Sylvia Plath Analysis

Saying Sylvia Plath was a troubled woman would be an understatement. She was a dark poet, who attempted suicide many times, was hospitalized in a mental institution, was divorced with two children, and wrote confessional poems about fetuses, reflection, duality, and a female perspective on life. Putting her head in an oven and suffocating was probably the happiest moment in her life, considering she had wanted to die since her early twenties. However, one thing that was somewhat consistent throughout her depressing poetry would be the theme of the female perspective. The poems selected for analysis and comparison are, ”A Life”(1960),”You’re”(1960), “Mirror” (1961), “The Courage of Shutting-Up” (1962) and

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.

Sylvia Plath was a troubled writer to say the least, not only did she endure the loss of her father a young age but she later on “attempted suicide at her home and was hospitalized, where she underwent psychiatric treatment” for her depression (Dunn). Writing primarily as a poet, she only ever wrote a single novel, The Bell Jar. This fictional autobiography “[chronicles] the circumstances of her mental collapse and subsequent suicide attempt” but from the viewpoint of the fictional protagonist, Esther Greenwood, who suffers the same loss and challenges as Plath (Allen 890). Due to the novel’s strong resemblance to Plath’s own history it was published under the pseudonym “Victoria Lucas”. In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath expresses the

The second theory that is going to be used is the Karen Horney’s “Object Relations Theory”. According to Horney, individuals differ according to the way they showed themselves in relationships. There are different interpersonal orientations and the way the person uses these orientations are determined by parenting, society and cognitive processes. Through the lenses of Karen Horney, I am going to examine the relationships of Sylvia Plath with her parents and other people and her career choices as a woman in

In 1963 on a cold winter day of February 11th, Sylvia Plath ended her life. She had plugged up her kitchen, sealing up the cracks in doors and windows before she was found with her head inside of her gas oven inhaling the dangerous fumes. She was only thirty years old, a young woman with two small children and an estranged ex-husband. A tragic detail of her life is that this is the second time she had tried to commit suicide. Plagued with mental illness her whole life, which is evident within her poetry. She would write gripping, honest portrayals of mental illnesses. Especially within Ariel, the last poetry book she wrote, right before she took her life. Although it’s hard to find a proper diagnosis for Sylvia Plath, it is almost definite that she at least had clinical depression with her numerous suicide attempts and stays in mental hospitals undergoing electroshock therapy. Sylvia Plath is now famously known for her writing and the more tragic parts of her life. Such as the separation from her husband, Ted Hughes, mental illness, etc… Plath may not have intended for her life and art to become inspiration to many people but that has become the end result. Sylvia Plath writing shows symptoms of her suicidal thoughts. To study specific moments in Sylvia Plath’s life, it can be connected to certain writing’s of her’s, such as “Daddy”, The Bell Jar, and “Lady Lazarus”.

Sylvia Plath was an American Poet who was renowned for poetry mostly in the United States. She, however lived a difficult and depressing life which led to a few futile suicide attempts, but ultimately led to a successful suicide attempt leaving her children to live on without a mother. This end result was due to a multitude of issues in her life from Sylvia’s sanity. She wasn’t the most stable child. Her marriage also played a role in her suicide. Her successes weren’t acclaimed until after her death, when a majority of her work was released. There were two major aspects to her life: her poetry and her sanity. These three combined make up a majority of Sylvia’s life.

In fact, Sylvia Plath’s depression, her relationship with Ted Hughes, and her German roots and culture are all reflected in her poetry. One aspect of Plath's life reflected in her poetry is her depression. Plath became depressed in 1953 when she learned she had not been accepted into

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.

Sylvia Plath’s writing style is very personal and disorienting. Her work shows a lot of raw emotions and intense detail. She often writes about depression and madness, putting in her own little comments

Many poets, writers, and artists suffer with the monsters of mental illness, however, Sylvia Plath may be one of the most iconic. Many believe living with debilitating mental illness can aid in creativity. Throughout Sylvia’s short life, she produced brilliant yet immensely troubled writing. Sylvia Plath’s struggle with both Bipolar Disorder and Depression is communicated within her writing through her use of creativity, visceral language, and emotional rawness. Her inner turmoil can be interpreted in her brilliant and vehemence evoking poetry as well as her novel, The Bell Jar. Although in Plath’s time she was considered tortured, she is held in the highest esteem in today’s literary world.

Not only has the novel been translated into nearly a dozen different languages, but it is also the only novel under the American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. She wrote this novel to resemble her life whenever she was dealing with mental illness. It was published in 1967 and was not published in the United States until 1971. After the first publication in the United Kingdom, Plath committed suicide in a very tragic way.  Even though this novel can be viewed as “dark”, many english classes read this world wide, and includes a broad perspective of ideas through genre, plot, setting, narrative and point of view, characterization, symbols, metaphors, and irony.

Sylvia Plath was an iconic female author in the literary time period of “The Moderns”. She changed the literary basis with her book The Bell Jar. The source for her inspiration for her books was the very thing that led her to suicide. She used her to depression and pain to create something beautiful, but sinister. Sylvia Plath’s life was tragic in many aspects from her early life to her death, leaving over 230 books and poems.

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) and Anne Sexton (1928-1974) both explored similar themes such as tone, structure, and symbolism. Many of their poems were cries for help, which resulted into metal illness, depression, and suicide. In 1958, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath met, and much to their surprise had a few things in common. They both were fascinated with death and suicide. Both Sexton’s and Plath’s poetry are considered as confessional poetry in which they were very honest, depressed, and had suicidal or homicidal tendencies. Sylvia and Anne’s views on what happened in their life and on independence, are what nearly separates them from other confessional poets. Sexton and Plath’s poetry range over a variety of topics such as death, suicide, rage, and mourning. They both utilize a convincing use of symbolism, deep image, metaphors, and soul-searching. Plath’s “The Colossus”, “Full Fathom Five”, “Daddy”, and Sexton’s “And one for My Dame” and “All My Pretty Ones”, are very enraged and different feminist perspectives, giving different views on the relationships with a father and a husband.

As always with Sylvia Plath, death, a major idea within her poetry, is personified as a representation of her own emotions. Kindness flatters the audience by suggesting that “sugar can cure everything,” a sign of innocence. Her beauty shines in the mirror which is “filling with smiles,” but contrasted by the window which her emotions solemnly flow through. Plath’s use of figurative language exclaims her thoughts

Sylvia Plath is a well known and adroit poet who is recognized for many of her writings including her book ,Ariel, as well as her peculiar interest toward death. Married to Ted Hughes, Plath became the mother of two and wrote many poems during this time period. In addition, she kept a record of journals which can be seen in her book, The Bell Jar (Steinberg). However, many of her poems contain aspects that have a parallel connection to Plath’s personal life. Furthermore, Plath’s life was substantially shaped by the love she had for her family and the depression she faced throughout her life which can be seen in her writings “Daddy”, “Pursuit”, and “Death & Co”.