First Impressions

     First impression-wise, I've enjoyed Plath's writing more than Hughes'. This is probably because I can relate more to the themes Plath writes about, as well as the fact that her writing is very easy to understand and comprehend--her subjects are more upfront, especially in her Juvenilia poetry.
     For instance, one of my favorite poems of hers is entitled "Female Author." This poem speaks to me as a writer, and the undertones of sin and femininity are really interesting.

All day she plays at chess with the bones of the world:

Favored ( while suddenly the rains begin

Beyond the window ) she lies on cushions curled

And nibbles an occasional bonbon of sin.

Prim, pink-breasted, feminine, she nurses

Chocolate fancies in rose-papered rooms

Where polished highboys whisper creaking curses

And hothouse roses shed immoral blooms. 

From the "occasional bonbon of sin" to "immoral blooms," Plath paints a picture of female authors as a certain type of sin. Which definitely makes sense if you think about the time when Plath wrote, and the fact that women were still seen as a sort of property. Not only this, but "she plays at chess with the bones of the world" shows the story of a woman who is left only with the remnants of the world to play with after men have had their turn with it, but she trudges on nonetheless. And finally, "prim, pink-breasted, feminine, she nurses chocolate fancies in rose-papered rooms" shows how things around her are still pushing her to become more feminine, but she struggles against it with her writing anyway. 

     My initial impression of Hughes is of his preoccupation with the imagery of animals, cages, and the sky. The poem that emcompasses this the best is "The Jaguar."

The apes yawn and adore their fleas in the sun.

The parrots shriek as if they were on fire, or strut

Like cheap tarts to attract the stroller with the nut.

Fatigued with indolence, tiger and lion

Lie still as the sun. The boa-constrictor's coil

Is a fossil. Cage after cage seems empty, or

Stinks of sleepers from the breathing straw.

It might be painted on a nursery wall.

     All in all, I enjoy poetry from both Plath and Hughes, but I think Plath's poetry speaks to me more than Hughes. I'm excited for this semester's course and truly do enjoy both individual's work.