Sentimentality in Family-related Poetry

Poetry is of course built and created from the emotions of the poet. Emotion is the foundation of a poem. However, there is only a thin line between a beautiful poem filled with emotions and an overly sentimental piece. This is clearly portrayed in two of this week’s readings.

Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and Galway Kinnell’s “After Making Love We Hear Footsteps” are both related to Family. Most will agree that the topic, Family, is one that is sensitive and emotional. Although both poems relate to family matters, they are two very different, almost opposing poems.

In “Daddy,” Plath voices her opinion, mostly negative ones, regarding her father. Going through this poem, I can tell she has very strong emotions towards her dad. A little risky, Sylvia Plath is on the verge of being overly sentimental. Certainly, a poem is where a poet expresses his or her emotions, but I believe Plath may have immersed herself in too much of her own emotions while writing this poem.

Bit my pretty red heart in two.
I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die
And get back, back, back to you.
I thought even the bones would do. (56-60)

The stanza above may be too overwhelming for the reader. The content makes the reader step back away from the poem. This piece contains a little Too much emotion and details.

On the other hand, Kinnell’s “After Making Love We Hear Footsteps” does a good job in avoiding excess sentiment. He does not go into too much detail about making love (a topic which not every reader might be comfortable with if overly used), and instead focuses his details on his son and the emotions the child brings him. The last line, “this blessing love gives again into our arms” ensures that this poem’s main topic is the child, not love making (21).