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Tulips Sylvia Plath Analysis

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In the poem ‘Tulips' by Sylvia Plath, the theme of isolation is presented throughout the poem. The speaker accentuates how disconnected she feels from the world, however she seems to embrace her isolation; it is something that she would prefer to clutch onto. The only problem she seems to have is the constant reminder that actually, in fact, she is not alone. Plath uses the imagery of tulips, which is constantly repeated throughout the poem as a symbol of isolation. The tulips can be seen to represent the love and concern that other people have for the speaker, for example her family, and that these people are there for her and that she is not alone. However, the speaker then personifies the tulips and describes them as ‘too excitable'. The personification represents the company of people which the speaker dislikes as she ‘didn't want any flowers'. The tulips could also represent the giver's affectionate feelings towards the speaker but she seems to want to get away from these feelings; she does not want to love or be loved, she wants to be left alone. The colour of the tulips is also significant as they are red, which can be considered a cheerful, bright colour, illustrating the lack of isolation. However, instead of cheering the speaker up, they are …show more content…

The poet dispenses a change in the poem with occasional moments of rhyme in lines such as ‘lying by myself quietly' which employs an ‘I' sound and the uses assonance in the line ‘the nurses pass and pass'. These phrases are soft which give the poem a peaceful rhythm, highlighting the calmness the speaker feels. The poet's use of free verse is very common in her work, as it allows her to express her strong emotions. An example of this is Plath's poem ‘Daddy', in which she is conveying her powerful emotions towards her father and his

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