The_Collosus

The Collosus Among the many mythical themes present in the poetry of Sylvia Plath, the archetype of the Father figure is one of the most prominent. Plath's life circumstances and creative genius conspire to create a depiction of the male figure that encompasses the traditional mythical associations with God, as well as the integral qualities that define masculinity. The poem "The Collosus" is a depiction of idolatry and humanities search for the archetype of the father-God. In "Daddy" the father myth is approached from an opposite angle, as Plath defines her symbol not as God, but as the opposing force of the Devil. Plath's mythical Father is representative not only of metaphysical concepts, he also embodies all of what is traditionally masculine. The overriding male figure of Plath's poetry is not simply an element of Plath's autobiography, it is a symbol of power and masculinity that is relevant to all humanity. In the poem "The Collosus" Plath mythologizes her own father. The poem conveys the intense impact that Otto Plath had on his daughter, and the immensity of her mental construction of him after his death. The title alone suggests the power of his memory; the reasons for this importance are various. colossus, father, symbol, plath's, god, plath, speaker, human, work, seems, life, instead, image, figure, young, psyche, power, poem, one, level, girl, daddy, construction, collosus, world, within, simply, representative, perhaps, own, nature, mythical, must, memory, male, lines