Daddy by Sylvia Plath

Daddy by Sylvia Plath


After reading "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath, answer the following questions:
 1. Does the poem exhibit the speaker's love for her father or her hatred of him? Explain.
 2. What type of man does the speaker marry (see lines 61 - 70)?
3. How does the speaker characterize her husband and her father in the last two stanzas? Might the "Daddy" of the last line of the poem refer to something more than the speaker's father? Explain.
4. What emotional associations does the title "Daddy" possess? Are those associations reinforced or contradicted by the poem?
5. This poem certainly speaks to the topic of love; the poet's "love" for her father and her very different "love" for her husband. This poem also speaks to the topic of alienation in that it is clear that Plath is completely alienated from the individuals discussed in the poem, as well as from herself and from life. Discuss the topics of love and alienation in this poem.
6. Do you like this poem? Why, or why not?
Your initial post should be a mini-essay that explains your view in depth. Provide sufficient support from the texts to build a convincing argument. Your reply should be substantial and should attempt to build on the original post in a constructive, meaningful way. Simple replies like "good job" or "I agree" are not sufficient.