The Collosus
Among the many mythical themes present in the poetry of Sylvia Plath, the archetype of the Father figure is one of the most prominent. Plath's life circumstances and creative genius conspire to create a depiction of the male figure that encompasses the traditional mythical associations with God, as well as the integral qualities that define masculinity. The poem "The Collosus" is a depiction of idolatry and humanities search for the archetype of the father-God. In "Daddy" the father myth is approached from an opposite angle, as Plath defines her symbol not as God, but as the opposing force of the Devil. Plath's mythical Father is representative not only of metaphysical concepts, he also embodies all of what is traditionally masculine. The overriding male figure of Plath's poetry is not simply an element of Plath's autobiography, it is a symbol of power and masculinity that is relevant to all humanity.In the poem "The Collosus" Plath mythologizes her own father. The poem conveys the intense impact that Otto Plath had on his daughter, and the immensity of her mental construction of him after his death. The title alone suggests the power of his memory; the reasons for this importance are various. Firstly, it seems likely that at t
The father symbol as portrayed in "The Collosus" is equivalent with the world for Plath. His brow is "weedy acres," and his hair and bones are "littered...to the horizon-line." This father image constitutes the physical elements of existence for the speaker. This aspect of the poem seems representative of the intense importance of the symbol of the father in Plath's psyche. Finally, the paramount attitude of the speaker in relation to the colossus is that of resignation. The father symbol is Plath's entire world, around which the universe revolves: "A blue sky out of the Oresteia/ Arches above us," "I squat in/... your left ear/... Counting the red stars and those of plum-color./ The sun rises under the pillar of your tongue." Her world is inextricably connected to the father figure, and she seeks no escape or change of vantage point; "No longer do I listen for the scrape of a keel/ On the blank stones of the landing." The only human symbol that can compare to this immense image of the father is that of God. Like the colossus for the speaker, God is unquestionably paramount to believers. The people fully under the influence of the symbol of God do not seek an alternative, instead resigning themselves completely to His protection. Plath's image of the father as portrayed in "The Colossus" transcends its relevance to her psyche specifically, gaining a level of mythological meaning that ties it to the innate human construction of the symbol of God. This image of the colossus is representative of the human concept of God. Plath's recognizes her symbol as life giver, "Nights, I squat in the cornucopia/ Of your left ear, out of the wind.
Some topics in this essay:
Sylvia Plath,
Oresteia/ Arches,
Daddy Plath,
Roman Forum,
God Plath's,
Otto Plath,
Colossus Plath,
Devil Plath's,
Man's God,
Judeo-Christian God,
father symbol,
symbol god,
image father,
god colossus,
human concept,
innate human,
symbol father,
poem collosus,
opposite angle,
human symbol,
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Approximate Word count = 1112
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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