ENGB30 Study Guide - Sylvia Plath
Document Summary
Begins with prometheus regaining consciousness oh his crag; ends with prometheus easing free his only action in the poem. Populated only by prometheus, birds, vulture and a lizard. Intense sense of repetition, of circular motion: repetition of prometheus on his crag , various explicit references to a return to where one began (ex. 1; 4; 13; 15; 20: reference to ecclesiastes (6) (circular motion, many recurring motifs. Sun; god; birds earth; vulture; birth; humanness. Part human and part god: read 2; 5; 8; 10; 11; 13; 16, 2 prometheus does not give himself any soft padding to fall back on. Does not feel sorry for himself just accepts it. Prometheus reborn as a man not a god: 5 reference to pandora"s jar. Not a clean resolution: 8, 10 prometheus feels admiration towards tormentor vulture. Vulture has clear sense of purpose knows what it"s doing. Unlike prometheus he does not know his purpose does not know what he is doing.
