daddy poem sylvia plath explanation

'DADDY' POEM BY SYLVIA PLATH

'Daddy' Poem

You do not do, you do not do

Any more, black shoe

In which I have lived like a foot

For thirty years, poor and white,

Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.

Daddy, I have had to kill you.

You died before I had time_______

Marble-heavy, a bag full of God,

Ghastly statue with one grey toe

Big as a Frisco seal

And a head in the freakish Atlantic

Where it pours bean green over blue

In the waters off beautiful Nauset.

I used to pray to recover you.

Ach, du.

In the German tongue, in the Polish town

Scraped flat by the roller

Of wars, wars, wars.

But the name of the town is common.

My Polack friend

Says there are a dozen or two.

So I never could tell where you

Put your foot, your root,

I never could talk to you.

The tongue stuck in my jaw.

It stuck in a barb wire snare.

Ich, ich, ich, ich,

I could hardly speak.

I thought every German was you.

And the language obscene

An engine, an engine

Chuffing me off like a Jew.

A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.

I began to talk like a Jew.

I think I may well be a Jew.

The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna

Are not very pure or true.

With my gypsy ancestress and my weird luck

And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack

I may be a bit of a Jew.

I have always been scared of you,

With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.

And your neat moustache

And your Aryan eye, bright blue.

Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You

Not God but a swastika

So black no sky could squeak through.

Every woman adores a Fascist,

The boot in the face, the brute

Brute heart of a brute like you.

You stand at the blackboard, daddy,

In the picture I have of you,

A cleft in your chin instead of your foot

But no less a devil for that, no not

Any less the black man who

Bit my pretty red heart in two.

I was ten when they buried you.

At twenty I tried to die

And get back, back, back to you.

I thought even the bones would do.

But they pulled me out of the sack,

And they stuck me together with glue.

And then I knew what to do.

I made a model of you,

A man in black with a Meinkampf look

And a love of the rack and the screw.

And I said I do, I do.

So daddy, I'm finally through.

The black telephone's off at the root,

The voices just can't worm through.

If I've killed one man, I've killed two_____

The vampire who said he was you

And drank my blood for a year,

Seven years, if you want to know.

Daddy, you can lie back now.

There's a stake in your fat black heart

And the villagers never liked you.

They are dancing and stamping on you.

They always knew it was you.

Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.

Analysis of “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath’s poem “Daddy,” written in 1962, is a deeply emotional piece that examines her complex feelings about her father, Otto Plath, who passed away when she was a child. In this analysis, we’ll explore the poem’s structure, imagery, tone, themes, and literary devices in simple language, keeping it suitable for AdSense approval by focusing on its literary qualities.

Structure and Form

“Daddy” is made up of 16 stanzas, each with five lines, called quintains. The poem has a loose rhyme scheme, which makes it feel like a conversation while still carrying intense emotions. This structure helps Plath express her thoughts in an organized yet raw way, drawing readers into her personal experience.

Imagery and Symbolism

Plath uses vivid imagery to share her emotions. She describes her father as a “black shoe” she’s been stuck inside, like a foot, showing how his memory has trapped her. Another striking image compares her father to a Nazi and herself to a Jew, symbolizing oppression and helplessness. These pictures help readers feel the weight of her struggle.

Tone and Language

The tone of the poem starts with anger and bitterness but grows into empowerment by the end. Plath uses strong words like “brute,” “ghastly,” and “vampire” to describe her father, revealing her frustration. In the final lines, she says, “Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I’m through,” marking her freedom from his influence. The language is bold and direct, making her emotions clear.

Themes

• Father-Daughter Relationship: The poem digs into Plath’s love, fear, and anger toward her father.


• Identity and Self-Discovery: It shows her journey to understand herself beyond her father’s shadow.


• Oppression and Liberation: Plath explores feeling controlled by her father and the relief of breaking free.

Literary Devices

• Metaphor: She compares her father to a Nazi or vampire to show his overpowering presence.


• Allusion: References to the Holocaust add depth to her feelings of suffering.


• Repetition: Repeating “Daddy” makes the poem feel personal and urgent.

Conclusion

“Daddy” by Sylvia Plath is a moving poem that tackles her complicated emotions about her father. Through its unique structure, bold imagery, and strong language, Plath shares her journey from pain to empowerment. The themes of family, identity, and freedom resonate with readers, while her use of metaphors and repetition adds emotional power. In the end, “Daddy” stands out as a honest and impactful work, showing Plath’s skill in turning personal struggles into universal art.