Sentimental

Poets sometimes use sentiments as a source in their poem, but sometimes it becomes excessive. To be able to work around such a problem is very difficult for the poets, but none the less, very important. Poets try to use many techniques, like including a few facts, to try an avoid getting too sentimental. In poems such as “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath and W.D. Snodgrass’s “Mementos, 1” it becomes very easy for the poets to become too emotional.

Although, Plath’s “Daddy” is a very touching poem and should be sentimental to a big extent, it would not be a poem if there was an excess amount of it. Plath theme in the poem is very strong and seems to be based on her true life while reading the poem. The poem talks about her hating her dad so much that she sort of feels tortured even after his death. Some of Plath’s sentences are very neural, in the sense that almost anyone can relate to it. For example, “Every woman adores a Fascist;” in this sentence Plath actually means the opposite, something not only a woman can relate to but also men. Although, she does get extremely close to being too sentimental, for example, “Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.” W.D. Snodgrass on the other hand also does a decent of not making his poem, “Memento, 1” too sentimental. The poem is about him remembering someone that was dear to him. Even though this could be very emotional, he works around it by including memories that people can relate to (people who loved someone, i.e. spouse). For example, “That you wore to our first dance. The sight of you stunned us all.”

Poets have to be very careful when they are writing an emotional poem, but it is very easy to get too sentimental. Both poets, Snodgrass and Plath, did a great job in avoiding such mistake, even though they get very close. An emotional poem is successful only when everyone can relate to it, or else it is a story.