Keywords
water imagery
water symbolism
psychological imagery
symbolism of nature
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper explores the profound and almost mystical connection between Sylvia Plath as a person and the element of water. It traces its presence across prose and personal history but with her poetry as the biggest focus. Water emerges as a central motif in Sylvia Plath’s work from childhood to adulthood as it is filled with emotional states transformative themes. This draws on biographical insights and highlights how her experienced were shaped by the metaphors of water as comfort and loss. In her work, water is depicted as a dual force, it is healing and secure while also being filled with fear and a tool of destruction. Works such as “Tulips”, “Crossing the River” and “Mirror” are examined to showcase the depth of the seascape which fills her life. (Transitions, transformations, the conscious and the unconscious and the lines of life). The paper finds that Plath’s use of water imagery not only enriches the emotional depth of her writing but also offers insight into her own world. The personal combines with the natural element to give ways Sylvia Plath lived her life. Ultimately, the paper argues that understanding Plath’s connection to water provides a deeper appreciation of her literary legacy and herself.
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