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Transcript

MUSHROOMS

BY SYLVIA PLATH

WRITTEN IN 1960

MUSHROOMS BY SYLVIA PLATH

SYLVIA (1932-1963)

THE POET

  • AMERICAN POET
  • SHE HAD AN IQ OF ABOUT 160 (AVERAGE = 90-115)
  • PUBLISHED HER FIRST POEM AT 8 YEARS OLD
  • SUFFERED FROM BIPOLAR DISORDER
  • MARRIED ANOTHER POET, TED HUGHES
  • TOOK HER LIFE AT 30 YEARS OLD BY INHALING GAS FROM A KITCHEN OVEN

THE POEM

THE POEM

THE STRUCTURE OF THE POEM

THE STRUCTURE

  • 11 STANZAS
  • 3 LINES IN EACH STANZA
  • LINES ARE SIMILAR IN LENGTH
  • FREE VERSE - NO RHYME SCHEME

ANALYSIS

STANZA 1

  • THE TITLE SAYS IT'S ABOUT MUSHROOMS
  • MUSHROOMS GROW 'OVERNIGHT'
  • 'QUIETLY' & 'DISCREETLY' - CAN'T HEAR MUSHROOMS GROW
  • 'WHITELY' - MUSHROOMS' COLOUR

  • SYLVIA LOVED METAPHORS SO IT CAN'T JUST BE ABOUT MUSHROOMS
  • MUSHROOMS REPRESENT OPPRESSED GROUPS PREPARING FOR A REVOLUTION - EG. WOMEN

STANZA 2 & 3

  • HUMAN 'TOES' & 'NOSES' DESCRIBE MUSHROOMS
  • 'LOAM' IS RICH SOIL
  • 'ACQUIRE THE AIR' - ARE THE PEOPLE/ MUSHROOMS SUFFOCATING?

  • NOBODY 'SEES', 'STOPS' OR 'BETRAYS' THEM - THEY'RE OVERLOOKED & UNNOTICED IN SOCIETY

STANZA

2 & 3

STANZA 4 & 5

STANZA

4 & 5

  • HUMAN 'FISTS' - SYMBOL OF REVOLUTION
  • 'SOFT' FISTS - NON-VIOLENT REVOLUTION
  • WOMEN ARE DESCRIBED AS 'SOFT'
  • IMAGE OF A MUSHROOM PUSHING THROUGH PINE NEEDLES

  • MUSHROOMS ARE PUSHING THROUGH PAVINGS, THEY'RE GETTING STRONGER
  • TOPS OF MUSHROOMS DESCRIBED AS 'HAMMERS' & 'RAMS'
  • 'EARLESS' & 'EYELESS' - WOMEN SHOULDN'T SEE OR HEAR THINGS MEN DON'T LET THEM

STANZA 6 & 7

STANZA

6 & 7

  • ENJAMBEMENT FROM STANZA 5
  • 'VOICELESS' - WOMEN TO BE MUTE
  • IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD SO LIKE MUSHROOMS, THEY FORCED THEMSELVES INTO ANY SPACE THEY COULD
  • STANZA LEAVES US HANGING WITH 'WE'

  • 'DIET ON WATER', 'SHADOWS' - MUSHROOMS GROW IN WET, DARK PLACES
  • 'CRUMBS' - THE LAST BITS OF BREAD
  • WOMEN WERE EXPECTED TO BE 'BLAND MANNERED', ALMOST NOT LIKE HUMANS

STANZA 8 & 9

  • WOMEN ASK FOR 'LITTLE OR NOTHING'
  • NEXT 2 LINES REPEATED - CHANTED BY A GROUP

  • 'SHELVES' & 'TABLES' - DESCRIBE A MUSHROOM TOP & ARE HOME FURNISHINGS - DESCRIBING HOUSEWIVES
  • MEEK - WEAK & SUBMISSIVE
  • EDIBLE - CONSUMED BY MEN

STANZA

8 & 9

STANZA 10 & 11

  • 'NUDGERS & SHOVERS' - PUSH PAST PEOPLE
  • 'IN SPITE OF OURSELVES' - SOME WOMEN ARE PART OF THE ISSUE
  • 'OUR KIND MULTIPLIES' - BUT THERE ARE MORE WILLING TO FIGHT

  • 'WE SHALL BY MORNING' - THE TIME TO REVOLT WILL COME
  • 'INHERIT THE EARTH' - BIBLE ALLUSION (MATTHEW 5:5)
  • A 'FOOT IN THE DOOR' - MAKE THE FIRST MOVE TOWARDS A GOAL

STANZA

10 & 11

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