5 Questions
Match the following literary devices with their usage in the poem 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath:
Metaphor = Comparing the speaker's father to a Nazi Imagery = Depicting men as vampires Wordplay = Describing the speaker's relationship with her father Symbolism = Representing the speaker as a victim of her father
Match the following themes with their representation in the poem 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath:
Paternal oppression = Comparison of the father to a Nazi Gender dynamics = Depiction of men as vampires Psychological trauma = The speaker's relationship with her father Identity struggle = The speaker's representation as a victim
Match the following characters with their symbolic representation in the poem 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath:
The speaker's father = Representation as a Nazi The speaker = Depiction as a victim Men in general = Metaphorical portrayal as vampires Husband = Shifting from Nazis to vampires
Match the following emotions with their portrayal in the poem 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath:
Anguish = Comparison of the father to a Nazi Fear = Depiction of men as vampires Resentment = The speaker's relationship with her father Despair = The speaker's representation as a victim
Match the following tones with their manifestation in the poem 'Daddy' by Sylvia Plath:
Dark and ominous = Comparison of the father to a Nazi Intense and haunting = Depiction of men as vampires Sarcastic and bitter = The speaker's relationship with her father Poignant and sorrowful = The speaker's representation as a victim
Study Notes
Literary Devices in 'Daddy'
- Imagery: used to describe the speaker's feelings towards her father, e.g. "You died before I had time --- /Marble-heavy, a bag full of God"
- Metaphor: compares the speaker's father to a Nazi, "You / Stand at the blackboard, daddy, / In the picture I have of you, / A cleft in your chin instead of your foot"
- Allusion: references the Holocaust, "An engine, an engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew"
- Personification: gives the speaker's father human-like qualities, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
- Symbolism: uses the father's shoe to symbolize the speaker's feelings of oppression, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time --- /Marble-heavy, a bag full of God"
Themes in 'Daddy'
- Electra Complex: speaker's obsession with her father, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
- Guilt and Anger: speaker's emotions towards her father's death, "It's not your fault / It's not my fault / It's not"
- Feminism: speaker's struggle to break free from patriarchal oppression, "The black telephone's off at the root, / The voices just can't worm through"
- Identity: speaker's search for self, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
Symbolic Characters in 'Daddy'
- The Father: symbolizes patriarchal oppression and the speaker's feelings of guilt and anger
- The Nazi: represents the speaker's feelings of oppression and persecution
- The Speaker: symbolizes the struggle for identity and independence
Emotions in 'Daddy'
- Anger: towards the speaker's father, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
- Guilt: towards the speaker's father's death, "It's not your fault / It's not my fault / It's not"
- Fear: of the speaker's father, "You died before I had time --- /Marble-heavy, a bag full of God"
- Resentment: towards the speaker's father, "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
Tones in 'Daddy'
- Angry: "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
- Sarcastic: "It's not your fault / It's not my fault / It's not"
- Ironic: "You died before I had time --- /Marble-heavy, a bag full of God"
- Resentful: "I have had to kill you. / You died before I had time"
Test your understanding of the symbols, imagery, and wordplay in Sylvia Plath's "Daddy" with this quiz from Shmoop. Delve into the poetic elements and gain a deeper insight into the poem's meaning.
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