Analysis of Sylvia Plath's Poem "Mushrooms".

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In “Mushrooms”, Sylvia Plath metaphorically compares the progression and development of several subjects with the growth of mushrooms: Firstly, the poem refers to the struggle of women throughout history as well as Plath’s struggle in order to be noticed and valued by the society. This theme of feminism reflect Plath’s own life which is her constant search for identity and the effort she puts in to prove herself to her manipulative husband. Finally, the development mentioned in this poem might be a reference to Cold War in which the lower class people fought in order to gain more power and statues. The use of literary techniques such as metaphors, similes, choice of diction, as well as enjambment and free verse has aided Plath to reveal her self-development along with the success of feminism and perhaps the Cold War. This poem is a conceit. As the result, females, Plath, and the victims of the Cold War are compared to “mushrooms”. Throughout the poem, the choice of diction has reinforced the conceit further. The reference to earth, soil, and ground, “loam…grains…crannies” further reveals the existence of mushrooms from the soil. At the same time, these examples reveal the nature of a women and the idea of Mother Nature. A woman in family in particularly mothers is considered as the bases for a family, responsible for creation, and thus a pivotal part of the society. These suggest that women are the basis on which society is developed. The choice of diction also reinforces the conceit. “Whitely” is a diction associated with women as it represents virtue, purity, and innocence. In fact, the choice of diction represents the traditional/stereotyped women and the expectations from them. As an example, “soft” represents the delicate, fragile, and vulnerable characteristics that are identified with females. In addition to this point, women are associated with domestic work

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