Poetry

» christinehamm - the real "Daddy"

This is an interesting reading of the poem. Many biographers point to the fact that Plath wrote this right after her husband left her for another woman. Some critics see the anger expressed in the poem as aimed at her husband, who she often worshipped like a "Daddy".

-- posted by christinehamm

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» Linda Sue Grimes - the real "Daddy"

In response to the real "Daddy" posted by christinehamm:

Dear Christine,

Quite possibly those critics are prompted by the line "If I've killed one man, I've killed two." It would be interesting to explore the images in the poem that point to the specific men in Plath's life.

For example, if you wanted to argue that the poem is directed at Hughes instead of Otto Plath, how would one account for the lines "black shoe / In which I have lived like a foot/ For thirty years"? She was married to Hughes fewer than seven years.

And the lines "You stand at the blackboard, daddy, / In the picture I have of you, / A cleft in your chin instead of your foot"? Otto Plath had a cleft in his chin and Hughes did not. And of course, the whole German thing with Nazis is surely motivated by Otto Plath's German background.

Still that she was prompted by anger and hatred because of Hughes' affair with Assia Wevill is undeniable and perhaps she heaped that anger on her father.

My purpose in the explication of poems is to reveal what the speaker of the poem is saying, not necessarily what the poet is bringing to poem. Such biographical readings of poem can be helpful, but detract from the poem as a drama in itself. And as the old New Critics, pointed out, the reader cannot know the exact intentions of the poet; the reader can only experience what is in the poem.

Thank you for responding.

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