Week 2, Question 1

Nikole Neiberger
Professor Bolaski
English 103
04 July 2009

1. Sylvia Plath's poetry is considered "confessional poetry". Do a bit of investigation, find out what you can about confessional poetry and its roots, and explain how this poem conforms to that genre.
Confessional poetry was first termed by an accomplished poet by the name of Mach Louis Rosenthal. His own essay "Poetry as confession", is credited to be a fine example of confessional poetry. The term "confession" is applicable to this form of poetry due to the writers of this form not masking their emotions in the writing to conform with social norms. Often the subjects of this form of poetry are unflattering such as illness, sexuality, and despondence. Confessional poetry has been used as a therapeutic process for writers suffering from mental illness. The reader and teh writer often gain much insight about unsightly dilemmas from this form of poetry.
Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy" is an example of Confessional poetry because she speaks almost shamefully honest about her feelings. She says "Daddy, I have had to kill you./you died before I had time-" (l 6-7, p. 263). Obviously it is disturbing to hear anyone say they need to kill their father in a literal sense, however, what she is really saying is since he is already gone she is going to have to let him go in her mind and her emotions. A less honest example of this way of thinking is one lover breaking up with another lover when they know the other is about to leave because this sort of emotional pre-emptive strike is a form of self preservation.