This poem is too simple. Plath’s earlier poems about identity are more subtle and complex. This just depicts a basic experience based on Plath’s experience on a horse. by J Connolly https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q Made with fortitude en-us 2021-03-05 16:06:59 UTC 2025-11-04 14:48:59 UTC hello@padlet.com This is true as the poem shows Plath's character slow mental descent into depression. The speaker feels out of control throughout the majority of the poem saying that she was hauled through the air. At the end of the poem she shows that she is overcome with thoughts of suicide. "Suicidal, at one with the drive". This shows that the speaker was descending into oblivion https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282143470 2021-03-08 14:11:04 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282143470 Yes- the speaker gradually refuses to identify herself as a human and instead submerges herself into nature. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282146383 2021-03-08 14:11:32 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282146383 This is not true as there is hope in the poem as plath becomes a new better version of herself which is improved through the poem and during her journey she get rid of her negative traits as she begins to find power in herself and finds herself at end https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282147204 2021-03-08 14:11:41 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282147204 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282148055 This is true because it's one of Plath's later poems which was written prior to her suicide attempt and shares much of her thoughts at this time (hopelessness, euphoric as she feels invincible when she is not, etc.)]]> 2021-03-08 14:11:49 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282148055 This is not true as 'Ariel' has many optimistic points especially for feminism power and strength, 'God's Lioness' is an example of how powerful and hopeful the horse and poem is. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282150170 2021-03-08 14:12:08 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282150170 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282150585 This is true because Plath looses her hope and herself throughout this poem.]]> 2021-03-08 14:12:11 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282150585 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282158206 Throughout the poem the speaker goes on a journey of liberation, she is not fighting against a force that is trying to destroy her. There are several images of power, specifically female empowerment, that contradict this opinion as she is becoming a new creation and reaching a point of absolute freedom, not descending into an unavoidable oblivion. “God’s lioness” and “Godiva, I unpeel” both suggest that the speaker has some control over her journey and is becoming more powerful throughout it. She makes her decision to leave the burdens of her physical life behind and instead embarks on a new spiritual existence.

]]> 2021-03-08 14:13:26 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282158206 this is true because Plath uses suicide to escape instead of fighting for it https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282159502 2021-03-08 14:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282159502 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282160589 I disagree, I think the poem is more focused on transcendence upwards rather than a decent into oblivion. Compared to other Plath poems it's actually quite hopeful in tone.]]> 2021-03-08 14:13:46 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282160589 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282161269 It isn’t hopeless, we learn more about the poem and what it means as it goes on. The whole point of the poem is that it is a journey. Initially, the rider is controlled by the horse but as the ride progresses she starts to hold the reigns herself. As she continues on the journey, she loses parts of herself. She sheds her skin like a snake and becomes a new person by the end of it.]]> 2021-03-08 14:13:53 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282161269 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282163214 True because plath uses the poem to show her feeling which progressively through the poem get worse.]]> 2021-03-08 14:14:12 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282163214 This statement is false as throughout the poem we see the speaker's journey to self-empowerment and her beliefs of feminism are greatly explored throughout the poem and add to her identity. "Gods Lioness" shows the power that females have especially Plath. We see her discover her identity and take control over who she is. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282202328 2021-03-08 14:20:27 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282202328 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282203405 This statement is not true as Plath fuels the feminist narrative and actively depicts herself as seeking revenge against those who have wronged her. This can be shown in Ariel when she removes the parts of herself that have been created in the image of others and emerges as a new, accurate version of herself ]]> 2021-03-08 14:20:37 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282203405 The reference of Lady Godiva implies that the speaker does have control over her own identify. She uses her own vulnerability in act an of defiance. The poem illustrates the journey of a speaker gaining power over their own identify that was once controlled by male dominance/'peanut-crunching crowd' https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282204000 2021-03-08 14:20:42 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282204000 This is true as on her horse ride plath couldnt control her horse or who she was at the beggining ''hauls me through the air'' with this and refrence to lady godiva she had no control over this and what she looked like https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282205749 2021-03-08 14:20:59 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282205749 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282207317 not true because in her poems ]]> 2021-03-08 14:21:13 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282207317 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282209449 This is not true as throughout this poem we see that she believes in self empowerment and has control over her mind and her vulnerability 

]]> 2021-03-08 14:21:33 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282209449 This is true as the poem shows many times how the speaker has no control over her idea of self or identity. The speaker also makes a reference to Lady Godiva bringing in feminism but also reminding the reader that she has no control over who she is in a male dominated society. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282214095 2021-03-08 14:22:17 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282214095 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282221021 On the horse it's suggested that as items are literally falling off because of the speed so too are parts of Plath's identity on a metaphorical level. Specifically the parts of her identity she wasn't happy with which would suggest that we don't have any control over our identity because if we did then its likely she would have gotten rid of those parts earlier and wouldn't need to transcend in the first place.]]> 2021-03-08 14:23:20 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282221021 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282221929 it isnt true as she is able to control her identity. In ariel alot of her uncertainties about her life are answered and can be changed ]]> 2021-03-08 14:23:29 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282221929 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282222124 The idea that the speaker is not in control and is hanging onto her identity by a thread is something that runs through the poem. The reader sees this in the lines “Of the neck I cannot catch”, “Something else/Hauls me through the air” and “I/Am the arrow” which all suggest that the speaker is being brought on this journey to find her identity by an external force. She does not seem to have control over the situation and is thrown into transcendence at the end of the poem as she becomes one with the force that propelled her.

]]> 2021-03-08 14:23:30 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282222124 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282225429 This opinion is supported by the fact that she says “Something else hauls me through air”. She can’t control this journey of self discovery. It is happening without her control.]]> 2021-03-08 14:24:00 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282225429 when she mentions passing the berries that symbol hooks, this shows she controls her own actions/identity https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282233670 2021-03-08 14:25:15 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282233670 I think there are a lot of references and undertones to what at first glance seems like a very basic story but the poem outlines the self-discovery of Sylvia Plath at a time in her life where she felt most vulnerable. The constant references to Lady Godiva makes the poem timeless. We see Plath discover the power that she has despite how vulnerable and weak she was perceived as just because she was female during a time when the patriarchy dominated society. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282264392 2021-03-08 14:30:01 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282264392 That a lot of Plath's imagery in this poem can be interpreted in different ways, shows it's not simple https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282265365 2021-03-08 14:30:10 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282265365 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282268782 I think Plath uses her experience with her horse to portray more complex ideas throughout like identity and she shows her vulnerable side.]]> 2021-03-08 14:30:43 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282268782 i think plath paints a good picture as to how she feels rejected and dark feelings about herself and not being in control of her life in which on her horse journey she overcomes by shedding herself through this journey and the way it is written relates to how a horse ride would be with its flow and helps identify how females feel for fenimism and how they can overcome that and be free https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282273189 2021-03-08 14:31:26 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282273189 In 'Ariel', Plath uses powerful imagery to convey the speakers journey to discovering her identity and I think that this combined with the use of her own personal experience and feelings makes the poem complex. https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282274952 2021-03-08 14:31:43 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282274952 It's not simple as the intertextuality layers throughout the whole poem explore so many themes https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282275640 2021-03-08 14:31:49 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282275640 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282278569 i think they are all as complex as each other. all talk about her identity and her experiences. just express it in different ways]]> 2021-03-08 14:32:18 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282278569 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282285847 I think the horse ride is nothing more than a setting for something more complex going on, specifically Plath transcending. The ties to myths such as Lady Godiva and the link to the end of Lady Lazarus would also suggest that the poem is more complex than meets the eye. It should also be noted that if this poem is instead about suicide then the memory of the horse ride is one of few happy memories Plath had and there could be something significant in that. ]]> 2021-03-08 14:33:25 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282285847 there are numerous figures/characters she uses in this poem, exploring several themes and therefore not simple because she has created a story upon many stories https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282287300 2021-03-08 14:33:39 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282287300 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282287658 The idea of her journey on the horse is very clearly symbolic of her journey with identity. It doesn’t take long to understand this idea when first reading the poem. Even though there are some more complex metaphors, the references to Lady Godiva and Ariel and the idea of the journey on her horse relating to her metaphorical journey are not that complex and are quite easy to grasp.]]> 2021-03-08 14:33:42 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282287658 i think this poem makes many refrenecs to stories such as Lady Godiva which helps plath tell her story about self discovery. the horse is basic but is effective because it symbolises what her journey is like https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282289813 2021-03-08 14:34:03 UTC https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282289813 https://padlet.com/gw12connollyjames/ci2h05v504bddh0q/wish/1282295236 I agree that Plath’s earlier poems are more complex when dealing with the theme of identity as they explore many different aspects of identity in relation to the people around her and her inner suicidal thoughts. ‘Ariel’ is a much more abstract poem that deals with a spiritual identity and leaves the physical past behind. It is not however just a horse ride, it does discuss identity in a deep way but is less complex than ‘Daddy’ and ‘Lady Lazarus’. It feels like she has reached a point in her life where she cannot go on and is heading towards death rather than trying to understand her own identity and how her past has affected the person she has become.


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