medallion outline

Medallion By Sylvia Plath

Outline Introduction Body - Visual images (warm tone) Body - Visual images (white) Conclusion

The Images of Sylvia Plath’s Poem “Medallion” In a poem “Medallion”, Sylvia Plath develops imagery to create a positive impression of death. There is a contrast in the way a dead thing is described lively with visual images. Plath's images indicate the beauty and value of a dead snake.

Visual images (warm tone) The visual images of the dead snake is described by using warm tone col ors. In the first to sixth stanza of the poem, the warm tone colors used to describ e the body of a dead snake express liveliness.

Red Red is a very strong color and often referred to power. The Bible says that life is in the blood so red is sometimes used as a symbol for life. “Tongue a rose-colored arrow” “His little vermillion eye Ignited with a glassed flame” “Yet his belly kept its fire Going under the chainmail”

Yellow Yellow is the brightest color to the human eyes. It represents youth, fun, happiness, sunshine and other light playful feelings. It is a cheerful energetic color. “Bust dulled his back to ocher The way sun ruins a trout”

Orange Orange is a combination of red and yellow, it combines passion and energy from the red and freshness of yellow. It represents fire, the sun, fun and warmth. “By the gate with star and moon Worked into the peeled orange wood”

Bronze Bronze is a metallic brown color which resembles the actual alloy bronze. It evokes the feeling of prestige and often symbolizes high quality. “The bronze snake lay in the sun”

Brown Brown is the color of natural. It is found in earth, wood, and stone. “Pure death’s-metal. The yard-man’s Flung brick perfected his laugh”

Visual image (white) The imagery of disgust is expressed by white color to convey it in the pos itive way. Here the poem draws the visual image of purity in the seventh and nint h stanza.

White White is often associated with purity, cleanliness and perfection. White is said to be the shade of new beginnings. “In each opaque belly-scale” “Sunset looked at through milk glass” “And I saw white maggots coil” “Knifelike, he was chaste enough” “Pure death’s-metal. The yard-man’s”