Virgin In A Tree Essay -- essays research papers

This poem was written in 1958, after Sylvia Plath left her caper at Smith College to issue for a living. It was during this time she found writing extremely difficult and resorted to set themes and deliberate exercises in style, in her efforts to find a release. The poem is based on a drawing "The Virgin in a Tree" by Paul Klee. Sylvia Plath expresses her feelings about the concept of virginity, virgins etc. She holds their morals and values accountable, for what they believe to be right and what they believe to be wrong. Sylvia Plath uses great many mythical allusions to illustrate her perceptions about virgins, especially in Ancient classic mythology, many of which have been a direct bearing on the title of the poem Virgin in a Tree. The first most obvious allusion is that of Daphne. Ever since that first DaphneSwitched her peerless backFor a bay-tree hide,In Greek mythology Daphne was a nymph, the daughter of the river deity Peneus. She was a hunter who dedicated hers elf to Artemis, deitydess of the hunt, and, like the goddess, refused to marry. The god Apollo fell in sock with Daphne, and when she refused his advances, he pursued her by means of the woods. She prayed to her father for help, and as Apollo advanced upon her, she was changed into a laurel tree (Daphne in Greek). Grief-stricken at her transformation, Apollo made the laurel his inviolate tree. With reference to Apollo made in the phrase god-haloed. The other phrase goat thighed, may signify Philocetes (Trainer of the heroes) or Pan (god of the woods). It is most obviously Pan, with evidence in next reference in the 4th stanza. Pan, in Greek mythology, was the god of woods, fields, and fertility, the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and a nymph. Part animal, with the horns, hoofs, and ears of a goat, he was a lusty deity, the god of the shepherds and the goatherds. A wonderful musician, he accompanied, with his pipe of reeds, the woodland nymphs when they danced. He invente d this pipe when the nymph panpipe, whom he was pursuing, objected to his advances and was transformed into a bed of reeds, enabling her to escape him. Celebrate Syrinx whose demursWon her the frog faded skin, pale pith and wateryBed of a reed.Pan then took reeds of unequal length and played on them. The god was always wooing ane of the nymphs by playing on his pipes, but was always rejected ... ... root to topHer fingersStiff as twigs, her body woodenlyAskew     Her timber throughout is very indignant, revolting and at times mocking.How this tart fable instructsAnd mocks Heres the parody of that moral mousetrapThey descant on the serene and seraphic beautyOf virgins for virginitys sake.Be certain(p) some such pactsBeen stricken to keep all glory in the gripOf ugly spinsters and barren sirsPlath also makes use of faint colour imagery here and there, to strengthen her ideas and recall support to her literary prowess. White bodies use of the colour white ma y signify coldness of the virgins, or their supposed purity. Barks nun- murky habit the colour black may point to the restricted, non-reproachable characteristics, bandage the colour green (Green virgins) indicates inexperience.This poem is in many ways a social commentary, by Sylvia Plath, on the dilemmas modern baseball club is faced with. Especially concerning habits of women as nurturers, mothers, wives and daughters. As well as their role in being virgins. Sylvia Plath definitely does not believe strongly in womans role as a virgin, whether it be for purity or chastitys sake. Virgin In A Tree Essay -- essays research papers This poem was written in 1958, after Sylvia Plath left her job at Smith College to write for a living. It was during this time she found writing extremely difficult and resorted to set themes and deliberate exercises in style, in her efforts to find a release. The poem is based on a drawing "The Virgin in a Tree" by Paul Klee. Sylv ia Plath expresses her feelings about the concept of virginity, virgins etc. She holds their morals and values accountable, for what they believe to be right and what they believe to be wrong. Sylvia Plath uses great many mythical allusions to illustrate her perceptions about virgins, especially in Ancient Greek mythology, many of which have been a direct bearing on the title of the poem Virgin in a Tree. The first most obvious allusion is that of Daphne. Ever since that first DaphneSwitched her incomparable backFor a bay-tree hide,In Greek mythology Daphne was a nymph, the daughter of the river god Peneus. She was a hunter who dedicated herself to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and, like the goddess, refused to marry. The god Apollo fell in love with Daphne, and when she refused his advances, he pursued her through the woods. She prayed to her father for help, and as Apollo advanced upon her, she was changed into a laurel tree (Daphne in Greek). Grief-stricken at her transformation, Apollo made the laurel his sacred tree. With reference to Apollo made in the phrase god-haloed. The other phrase goat thighed, may signify Philocetes (Trainer of the heroes) or Pan (god of the woods). It is most obviously Pan, with evidence in future reference in the fourth stanza. Pan, in Greek mythology, was the god of woods, fields, and fertility, the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and a nymph. Part animal, with the horns, hoofs, and ears of a goat, he was a lusty deity, the god of the shepherds and the goatherds. A wonderful musician, he accompanied, with his pipe of reeds, the woodland nymphs when they danced. He invented this pipe when the nymph Syrinx, whom he was pursuing, objected to his advances and was transformed into a bed of reeds, enabling her to escape him. Celebrate Syrinx whose demursWon her the frog coloured skin, pale pith and wateryBed of a reed.Pan then took reeds of unequal length and played on them. The god was always wooing one of the nymphs by playi ng on his pipes, but was always rejected ... ... root to topHer fingersStiff as twigs, her body woodenlyAskew     Her tone throughout is very indignant, severe and at times mocking.How this tart fable instructsAnd mocks Heres the parody of that moral mousetrapThey descant on the serene and seraphic beautyOf virgins for virginitys sake.Be certain some such pactsBeen struck to keep all glory in the gripOf ugly spinsters and barren sirsPlath also makes use of faint colour imagery here and there, to strengthen her ideas and give support to her literary prowess. White bodies use of the colour white may signify coldness of the virgins, or their supposed purity. Barks nun-black habit the colour black may point to the restricted, non-reproachable characteristics, while the colour green (Green virgins) indicates inexperience.This poem is in many ways a social commentary, by Sylvia Plath, on the dilemmas modern society is faced with. Especially concerning roles of women a s nurturers, mothers, wives and daughters. As well as their role in being virgins. Sylvia Plath definitely does not believe strongly in womans role as a virgin, whether it be for purity or chastitys sake.