Hughes uses this symbolism of the colour to represent her self induced suffering and to show his animosity towards Plath. Hughes uses strong descriptive language to metaphorically encase Plath in the colour red, ‘But red/ Was what you wrapped around you’. The tragic ending of their relationship and Plath’s debilitating mental illness is conveyed further in the final poem of ‘Birthday Letters’, “Red”. Hughes shows how the journey can often be unpredictable and fluctuating so it is important to appreciate the joyful moments when they arise to avoid feeling the anguish Hughes did. This culminates in his realisation that his marriage, like the flowers,‘Opened too early’ which expresses his regret that they lost the passion and warmth that was once felt in their relationship. From this the audience can recognise that Hughes is uncertain and concerned about the connection between himself and Plath. He personifies the daffodils to create a feeling of unease and instability ‘among the soft shrieks-/ Of their girlish dance-frocks-/Fresh opened dragonflies,’. In the poem Hughes refers to the daffodils as if they are struggling and suffering, this is a motif for their relationship. This abusive language, coupled with the change to second person, effectively contrasts to the beginning of the poem and represents troubles that they had with Plath’s mental illness and ultimately the downfall of their marriage. However, the language in the text abruptly shifts in tone, ‘She cannot even remember you’. The inclusive language at the beginning of the Hughes first poem ‘Remember how we picked the daffodils?’ shows how Hughes affectionately recalls memories from the loving beginning of their marriage and reinforces the connection they once shared. This is expressed in Ted Hughes’ poems ‘Daffodils’ and ‘Red’ where he symbolically describes the emotional journey that was his marriage with Plath. Appreciating and being grateful for the little things in life will be auspicious for us. Both texts have demonstrated to me how unpredictable and unforeseen journeys can be. Robert Frost supports this perception and expresses the insignificance of life in his poem ‘Out, Out’. In ‘Birthday Letters’ Ted Hughes illustrates how unpredictable, erratic and fluctuating a journey can be. After scrutinizing the concept of journeys it has become self evident that our lives can be quite capricious so it is crucial to value the insignificant things in life that we often take for granted. By embracing the concept of a journey, we frequently reach our destination with a greater understanding of ourselves and current surroundings.
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