Christ University English

Introduction A Commentary on Plath's The Surgeon at 2am Fought with the stress of depression combined with the pain of a recent miscarriage, Plath was preoccupied with the concept of hospitalisation when writing 'The Surgeon at 2am'. Taking on the persona of a male surgeon, the controlling role to her more passive role as patient, she explores the concept as the surgeon as master and alludes to a higher power in explaining the apparent magic and complexity of the human body. The title of this poem introduces us to its major subject matter, as is typical of Plath's poetry. The first two lines of the first stanza appear subjective and clinical, introducing us to the idea of the surgeon being a man of science. The line 'hygienic as heaven' also alludes to death, a commonplace occurrence in any hospital. This is followed through by the reference to the death of the microbes. This also gives an air of control to the poem and allows the reader to understand the co...

Surgeon at 2 am by Sylvia Plath Introduction Sylvia Plath was  a  popular Pulitzer Prize winning author best known for her works “The Bell Jar”, “Colossus” and “Ariel”. Plath is commended for her in-depth abstract literature. Sylvia Plath was a reflective intelligent poet who was affected with depression which led to her committing suicide at age 31. Sylvia Plath faced hospitalisation for a  miscarriage and appendicitis. These two incidents caused her to visualise herself in the brain of a surgeon. Sylvia Plath was hospitalised in ST Pancras hospital in London and all her observations are based on this experience. Sylvia Plath also suffered from severe mental breakdowns and clinical depression due to a bad marriage and had tried to commit suicide previously. This poem was written two years before she died. Summary The poem starts from the personal narrative of a male surgeon and description of the atmosphere surrounding the surgery. The surgeon is de...

The Monkey’s Paw  Part I opens on a dark and stormy night as the three members of the White family relax inside their cozy house. Herbert White and his father are playing a game of chess while Mrs. White knits near the fire. After his son wins, Mr. White complains about the terrible weather and nearly deserted road they live near. A family friend, Sergeant-Major Morris, arrives for a visit. Over whisky, he tells stories of his exploits abroad. Mr. White expresses interest in going to India, but the sergeant-major says he would be better off staying at home. At Mr. and Mrs. Whites’ urging, Sergeant-Major Morris takes a small, mummified paw out of his pocket. He explains that a fakir (a mystic miracle worker) placed a spell on the paw to prove that people’s lives are governed by fate and that it is dangerous to meddle with fate. According to the sergeant-major, three men can wish on the paw three times each. The sergeant-major himself has already had his three wishes, as has ...

Lines 1-2 I wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow, The speaker begins "London" by telling us a little story. He wanders through each "charter'd street" that happens to be "near where the charter'd Thames does flow." Hmm, seems a little repetitive doesn't it? True, but this is probably because the speaker really wants to emphasize this whole "charter'd" business. Speaking of which, that little word can mean a number of different things. In this context, it has the sense of "confined" or "mapped out" or "legally defined." Hmm, what do we mean by "legally defined"? Well, "charter" often refers to a document issued by a government or political official that grants certain rights or privileges, defines an entity, that sort of thing.  In these lines "charter'd" evokes all of these different senses. The speake...