-Hughes' initial perspective of Plath conflicts with a perspective he has of her in hindsight. Plath's "shatter of exclamations" and "ecstacies" which "richocheted" was at first misinterpreted by Hughes as a euphoric reaction when it was in reality, a mask to hide her inner torment. This torment is acknowledged by Hughes in retrospect as reflected in the rhetorical question- "What searching miles did you drag your pain?"
-Hughes portrays Plath as a destructive figure- "stray, historic bullet"(analogy for Plath's self-destruction) but presents himself "like a guide dog" (note the simile) who was "happy to protect her" rather than contribute to her suicide.
-Conflicting perspectives of Paris both Hughes and Plath hold due to the clashing of their British and American contexts- "Your Paris, I thought was American" (note the juxtaposition of first and second person pronouns) which belittle's Plath's view of the city. Hughes' view of Paris is a "post war utility survivor" and "an old nightmare" (using techniques of personification and metaphor respectively). The parallel construction in "frame after frame, street after street of impressionist paintings" describes the monotony and superficiality of Plath's values. The symbolism in "Hotel des Deux Continents" brings in the idea of British vs American contexts which hints that they were incompatible as a married couple and therefore Hughes should not be blamed for Plath's demise.
There are internal conflicting perspectives in this poem (i.e. contrasting Hughes and Plath's personalities, character etc) as well as external (i.e. everything Hughes presents about himself and Plath is intended to refute the prevailing social view from feminists of Hughes as the oppressor in their marriage). Hughes basically declares he's not responsible for Plath's death.
