Medusa - Plath Quotes

Quotes from Plath's Medusa

Comparing Mum to Medusa First Stanza

‘stony mouth-plugs’ ‘unnerving head-God-ball,’

Repulsion towards mother Third Stanza

‘Did I escape you I wonder?’

Connection to mother mentally Third Stanza

‘My mind winds to you’

Connection to mother innate Third Stanza

‘Old barnacled Umbilicus’

Reference to trans-atlantic relationship with mother First Stanza

‘Atlantic cable,’

Idea of mother’s expectations Fourth Stanza

‘Tremulous breath at the end of my line’ ‘Always there’

Theme of religion with water Fourth Stanza

‘Curve of water upleaping/To my water rod,’

Reference to Paradox of her relationship with mum Fourth Stanza

‘dazzling and grateful,/touching and sucking.’

Repulsion to mum Fifth Stanza

‘I didn’t call you./I didn’t call you at all’

Body parts Fifth stanza

‘Fat and Red, a placenta’

Traumatic entrance to world Sixth stanza

Squeezing the breath from blood bells/Of the fuscia. I could draw no breath,/Dead and moneyless,

Blames mum for her suffering seventh stanza

‘Overexposed, like an x - ray.’

comparison of mother to Virgin Mary

‘A communiom wafer? A Blubbery Mary?’

rebellion against mother at end

‘Hiss at my sins./Off off eely tentacle’

separation from mother at end

‘There is nothing between us’