Tarot and Poetry Analysis

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[treekisser]

Does Plath tend to write a lot of 'perspective twists' on concepts generally considered proper or traditional?

Sperran's right; Plath did live juuuust before women's lib, her work (all that suicide and kill-the-men stuff) was a shock. She was very conflicted about her own role in life. The image of her last days in the biography Bitter Fame makes her sound...less than mentally stable, too.

whether she was abandoning children who still needed her or ones who needed to be left.

Not sure how familiar you are with Plath? But in real life she did commit suicide by gas, but left her two children alive.

[treekisser]

Something I forgot: the lines around "The upflight of the murderess into a heaven that loves her" have been read as an allusion to Medea setting off in her fiery chariot after killing her children.

[Áine]

There are a few of us that could claim that title with various degrees of either hubris or humility, but if you're referring to me  (as the most vocal of the lot ) the problem is that I'm completely unfamiliar with Plath. 

I was indeed! Thanks for chiming in!

[Sperran]

Something I forgot: the lines around "The upflight of the murderess into a heaven that loves her" have been read as an allusion to Medea setting off in her fiery chariot after killing her children.

This also matches what happens in an actual hive.  Unless the hive is getting ready to swarm, the old queen will kill all the newly hatched queens.  She also murders the drones after they mate with her.

Sperran

[Mandi]

It could, but it would require a few other cards/imagery to support it.  The Sun reversed, or the 6 of Pents reversed for abandoned children, the Tower or the Devil, depending on whether it was a catastrophe or a considered act, or on whether she was abandoning children who still needed her or ones who needed to be left.

Mandi's post makes me think more of the High Priestess than the Empress, but the lack of power/experience would make that a reversal as well.  Does Plath tend to write a lot of 'perspective twists' on concepts generally considered proper or traditional?

Absent

This might be way off, but it reminds me of the first few chapters of The Bell Jar, where she goes with all these worldly women, who are armed with worldly things to become a part of an elite group.  They are all queens, but she is a less armored queen.  Wants to please, but feels incompetent.

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