Tulips Flashcards

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1
Q

Key points

A
  • Written about some flowers she received while in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy.
  • The unrhyming septets with an iambic base give it a gentle rhythm
  • The powerful use of color contrasts conveys the conflict between her yearning for isolation and serenity, and the vivid demands of family life.
  • To the speaker in Tulips, isolation is the epitome of liberty. Thus, the flowers, which remind her that this isolation is only temporary, disturb this serenity.
  • The persona struggles to be understood, by herself and others, in a patriarchal world where she is expected to take on familial duties- link to Plath’s children and problems with Hughes.
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2
Q

Key quotations

A
  • ‘I did not want any flowers, I only wanted to be utterly empty’
  • ‘It is winter here’
  • ‘Little smiling hooks’
  • Compares the tulips to ‘an awful baby’
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