Sylvia Plath 's Poetry And Her Sanity

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

Sylvia Plath accomplished great literary achievements throughout her career. As a student and poet, she excelled. Despite this, some may believe that her success and fame only came from the fact that she killed herself and was mad, which is not necessarily the case. If it was only because of her suicide, the novel wouldn’t be acknowledged in as many school curriculums as it is. We can see that in her earlier life, Plath was recognized as a gifted poet much before her struggle with depression. Such as, earning herself a scholarship at a great college and eventually going on to be a guest editor for a magazine in New York. She was able to make so many great opportunities for herself which proves that some of her fame isn’t just about her personal background. Part of her readers are attracted to her works, especially The Bell

Sylvia Plath is known as a profound writer, depicted by her lasting works of literature and her suicide which put her poems and novel of debilitating depression into a new perspective. In her poem “Lady Lazarus,” written in 1962, her mental illness is portrayed in a means to convey to her readers the everyday struggle of depression, and how it affects her view of her world, herself, and even those who attempt to tackle her battle with her. This poem, among other poetry pieces and her novel The Bell Jar, identify her multiple suicide attempts, and how the art of dying is something she has become a master of. Plath’s “Lady Lazarus,” about her trap of depression and suicide attempts, is effective and thought provoking because of her allusions to WWII Nazi Germany and the feelings of oppression and Nazism that the recurring images evoke.

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’s work is marked with her trademark style, one full of enigmatic analogies and ambiguous metaphors. Sadly though, the life of Sylvia Plath was indeed shorter than anyone expected. Nevertheless, in the thirty years Plath meandered through the world, she left an everlasting impact. Remembered as one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the twentieth century, Plath cultivated a literary community unlike any predecessor. Additionally, since a sizable portion of Plath’s work was read posthumously, her suicide brought the much needed attention to physiological illnesses. Unfortunately though, Sylvia Plath will never know the perennial impact she left from her distinguished works that have touched numerous lives.

Sylvia Plath was an American author and poet. Her death at the age of 30 by suicide was the end of her long struggle with mental illness throughout her life, chronicled in her most famous work, her fictional, but inspired by her life novel, The Bell Jar, cited for its feminist themes and exploration of mental illness. Plath is considered one of the greatest poets and novelists of the 20th century, whose works were influenced by her mental illnesses, and still have relevance today.

Sylvia Plath, a very talented writer and poet, focuses on two very prominent themes in her works: death, specifically suicide, and suffering. In her only novel, The Bell Jar, the protagonist, Esther Greenwood, takes the reader on a journey that explores the life and struggles of a young female poet and a tragic heroine. Esther's experiences reflect those of Sylvia Plath's. Plath describes her life as she saw it, confessing her thoughts and feelings to her audience. In her poems, "Perseus", "Lorelei", and "Lady Lazarus", Plath further explores the themes of death and suffering, and uses the portrayal of the tragic heroes/heroines in "Perseus" as symbolism.

Sylvia Plath was an American author whose books reflected mostly on her life as well as showing her feelings and opinions about certain things. She had one of her books, “The Bell Jar”, published under a different name because it was so autobiographical (source 2). Although she was successful, depression tormented her horribly (source 2). Although she had bad depression, and attempted to commit suicide with sleeping pills, she was still successful with her works (source 2). Sylvia’s poems and books reflect on how difficult her life was.

Death plays a huge role in Sylvia Plath’s poetry; she reveals it in different ways. The main common theme is the emptiness gone by her father’s death at the age of eight. She speaks about his death and burial remembering that she is forever separated from the love of her father.

Sylvia Plath was an English poet and short story writer born in 1900s. She was best known for her novel, “The Bell Jar,” and poems such as “Daddy.” Plath’s life, including her poetry, her sanity and her marriage was a cycle of ups and downs. After her death in 1963, Plath’s life was depicted in the 2003 film Sylvia, starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

In this essay we will look into her life through three of her poems in

Wrapped in gaseous mystique, Sylvia Plath’s poetry has haunted enthusiastic readers since immediately after her death in February, 1963. Like her eyes, her words are sharp, apt tools which brand her message on the brains and hearts of her readers. With each reading, she initiates them forever into the shrouded, vestal clan of her own mind. How is the reader to interpret those singeing, singing words? Her work may be read as a lone monument, with no ties to the world she left behind. But in doing so, the reader merely grazes the surface of her rich poetics. Her poetry is largely autobiographical, particularly Ariel and The Bell Jar, and it is from this frame of mind that the reader interprets the work as a

Sylvia Plath 's poem, "Metaphor 's", is about a woman who is significantly distressed about her pregnancy. The poet playfully pieces together nine metaphors that are vastly unrelated, but she tones the poem so that a sense of depression and emptiness creep over the reader to tie together the theme. The very first line of the poem begins by opening the meaning directly to the reader. “I’m a riddle in nine syllables,”. (Line 1) It shows the reader it is a nine line riddle to be solved. It is to be carefully analyzed and considered. The poet uses different objects throughout the poem to help the reader understand how she feels and what she is seeing. The poem is about pregnancy, which is typically a heartwarming period of a woman 's life; however, Sylvia explains that period of her life with bluntness and shows no admiration for this time in her life or what is to come. Sylvia 's Plath 's attitude in this poem conveys that she feels her individuality is slipping away, if not already gone, her physical appearance is disturbingly humorous, and she is experiencing no affection for this upcoming, inevitable event.

Some of the dark negative emotions Sylvia Plath shares in this poem can make anyone have sympathy on her feelings. Especially, when she writes,

The major themes of Sylvia Plath’s poetry include the anxiety, depression, resentment with the prescribed roles, dissatisfaction with femininity, mirroring the self, the reflection over