Tulips

Question 1

Key points

Answer 1

• Written about some flowers she received while in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy.
• The unrhyming septets with an iambic base give it a gentle rhythm
• The powerful use of color contrasts conveys the conflict between her yearning for isolation and serenity, and the vivid demands of family life.
• To the speaker in Tulips, isolation is the epitome of liberty. Thus, the flowers, which remind her that this isolation is only temporary, disturb this serenity.
• The persona struggles to be understood, by herself and others, in a patriarchal world where she is expected to take on familial duties- link to Plath’s children and problems with Hughes.

Question 2

Key quotations

Answer 2

• ‘I did not want any flowers, I only wanted to be utterly empty’
• ‘It is winter here’
• ‘Little smiling hooks’
• Compares the tulips to ‘an awful baby’