It is predictable to find the term tragic when discussing the marriage between two poets, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. This sense of tragedy is often expressed as relating to human emotions of sadness. In The Birth of Tragedy, however, Nietzsche uses the term to discuss attic tragedy, or also known as ancient Greek drama. Nietzsche sets forth the concept of the Apollonian and Dionysian duality, and the perpetual strife between these two opposite forces can be applied to other aesthetic inquiries. Most understandably, the method of looking at the two poets should be our priority in discussing their poetry. In order to incorporate Nietzsche’s aesthetic framework, we must dispel the view of Plath as a confessional poet while inspecting some of Hughes’ consistent poetic techniques. Although the two poets find common ground on some of their style and themes, Plath and Hughes can be distinguished based on their approach to their poems. In light of Nietzsche’s view of tragic forces, Hughes is revealed as driven mainly through Apollonian sense of craft while Plath embodies the Dionysian spirit in her poems.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Plath as a Confessional Poet
- Plath and the Theme of Polarity
- Hughes and the Apollonian Approach
- Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian Duality
- Applying Nietzschean Aesthetics to Plath and Hughes
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay examines the marriage of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes through the lens of Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian duality, challenging the common perception of Plath as solely a confessional poet. It analyzes their poetic styles and thematic concerns, exploring how their works reflect and engage with this philosophical framework.
- The limitations of labeling Plath as a confessional poet.
- The recurring theme of polarity (life and death) in Plath's poetry.
- Hughes's use of anthropomorphism and myth as an Apollonian approach.
- The application of Nietzsche's Apollonian/Dionysian framework to literary analysis.
- A comparative analysis of Plath and Hughes' poetic styles and themes.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This introductory section sets the stage for the essay by establishing the prevalent perception of tragedy surrounding Plath and Hughes' marriage and introducing Nietzsche's concept of Apollonian and Dionysian duality as a framework for analyzing their poetry. It previews the essay's focus on challenging the confessional poet label applied to Plath and differentiating the approaches of both poets. The introduction lays out the central argument that Hughes demonstrates an Apollonian approach while Plath embodies the Dionysian.
Plath as a Confessional Poet: This section critically examines the common categorization of Plath as a confessional poet, arguing against a solely biographical interpretation of her work. While acknowledging the autobiographical elements, it emphasizes the artistic elaboration and complexity of her poetry, highlighting how her poems transcend mere personal confession to explore broader themes of life and death. Examples like "The Lady and the Earthenware Head" and "Words heard, by accident, over the phone" are presented as instances where personal experience is transformed into art. The chapter stresses the importance of appreciating Plath's sophisticated poetic techniques rather than reducing her work to confessional narratives.
Plath and the Theme of Polarity: This section delves into the central theme of polarity—the conflict between opposing forces such as life and death—that permeates Plath's poetry. Poems such as "Getting There" and "Lady Lazarus" are analyzed to illustrate this central theme and Plath’s artistic expression of it. The chapter connects Plath's exploration of these opposing forces to Nietzsche's concept of the perpetual strife between the Apollonian and Dionysian, showcasing how Plath’s poetry grapples with these fundamental tensions through imagery and recurring motifs of rebirth and destruction. The chapter establishes a connection between Plath's intense engagement with life and death and the core tenets of Nietzsche's Dionysian.
Hughes and the Apollonian Approach: This section contrasts Plath's Dionysian tendencies with Hughes's Apollonian approach. It explores how Hughes utilizes anthropomorphic subjects and primitive myths, acting as a mediating force between raw experience and artistic expression. Poems like "Eclipse" are analyzed as examples of Hughes transforming experience into carefully constructed poetic visions. The chapter argues that Hughes's use of myth functions as an Apollonian illusion, a way of making the tragedy of human life comprehensible and manageable through detailed descriptions and crafted imagery, contrasting directly with Plath's more direct engagement with raw emotion. This section highlights Hughes' deliberate crafting of poetic form and vision as a way of controlling and expressing intense experience in a way that is fundamentally different from Plath's style.
Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian Duality: This chapter provides a deeper explanation of Nietzsche's concepts of Apollonian and Dionysian forces as presented in *The Birth of Tragedy*. It outlines the fundamental differences between these two artistic forces: the Apollonian as the dream-like construction of illusion and beauty, and the Dionysian as ecstatic participation in the raw realities of human suffering. The chapter explains how these forces, though opposing, are fundamentally necessary for the creation of art, particularly in the context of Greek tragedy, providing the theoretical basis for the subsequent analysis of Plath and Hughes' poetry.
Applying Nietzschean Aesthetics to Plath and Hughes: This section directly applies Nietzsche's framework to an analysis of Plath and Hughes' poetry. It argues that Hughes's use of myth in his work functions as an Apollonian illusion, creating distance and enabling him to safely represent the Dionysian suffering. Hughes's careful crafting and attention to detail in poems like "Eclipse" exemplify the Apollonian impulse to control and refine. In contrast, Plath's direct confrontation with themes of life and death, her willingness to embrace the intense and chaotic nature of experience, strongly aligns with the Dionysian. This concluding analytical section synthesizes the preceding sections, reinforcing the central argument about the contrasting poetic styles and thematic approaches of Plath and Hughes within the framework of Nietzsche's philosophy.
Keywords
Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Nietzsche, Apollonian, Dionysian, confessional poetry, anthropomorphism, myth, polarity, life and death, Greek tragedy, artistic duality, poetic style, comparative literary analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comparative Analysis of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes Through the Lens of Nietzschean Aesthetics
What is the main focus of this essay?
This essay examines the marriage and poetic works of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes through the framework of Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian duality. It challenges the common perception of Plath as solely a confessional poet and analyzes their contrasting poetic styles and thematic concerns.
What are the key themes explored in the essay?
Key themes include the limitations of labeling Plath as a confessional poet; the recurring theme of polarity (life and death) in Plath's poetry; Hughes's use of anthropomorphism and myth as an Apollonian approach; the application of Nietzsche's Apollonian/Dionysian framework to literary analysis; and a comparative analysis of Plath and Hughes' poetic styles and themes.
How does the essay utilize Nietzsche's philosophy?
The essay uses Nietzsche's concepts of Apollonian (order, form, illusion) and Dionysian (chaos, emotion, raw experience) forces to analyze the contrasting approaches of Plath and Hughes. It argues that Hughes adopts an Apollonian approach, while Plath embodies the Dionysian.
What are the chapter summaries?
The essay includes an introduction outlining its argument and methodology; a chapter challenging the "confessional poet" label applied to Plath; a chapter exploring the theme of polarity in Plath's work; a chapter examining Hughes's Apollonian style through his use of anthropomorphism and myth; a chapter explaining Nietzsche's Apollonian/Dionysian duality; and a concluding chapter applying this framework to a comparative analysis of Plath and Hughes' poetry.
How does the essay analyze Sylvia Plath's poetry?
The essay analyzes Plath's poetry, demonstrating how her work transcends mere personal confession to explore broader themes of life and death and aligns with the Dionysian principle through its engagement with raw emotion and intense experience. Specific poems like "The Lady and the Earthenware Head," "Words heard, by accident, over the phone," "Getting There," and "Lady Lazarus" are discussed.
How does the essay analyze Ted Hughes's poetry?
The essay analyzes Hughes's poetry, arguing that his use of anthropomorphism and myth represents an Apollonian approach, creating distance and allowing for a controlled representation of intense experiences. Poems like "Eclipse" are used as examples of this controlled, Apollonian style.
What are the key differences between Plath and Hughes' poetic styles according to the essay?
The essay highlights the contrast between Plath's Dionysian direct engagement with raw emotion and experience and Hughes's Apollonian approach which utilizes controlled structures, myth, and anthropomorphism to create distance and order.
What are the keywords associated with this essay?
Keywords include: Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Nietzsche, Apollonian, Dionysian, confessional poetry, anthropomorphism, myth, polarity, life and death, Greek tragedy, artistic duality, poetic style, comparative literary analysis.
What is the overall argument of the essay?
The essay's central argument is that while both poets dealt with intense themes, Plath's poetic style aligns more closely with the Dionysian, characterized by raw emotion and direct confrontation with life and death, whereas Hughes's style aligns with the Apollonian, demonstrated through controlled structures and the use of myth to create distance and order.
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- Andrew Kim (Autor:in), 2011, The Marriage of Tragedy: Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, and Nietzsche, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/174678
