Poppies in July by Sylvia Plath

Question 1

Subject

Answer 1

• The poet expresses her exhaustion with the bright colours of the world by using the images of bright red poppies.
• The speaker has more of an interest in what she can gain from these poppies, the opium.
• At the end of the poem, the speaker ingests this poem and she has a more satisfied mindset.

Question 2

Context

Answer 2

-Written 1962, shortly after Plath had confirmed Hughes’ affair with Wevill.

Question 3

Language Techniques

Answer 3

Symbolism

• Plath associated the colour red with dynamic life forces such as creativity as well as violence.
• Poppies symbolise longing to be in a comatose state. Plath is drawing on the opiate qualities of the poppy.

Question 4

Mood

Answer 4

This is quite an angry poem, coming from Plath at a stage where she was rightfully angry at the world.

Question 5

Form and Structure

Answer 5

Form
-We can label this poem as an Apostrophe.
-Plath is exploiting a very ancient form of poem where the speaker addresses an inanimate object or absent person.
-The speaker is a victim of some from of abuse (Hughes’ betrayal?)
Structure
-Fifteen line poem structured into seven couplets and a single, concluding one-line stanza.
-No regular rhyme scheme
-Lines vary in length