Medusa - Sylvia Path

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The poem Medusa is written by Sylvia Plath. To begin, I will explain the myth of medusa. In mythology “one of the three gorgons”, Medusa had snakes for hair and the ability to turn men to stone. Where in the start of the poem the speaker describe as "eyes rolled by white sticks" and "ears cupping the sea's incoherence’s convey a sense of the Medusa's dull and unreliable senses, which is borne out in such later accusations, such as, "I didn't call you at all. Nevertheless, nevertheless, you steamed to me over the sea . . ." The person whom the speaker is addressing, the "Medusa," seems to be across the Atlantic Ocean FROM the speaker. This can be show on line 4 of stanza 5 :"You steamed to me over the sea . . ." and on line 2 and 3 of stanza 3 , "Did I escape, I wonder? My mind winds to you, old barnacled umbilicus, Atlantic Cable . . ." the speaker seems to be observing Medusa's from this landspit suggested at the beginning of the poem. Furthermore, the speaker is also addressing medusa in a religious point of view. “Ghastly Vatican” in the second last stanza is an imagery that suggests this religion is catholic. Where through out the poem there is always this reference to the religion on line 1 of stanza 3 “Dragging their Jesus hair.”. Continue with line 3 of third last stanza “A communion wafer? Blubbery Mary?” However, right after the imagery of a communion wafer….” The speaker stated “I shall take no bite of your body” This gives a sense of fighting back and refusing to partake in the religious ritual as if the speaker wants freedom from the restriction of religion or even more. More over, the poem is filled with alliteration and assonance, on line 1 of stanza 4 “In any case, you are always there” this assonance of repetition of the vowel sound “a” gives fluidity to this poem. Another example will be “squeezing the breath from the blood bells” The alliteration

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