TSOP ORAL

The poem, “Two Sisters of Persephone”, by Sylvia Plath exhibits a clear uncomplicated theme at first sight, but it then progresses into a mythological allegory as the poet reflects and discusses the role of women in the time specific to the setting of the poem. The poem written in 1956, the year Plath got married, introduces a phase in her life. Thus the poem represents two prospective paths for Plath and reveals her severe depression that she underwent as a young girl and continued throughout her adulthood. The speaker’s lack of ability to merge two personalities in this poem leads to her downfall. This is shown by the means of textual and literary devices, as well as mythological references. Plath’s background and upbringing along with Greek myths allows the reader to sense a part of Plath’s quandary whilst relating the obstacles she has undergone throughout her life to many women.

Sylvia Plath, born in October 1932, went through a great amount of depression which never receded due to her father’s death in 1940. She unsuccessfully attempted suicide at the ages of 10 and 20. However, in 1954 things seemed hopeful, with Plath obtaining a scholarship to Harvard summer school, then in 1955 with her graduation from Smith College and her attendance to Cambridge University on Fulbright fellowship. On the 16th of June in 1956 Plath was married to Ted Hughes, who was also a poet.

The poem is centred around a mythological allusion to the Greek goddess Persephone, who was the goddess of the underworld and fertility in Greek mythology. Persephone was abducted by the King of the underworld, Hades. Persephone’s mother, Demeter was broken-hearted. As a result she wandered the earth looking for her daughter. When she had heard what happened sh...

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...d critical in understanding the theme; as it also compels the reader to finish the stanza rather than pausing, hence forcing the attention of the reader directly to the next stanza. This suggest that the two conflicting personalities existing in the poem may in fact belong to one individual. It is as though the author is attempting to represent and describe two sides of a personality. Furthermore, Plath firmly obeys a specific form of seven four-line stanzas although in each stanza the position of commas and full-stops differs.

In conclusion, the poem “Two Sisters of Persephone, is a self-portrait of its author where Plath sees in herself the potential for a dry life, spinsterish life of intellect and little else, combined with the conflicting approaching concept of herself as a vital and sparkling woman made complete in motherhood, nature's most extravagant gift.