Ellen West (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Frank Bidart
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Suicide, Doctors, Women, Food, Eating disorders, Human anatomy, Physiology
The Poem
“Ellen West” is a long dramatic monologue written from the point of view of a woman battling her body. The tone is conversational, but interspersed in the monologue are four prose passages written from a physician’s clinical perspective. In fact, Frank Bidart’s poem centers on the dilemma of mind and body, inner and outer. The chatty, introspective, philosophical tone of Ellen West contrasts with the detached observations of her doctor, who documents her decline. From multiple perspectives, the reader comes to know the struggles of this woman trying to come to...
[The entire page is 2067 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
