"How does Plath present the theme of nature in her poetry?"

"How does Plath present the theme of nature in her poetry?"

1. "Whirlpools to make away with the ground work of the earth and the sky's ridgepole" - 'Full Fathom Five', Plath (8)

   • "Winds stampeding the fields under the window" - 'Wind', Hughes (9)
   • Plath and Hughes both recognise the potentially violent power of the natural world, and its potential to destroy the human world.

2. "The moon is my mother. She is not sweet like Mary" - 'The Moon and the Yew Tree', Plath (31)

   • "The moon has stepped back like an artist amazed at a work that points at him amazed" - 'Full Moon and Little Frieda', Hughes (34)
   • Plath refers to the moon as her mother, which shows that she had a real affinity with nature, as does Hughes. However, Plath recognises an apathetic, if not cruel quality to the natural world, which Hughes rarely does in his work.

3. "Where do the trees go that drink here? Their shadows must cover Canada" - 'Crossing the Water', Plath (38)

   • "Huge in the dense grey, ten together. Megalith still" - 'The Horses', Hughes (7)
   • Both Plath and Hughes recognise the imposing vastness of the natural world. Hughes implies that the stillness of the horses is somewhat ominous.

4. "Stars open among the lillies" - 'Crossing the Water', Plath (38)

   • "Then the sun orange, red, red, erupted" - 'The horses', Hughes (7)
   • Plath juxtaposes the gentle light of stars with the imposing presence of darkness, whereas Hughes presents the presence of light in a sudden and powerful way.