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The Post-Modernist period, stretching from 1945 to present, was known for its opportunity and change. Poetry during the time period was influenced by the many events occurring in society. The Second World War had just ended and it was a prosperous time for most of the world. Sylvia Plath was a female poet during this time period. Some of Plath’s work is directly related to issues developing in society, while others were influenced by her truly troubled life. Being a woman, Plath was always interested in the constant fight for women’s rights. After the war, women’s liberation was one of the many issues that demanded change. The poem “The Applicant” portrays how Plath personally felt about women’s rights, specifically dealing will male dominance in marriage. The fight for women’s rights developed after the war had ended, but Plath was also around to witness the horror of the war. Plath was especially moved by the Holocaust. She used references to the Holocaust numerous times in her works. One of her most famous poems “Daddy” explained how hurt and depressed she became after her fathers early death. Plath references the Holocaust in this poem to show how much aggression and betrayal she felt as a result of her father’s death. Her father’s death, her struggle for success, and her failed marriage with poet Ted Hughes, all contributed to Plath’s need to portray her feelings in her poetry. As a confessional poet Plath wrote the poem “Edge”, which truly shows how confessional Plath is. This poem shows the depression that took over her life as she talks about her want for death. Sylvia Plath, writing in the Post-Modern society, created her poetry to represent the time period by supporting women’s liberation, recalling and relating to World War two and the Holocaust, and proving to be one of the many successful confessional poets of the era.
As a woman living in the 1940’s and 1950’s, Plath despised men because of how they treated women. She was constantly...