Tulips - Plath Notes

Tulips

Lexis: Colour semantic field – whiteness. Symbolises sterile setting, newness/fresh start, death and peace/purity – religious connotations. Semantic field of hospitals – sickness but also healing. Juxtaposition of ‘smiles’ and ‘hooks’ – love is pain. Use of hyperbole to create dramatic contrast.

Imagery: Winter to symbolise the state of the speaker’s mind-set, opposite of spring – time of life/fertility. Possibly longing for death with winter as the end. ‘A dozen red lead sinkers round my neck.’ Drowning imagery, previously water felt good like baptism - Links to religious imagery.

Syntax: Lists used, suggests she is fragmented.

Form: nine seven…