral of the story of Medusa and Athena?
I think that the moral of Medusa tells us to appreciate others and to think about others as well as yourself. It tells the reader not to make the same mistake as Medusa did, and if you do you will have to pay for it. I think it also tells us to think before you say things.
What does Medusa tattoo symbolize?
According to The Met Museum, Medusa is portrayed in most Greek art as an “apotropaic symbol used to protect and ward off the negative,” representing a “dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil.”
What is Sylvia Plath’s writing style?
An example would be the poems of Sylvia Plath, which tend to be in the writing style of confessional poetry. Confessional poetry is used to address personal experiences like depression, relationships or trauma, and have an autobiographical writing style.
When did Sylvia Plath write the poem Medusa?
“Medusa” was written just a few months before Plath’s death in late 1962, when she was writing what she believed were “the best poems of [her] life”. Plath had already written “Daddy,” a poem of exorcism in which she distanced herself from her dead father’s influence; in “Medusa,” she does the same with her mother,…
Who is Sylvia Plath’s mother in Medusa?
Plath had already written “Daddy,” a poem of exorcism in which she distanced herself from her dead father’s influence; in “Medusa,” she does the same with her mother, Aurelia. It is worth noting that research undertaken by biographers into Sylvia Plath’s family have found no evidence that her father was a Nazi or her mother was cold.
What is the meaning of the poem Medusa?
The poem, Medusa, highlights the oppression and incarceration Plath feels in the relationship with her mother. She describes her mother as a controlling figure in her life, unable to let her go and feels trapped by her religion. Ambiguity is also evident as Plath seems to be very dependent on yet cynical of her mother.
How does Sylvia Plath write about the body?
The Body. Many of Plath’s poems deal with the body, in terms of motherhood, wounds, operations, and death. In “Metaphors,” she describes how her body does not feel like it is her own; she is simply a “means” towards delivering a child.