Analysis Of Sylvia Plath 's Life

Joan D. Vinge once said, “We are all born with a unique genetic blueprint, which lays out the basic characteristics of our personality as well as our physical health and appearance... And yet, we all know that life experiences do change us.” In the short story, “Initiation,” by Sylvia Plath, Millicent, a teenage girl whom is being initiated into a high school sorority must go five days doing what their sorority big sister commands them to do. While being initiated, Millicent starts to realize that while being part of a group that she’s been longing to be apart of is great, being an individual and creating yourself makes you more unique than those who are part of a group. Having individuality allows you to be more free, and makes you more memorable to those around you.

In the short story “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath, the protagonist Millicent, a girl at Lansing High School is being tried as a member of an elite sorority. The girls must go through a week of being an older sister’s servant to be then tried on Friday at Rat Court. Only the most popular girls are accepted into the sorority. These popular girls are also the ones who get the most, popular boyfriends. Everything seems like a dream to Millicent except for the fact that her best friend Tracy wasn’t even considered. Although she wants to belong in the sorority, Millicent finds out that things might not be as perfect as they seem. In “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath, the author uses the point of view third person omniscient to allow the reader to

In the short story “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath, Millicent Arnold is a narcissistic teenager undergoing her initiation into the most prestige social group at Lansing High. Despite being aware of the risk at losing her best friend, Tracy, Millicent eagerly seeks the opportunity to be part of a close-knit group and as a result, she is mistreated and forced to conform to the group’s narrow standards. Plath explains how being part of a social group does not necessarily help one grow individually, but rather assimilates them into what is portrayed as esteemed social status. As Millicent goes through the downgrading initiation process, she discovers the value of friendship and realizes that being associated with a certain group will not help her achieve confidence in her true self.

Sylvia prided herself as an amazing poet while not receiving the acclaim she wanted. The Colossus was the only major collection of poems before her death. It didn’t receive too much praise until after her death. Most of her poems dealt with her personal life like those of Daddy and Ariel. She wrote most of these poems when she was depressed, so she coped with her depression the only way she knew: writing poems. She wrote about her father, where she claimed to hate her father due to him walking out on her when she was eight. He didn’t actually leave her on purpose, as he died of complications with his diabetes. However, it made for great writing as it was critically acclaimed for it being a magnificent poem. Ariel is also series of poems known for being known as her best work in terms of poetry. The Bell Jar is

Sylvia Plath displays many themes in her work; however she has the tendency to conceal and dig her themes, metaphors, and symbols deep in her poetic words, which leaves us readers left to decipher them. Plath is a poet that conveys quite compelling emotions through her work and is both prodigious and petrifying while still gloomy and relieving. Though there are many themes to revisit, the more significant ones evident in her writing will be explored. Mortality, journey, depression, and hope are the key themes that strike the heart of Plath’s poetry and will be further analyzed. Poems such as Blackberrying, Crossing the Water, Departure, Suicide off egg Rock, and Mystic, display a very strong

As one of the most multitalented writers of the twentieth century, Sylvia Plath was highly esteemed by fans and fellow writers alike. Sylvia Plath’s parents, Aurelia Schober and Otto Plath, had met when Aurelia became Otto’s student at Boston University. Otto was a biology professor with an infatuation with bees; he had even published a book titled Bumblebees and their ways. Otto and Aurelia married in January of 1932, and by October of the same year Aurelia gave birth in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to a daughter, Sylvia.

Sylvia Plath’s style has 3 to 5 line stanzas, many poems have short lines, and very descriptive writing and vocabulary, there are many poems with rhyme, and many use punctuation for phrasing of the poems. Many of her poems are confessional poems. Plath often tells stories in a way that readers can relate. She adds rhyme throughout her poems at the right moment and pulls the reader in. Some themes that are reoccurring are emotions, anger, relationships, and death. Her poems reflect her depression and life experiences.

In this chapter, repression is the thing that deprives Esther to despair and even depression. Plath even disclosed to the readers that Esther suffered from the stifling knowledge that Buddy has created for her, in which her ideas and concepts were just seen psychoses instead of legitimate decisions. In this matter, this is also associated to her inability to decide and choose a single path. Buddy in this chapter even called Esther “crazy” for never wanting to get married just because of pursuing her education, thus assuming that the only choice for a woman is to get married and become a wife.

While doing this research on Sylvia Plath , my range of authors I actually like has expanded. Learning that many authors suffer from mental illness leading to there work. While Sylvia's work was quite interesting and soul touching. She was suffering and nobody saw that, and if it was seen no action to help her was taken. However she has definitely grown my liking for poetry. Making me view poetry as an art. Her way of words were so smooth and touching. It was impossible for me to read a full poem of Sylvia's without relating in some kind of way. She made poems that are still interesting to this day. She is one of those authors that can never be forgot , her work is very legendary. Considering that putting your emotions, anger and pain into

Sylvia Plath was a very dedicated author who lived from 1932-1963. She is best known for her poetry. Plath started writing and was a published poet at a very young age. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Plath’s first poem was published when she was eight years old. “Plath’s poems explore her own mental anguish, her troubled marriage to fellow poet Ted Hughes, her unresolved conflicts with her parents, and her own vision of herself”(Poetry Foundation). Plath was a devoted English student in high school. She performed so well in English that she was awarded a merit scholarship for Smith College where, eventually, she went on to pursue a degree in English. She was often referred to as “The Golden Girl” by her professors and her peers. It is also a well-known fact that she struggled immensely with depression. Some setbacks with her mental health forced her to take a break from college and graduate a year late. She eventually graduated from Smith College with highest honors in English. She took time off of school because she suffered from a mental breakdown. She had disappeared for a few days and was found close to death. She had attempted suicide and was hospitalized immediately. Several years and many attempts later, Plath was successful in taking her own life at the young age of 30. Plath’s constant struggle with depression showed up in her poems time and time again. Her writing very clearly reflected off of her life. Sylvia Plath lived a life

Sylvia Plath once said, “ The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt”(Good Reads). Ms. Sylvia Plath was a novelist, poet, and a short-story writer (Monroe 2015). At the age of eight, she published her first poem which appeared in The Boston Traveller (Orr, Morrish, Press, et.al). Plath a terrific artist, which lead her to receiving the Scholastic Art & Writing award (Beckmann 2006). Sylvia Plath influenced literature in a positive manner because of her feminist voice in her poems.

Sylvia Plath’s rather depressing story begins in Boston, Massachusetts October 27, 1932, the day Aurelia Plath gave birth to her. In the span of Plath's life she constantly suffers from depression which eventually leads to her brutal suicide on February 11, 1963. Sylvia began writing poetry a young age and continued to write throughout her life, earning herself many awards, even some after her death (Bio.com). During the time in which Plath was working for Mademoiselle magazine, in 1953, she tried to kill herself for the first time. Plath recovered shortly from the traumatic incident over her first suicide attempt while receiving treatment from a mental health facility. Soon after, Sylvia started studying at Cambridge University, where she

Plath attended Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts, where she continued building her writing career. As stated in an article on Neurotic Poets website , “she began developing bouts of depression, insomnia, and thoughts of suicide as evidenced in her journals.

Sylvia Plath is best known for “the intense coupling of violent or disturbed imagery with the playful use of alliteration and rhyme in her work.” (poets.org). “Daddy,” one of Plath’s poems is a way for her to express her life story and allow others to see into it. Living in an abusive home, she was torn down daily. She makes it clear that her father was a male-dominating, evil individual.

American poet Sylvia Plath once said “eternity bores me, I never wanted it.” This quote, from her poem, “Years,” expresses that she did not want to live forever. It might even suggest a foreshadowing of her suicide in 1963. This quote is also from one of her many poems, which are greatly influenced by her life. To learn how Plath’s life affected her writing, researchers study main topics on her life and her works, including her early life, career, and literary works.