Daddy Dearest

The language in the poem Daddy, by Sylvia Plath, reveals the author’s struggle to escape the memory of her father, who died when she was only ten years old. The author’s descriptions of her father compared him to God, a Nazi, the Devil, and a vampire. All of these images are overwhelming on their own, but when put together they are colossal and upsetting. Throughout this poem, Sylvia Plath creates a mounting tone …

…quotation marks used when talking to her dead father are meant to finally lay to rest the feelings that have tortured her for years. Sylvia Plath creatively intertwines imagery and metaphors with stylistic devices to convey a woman’s disturbing past. The tone of this poem is overflowing with strong anguish, immeasurable resentment, and pure hatred. In the end, the tone helps the reader gain a deeper understanding for the meaning of this literary masterpiece.