Associated Resources

• Compare the ways in which Plath and Duffy use language to convey the theme of anger.doc
• Teacher Notes on D grade essay.doc
• Using exemplar essays to improve students’ work

Both Plath and Duffy express attitudes towards the theme of anger, through the use of language.  Both poets’ ideas though are conveyed in different ways.  Plath expresses her emotions through reference from her own experiences which have given her inspiration, but with Duffy, she uses the persona of other people to explore deeper meaning and...

Associated Resources

• Compare the ways in which Plath and Duffy use language to convey a sense of childhood.doc
• Teacher version with comments - Plath and Duffy - Childhood.doc
• Using exemplar essays to improve students’ work

Plath and Duffy both explore the theme of childhood in their poetry from different angles.  In the poems selected here, Duffy presents childhood as a memory: vague and tantalising in Beachcomber and specific and threatening in Welltread, while Plath presents childhood by exploring the development of an unborn child and...

Associated Resources

• Compare the ways in which Plath and Larkin use language to convey ideas of violence.doc
• Teacher version with comments - Plath and Larkin - Violence.doc
• Using exemplar essays to improve students’ work

Violence is an aspect which is clearly present in some of Plath and Larkin’s poetry, but each conveys this theme in different ways and forms.  Larkin tends to express his ideas about society by means of a persona different to himself, which he does in the two poems selected here, using violent imagery and connotations to...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to the coursework task.

Words are described as painful, long-lasting and having a life of their own.

References: Some see this poem as being about the effectiveness of words (they cut, draw tears, carry on without their rider), while others see the sense of fate at the end as suggesting that everything is hopeless after all.  This poem was written 1/2/63, ten days before her suicide.

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for two questions. 

A dead woman is described.

References: Many link this poem to the story of Medea, who killed her children to punish her husband Jason after he abandoned her when a King offered Jason his daughter, probably because of the Greek references (Medea did not also kill herself).  Some claim this poem indicates that Plath considered killing the children as well as herself.  The moon here may be seen as Plath’s mother, who is used to mourning. ...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself well to this comparative coursework task.

The speaker seems to be complaining about being treated too kindly, as though people are ‘tiptoeing round’ her.

References: This was produced ten days before her suicide (1/2/63).  Some think that Dame Kindness is her mother and the poem seems to express frustration with being unable to really express things.

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of nature.

Poppies are described in a range of ways.

References: The derivation of opiates from poppies may not be known by all students – the ‘glass capsule’ is probably a drug reference, leading to the stupor captured by “colourless”.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: nature (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: simple and minor sentences; shock of fourth stanza...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of childhood.

The speaker describes balloons and how a small boy bites and bursts one.

References: This was one of the last poems Plath wrote, one week before her death.  She wrote ‘Edge’ on the same day.  Some see it as a farewell to her children, but it’s not clear that she knew when she would die.  It seems she often thought of suicide and didn’t plan...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to this coursework task.

A seemingly male speaker describes their existence and viewpoint from inside an iron lung.

References: Plath may have been inspired by a man in a coma she saw whilst in hospital.  It’s worth explaining to students that ‘paralytic’ was a medical term before being used for drunkenness!

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to the most able students for the theme of death.

Image after image of death and destruction is presented.

References: Smithfield = butcher’s market in London; “stick that rattles and clicks” is reminiscent of a witchdoctor or ‘medicine man’.  Each section has a death-figure, including the train, the butcher, the spider.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: death (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: pared-down style...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to a most able student for the theme of femininity.

The mannequins are described in their sterile coldness.

References: This very late poem (written 28/1/63) seems very critical of women without children, and it is sometimes claimed that Plath wrote this with particular people in mind (possibly Assia Wevill, whom Plath believed to be infertile due to having had abortions).

Links to Duffy/Larkin: femininity...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to this coursework task.

The poem describes the change from one year to the next, and celebrates the idea of movement over that of stillness.

References: The animal references seem to link to the Chinese zodiac.

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of family.

The speaker wrestles with various themes in memory.

References: The poem seems to be about Otto Plath, dealing with imagery of amputation (‘lopping the sausages’), related in this poem to sensory impairment.  The title is a reference to Beethoven’s Great Fugue (or Grosse Fuge) and the idea of recurring patterns/themes, which occur in musical...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself well to this coursework task.

The speaker describes hanging in a tree.

References: The poem is often taken to be about electro-shock therapy.  It predates most of the Ariel poems, being written in June 1960.  The Hanged Man is a tarot card, in which a man hangs from a tree by his foot, and it is supposed to represent a time of waiting, of biding one’s time.  The card image is also related to the Norse myth...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself well to the coursework task.

The persona describes their thoughts while the honey is ‘wintering’.

References: Plath’s father was an expert on bees and she kept bees herself in Devon.  The few gender references might make this worth recommending to a good student looking at gender or femininity.  In Plath’s prepared manuscript, this poem ended the collection.  Hughes rearranged the text to include...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to this coursework task.

The speaker considers incidents involving bees, and seems to identify with the queen.

References: Plath’s father was an expert on bees and she kept bees herself in Devon.  The poem has many domestic references and is fairly cryptic.  It does have interesting things to say about domesticity and female identity within marriage, but there are many lines which are difficult for...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to this coursework task.

The speaker contemplates how to deal with the bees s/he has ordered and been provided with.

References: Plath’s father was an expert on bees and she kept bees herself in Devon.  The bees are often considered to also be a metaphor for the speaker’s thoughts.

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to this coursework task.

The speaker is attending a meeting in which a bee expert is removing potential queens from the hive.

References: Virgin or potential queens are removed from a hive to prevent them attacking the queen to take over – bees are lost in this process, as the new queen would then have to mate (the bride flight) and male bees die after mating. Plath’s father was an expert on bees and she...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of how imagery is used .

The speaker is feverish and describes their state with many different images of heat and purification.

References: Plath (and the children) had been ill with flu when this was written (Oct 1962)

Links to Duffy/Larkin: use of imagery (both)

Lang-Lit Points: loosely-flowing structure (but only occasional enjambment between stanzas);...

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for three different questions.  It is also useful to teach because it is so positive and light in tone.

The poem is addressed to the speaker’s unborn baby.

References: This was written in the last trimester of Plath’s pregnancy with Frieda.  Frieda was born on April 1st 1960.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: family (both), childhood (Duffy), nature (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: Sentence construction – the title is the subject and verb of all sentences in the poem;...

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for four different questions.  It is also useful to teach because it is such a key Plath poem, exemplifies her style so well, and enables discussion about the identity of the persona.

The speaker addresses her father, tracing his demise from god-like to vampiric figure, as she exorcises his influence.

References: Plath clearly locates this as a poem about a fictional person, and adds some biographical detail which does not fit her (e.g. the gypsy ancestress). ...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able students for the theme of individual people.

A woman is compared unfavourably to the moon.

References: Some see this poem as being about Plath’s mother, a rival for her father’s affection (the moon is certainly frequently linked to Aurelia Plath, and there are hints of Medusa also).  It is unlikely to be about Assia Wevill (the woman Hughes left Plath for), as they hadn’t met when this was...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not easily lend itself to comparison with Duffy or Larkin.  Although it could be considered for the theme of isolation, there are more useful poems in the collection.

The speaker seems to describing their ‘territory’ and expressing happiness at being alone.

References: Some have claimed that this is a love letter to Alvarez (the literary critic who praised Plath’s work at an early stage and was a friend of Hughes and...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not easily lend itself to the coursework task.  Although it includes the theme of death, other ‘death’ poems are much more productive.

The speaker ponders what a wrapped birthday gift could be.

References: several things which are white and related to death (or something is usually killed to produce them) – bones, pearl, ivory

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for three questions.  It is also useful to teach as a key poem, using classic Plath symbols.

A scene is described, including a full moon, a yew tree, a graveyard and a church.

References: This poem originated as an exercise suggested by Hughes.  It is worth noting that Plath was interested in alternative and ancient forms of religion (she and Hughes were interested in the occult – see http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/1999/sep/15/features11.g2 ) - the...

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for three different questions.  It is also useful to teach because of its vicious power.

The poem describes ‘Medusa’ and the complex pull she has over the speaker, despite her grotesqueness. 

References: Medusa is usually taken to be Plath’s mother, Aurelia (Medusa jellyfish belong to the genus Aurelia).  Plath may also have been referring to her mother visiting Plath and Hughes when she knew their marriage was in difficulty, to help them.

Links to...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of death.

This poem seems to describe a journey towards death, with many violent and visceral images on the way.

References: Krupp was found guilty of war crimes for arming the Nazis and using Jewish slave labour in his factories; biblical imagery with “Adams side”, referencing Eve’s creation from his rib (and linking death to creation/birth in the...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It does not lend itself to comparison essays with Duffy or Larkin.

Gulliver’s position when captured by Lilliputians is described, with a clear intention to be read as relating to someone else.

References: most see this poem as being about Hughes – either Plath’s view of Assia as “petty”, or as Plath imagining Assia’s view of him as tied down by his marriage and family.

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for five different questions.  It is also useful to teach because of its imagistic and associative style, which is both its attraction and what makes it difficult for students to grasp on first reading.  It could be suggested for an essay on the use of imagery.

A mother watches a child sleep by candlelight, her mind wandering as the candlelight flickers.

References: religious references in this poem give a mixed message, with quasi-blasphemous images early on...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, but it is listed on the student handout for the theme of death.

The poem describes death as a business, with two business partners exemplifying death’s different aspects.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: death (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: colloquial tone/spoken mode feel; nature imagery in last full stanza

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of death or nature.

The poem describes a horse ride at dawn.

References: Ariel was the name of the horse Plath rode, as well as the sprite from The Tempest; Ariel also mean “lion (or lioness) of God”.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: death (Larkin); nature (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: minor sentences; verbs used with “I” (note ‘peeling’ – link to images of...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to highly able students for the theme of death.

Prompted by the death of a neighbour, Percy Key, this poem fuses images of Berck-Plage in Normandy, where war veterans exercised, with references to Key’s death and funeral.

References: amputation imagery arises from the veterans on Berck-Plage and also from Plath’s father’s amputated foot.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: death (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: strong...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of nature or the use of imagery.

The surprise of late-blooming poppies is described in this imagistic poem.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: use of imagery (both), nature (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: odd lexical choice of ‘flamily’; surreal imagery

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of children, as it is more demanding than the others.

The poem conveys a sense of a baby’s night-time movements, whilst expressing wonder at the child and a sense of distance between parent and child.

References: Hughes said that this poem was about the way Nick would move around in his cot as a baby.  The calla and tiger are both lilies.

Links to...

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for three different questions.  It is also useful to teach because it gives perhaps the clearest description of Plath’s mental state in the collection, and would be tricky for students to tackle alone.

An elm tree addresses a person, using images of desperation and of being split.  It seems to describe madness in a kind of fractured personality – a sense of alienness within oneself.

References: This poem was originally entitled “Elm Speaks”.  Ruth...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, but it is listed on the student handout for the theme of violence.

Having cut her thumb, the speaker describes the state of it with many varied comparisons.

References: Susan O’Neill Roe was a young woman who worked for Plath as a babysitter and helped her with housework.  Plath was sorry to lose her when she left the area to become a nurse.  There are lots of references to US history in this poem (pilgrim & Indian, redcoats, Ku Klux Klan), and some see evidence here of...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, but it is listed on the student handout for the theme of isolation.

The speaker has received tulips whilst in hospital, but they annoy and upset her.

References: Plath did write this whilst in hospital, having had an appendectomy after a miscarriage in 1961.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: isolation (both)

Lang-Lit Points: present tense used mostly; end-stopped stanzas (relatively unusual); semantic fields of body parts and ocean/water-related; visceral imagery

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for two different questions.  It is also useful to teach because it is such a ‘classic’ Plath poem.  It could also be recommended to more able/interested students for the themes of femininity or use of imagery.

Lady Lazarus explains how she dies and is reborn, in a kind of performance, at ten-year intervals.

References: Nazi/Jewish references may need explaining (and might be worth discussion – some think Plath is unreasonable to compare her relatively...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, but it is listed on the student handout for the theme of narrative voice/persona.  It could also be recommended to more able/interested students for the themes of marriage or femininity.

The poem is a sales pitch, where the salesman is offering a wife to a man.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: narrative voice/persona (both), marriage (Larkin), femininity (Larkin)

Lang-Lit Points: grotesque/surreal imagery; imperative and interrogative sentences; chant-like rhythm and repetition;...

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, but it is listed on the student handout for the theme of isolation.

The poem describes a foggy view, using bleak imagery.

Links to Duffy/Larkin: isolation (both)

Lang-Lit Points: repetition of negative suffix (starless and fatherless); odd lexical choice of “threaten”

This poem is not included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, nor is it mentioned on the student handout.  It could be recommended to more able/interested students for the theme of marriage.

An imperious persona rejects three gifts offered, the last of which implies marriage (“a ring of gold”). 

References: “the immaculate/Cauldron” is a reference to the divine feminine (Plath had been reading Graves’s The White Goddess); the separation indicated by “nine black alps” may be a reference to the daughters of Proteus.

Links...

This poem is included as a taught poem in the scheme of work, as it could be used for three different questions.  It is also useful to teach because it is one of the most positive poems in the collection, and typical in many ways (typical Plath ideas, some quite obscure lines).

The poem is written to a baby, expressing the mother’s feelings about it and describing its cries.

References: written after a miscarriage about a year after Frieda was born.  Students often assume it was produced when Frieda was a newborn; this additional layer of...

Associated Resources

• A Guide to Teaching Larkin’s Whitsun Weddings for ELLA4
• A Guide to Teaching Duffy’s Mean Time for ELLA4
• Lang Lit A2 New Coursework Scheme 2011-12.doc
• Lang Lit A2 Possible Coursework Titles 2011-12.doc

This guide is to support the teaching of Plath’s Ariel, together with Duffy’s Mean Time and Larkin’s Whitsun Weddings for ELLA4.

The unit title is “Comparative Analysis through Independent Study”, so students are expected to do some of the work for themselves.

Thus, in the scheme accompanying this guide, the...