Thought about not rating "Ariel", but then I decided that I simply couldn't refrain from expressing just how deeply I have been moved by Sylvia Plath.

Her works evoke a plethora of emotions within me - from a sense of unease and depression to feelings of pity, love, and even humor.

Truly, I consider her words to be an absolute gift.

The foreword by her daughter and the interview at the end of this edition were also remarkable.

I adored reading each poem precisely as Sylvia had intended.

The fact that the book begins with a poem about Frieda, her daughter, and concludes with a poem by Frieda about her mother is simply heart-wrenching.

It makes me want to shed tears at the beauty and poignancy of this circular narrative.

Sylvia Plath's "Ariel" is not just a collection of poems; it is a profound exploration of the human psyche and a testament to the power of language.

It is a work that will stay with me for a long time, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for great literature.

You say I should drown my girl.
She'll cut her throat at ten if she's mad at two. --Lesbos

I do not want much of a present, anyway, this year.
After all, I am alive only by accident. --A Birthday Present

I could not run without having to run forever. --The Bee Meeting

Having only read The Bell Jar years ago, this was my first encounter with Plath's poetry, and I was truly enamored. A significant portion of it seemed rather cryptic to me. However, every now and then, these remarkable lines would penetrate the haze and suddenly leap out at me. The version I perused was the newer one, featuring the specific poem selection and order/arrangement precisely as she had originally intended when she laid out the manuscript on her desk towards the end of her life. (The first edition had numerous poems removed and substituted with others.) This was published by Harper Perennial Modern Classics. The "P.S." section contained some outstanding additional insights provided by her daughter (who also penned the intro), which offered some beneficial illumination on a bit of the subject matter within the poetry. Moreover, it gave some historical context regarding the collection and Plath herself.

Dying / is an art, like everything else. / I do it exceptionally well.

This is a profound and thought-provoking statement. It makes one wonder about the nature of dying and how it can be considered an art.

The book I'm currently reading is filled with such poems. It was honestly a quick read since it's all poems and I'm reading it on loan. I don't have time to decipher it more deeply at the moment. However, the foreword by her daughter really helped me grasp an idea of what this collection would be about.

It seems to explore themes of life, death, and the human experience. I found myself intrigued by the words and the emotions they evoked.

I wish to have a physical copy of this book in the future. That way, I can spend more time with the poems, analyzing and reflecting on their meanings.

Overall, this reading experience has been both interesting and enlightening.

Cry count: 0

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Expanded article:
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In conclusion, incorporating regular exercise into our daily routine is essential for a healthy and fulfilling life.

There is truly something about poetry that deeply yearns for you to immerse yourself in it completely. In my case, when I was enjoying this particular poetry via e-book, I couldn't help but feel that I couldn't fully let myself live freely with the writing. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between me and the screen. It was as if the digital medium was somehow inhibiting my connection with the words. However, I hold a glimmer of hope that one day, I will be able to read this poetry in its physical format. This is because I truly loved it so much during my e-book experience, and I firmly believe that there is even more to love and discover when I hold the actual book in my hands.

3.75 rounded up.

I actually initiated reading this particular work over a year ago. And every few months, I would pick it up, peruse and annotate a couple of poems, and then set it aside.

I'm not certain why I chose to read it in this manner, but in the end, I derived far more enjoyment from the experience. Having the luxury of time for each poem, being able to be inspired by some of them at my own pace, was precisely what I required to extract pleasure from this collection.

I had read "The Bell Jar" during my junior year of high school for a project, and I also relished annotating that book. However, I didn't really engage in a critical analysis of it. Whereas with this one, I truly desired to thoroughly examine and dissect every single thing that Plath had to convey.

That being stated, I didn't consider this to be a flawless collection. Many of the poems were marred by racism and ableism and reeked of white women feminism. Which... might be a controversial thing to assert, but it is simply the truth. I was a devoted Plath enthusiast as a teenager, and now as an adult, I feel that we all must simply confront the facts.

On the other hand, some of the poems were truly remarkable. I gleaned an abundance of inspiration from numerous different lines and entire poems.

So, I find myself in a state of conflict. Some of these poems I would be inclined to rate a perfect 100/5 stars. And yet, some of them are simply abhorrent and not enjoyable to read. Consequently, I settled upon a 3.75 to average it out.

I just... I don't know. None of those poems made sense to me. It must be partly due to the fact that English is not my first language, and to be honest, poetry has always been difficult for me.

One thing I did feel while reading was that anger of Sylvia Plath. I thought it pervaded all those poems. It was like a dark cloud hovering over each and every one of them.

The introduction by Frieda Hughes was very interesting and touching. I loved it. It gave me a better understanding of Sylvia Plath as a person and an artist.

I'll probably read The Bell Jar one day, and I really hope I'll like it better than those poems. Maybe it will be more accessible to me and I'll be able to appreciate it more fully. Who knows? Only time will tell.

3.75 stars

Although this particular poetry collection didn't manage to make it onto my list of favorites, I do have a great deal of respect for what Plath was attempting to achieve with her poetry.

Specifically, her exploration of narrative and metaphors was quite remarkable. However, I must admit that some of it was a bit beyond my comprehension, and as a result, I didn't fully grasp the depth of what she was trying to convey in each individual poem.

Nevertheless, I remain intrigued and would be very interested in delving into some of her other collections. In particular, I'm aware that Ariel presents a distinct voice compared to some of her earlier works, and I'm eager to discover what new perspectives and emotions it might offer.

I believe that with further exploration of her poetry, I may gain a deeper appreciation for the genius that was Sylvia Plath.

After all, I am alive only by accident.

This thought often crosses my mind, making me realize the preciousness of life.

Sylvia, I love you very much. Thank you for helping me get out of the block.

You have been so kind and supportive, and I am truly grateful.

I think I have never underlined a book so much. Thank you so very much.

No matter where you are, I know you are surrounded by flowers.

Your presence is like a beautiful flower, bringing joy and color to my life.

May you always be happy and healthy, and may your life be filled with love and laughter.

I will always cherish the memories we have shared and look forward to creating more with you in the future.

You know what I truly loathe about every single depiction of Sylvia Plath? It's not just Gwyneth Paltrow's rather saddy-face performance. No, it's every single time anyone portrays her in any medium whatsoever. She's always presented as so damn doomed. And I simply don't believe it for a second.

This book is desperate, raw, bloody, and indeed tinged by death. But it is also voraciously and absolutely alive. I view it as a powerful declaration, as evidence of a fierce and terrible struggle to survive. It is not a suicide note.

"Beware, beware. Out of the ash I rise with my red hair and I eat men like air..."

Yeah. If you don't understand that, then I really can't offer you any assistance. It's as if people are determined to pigeonhole Plath as a tragic figure, when in fact her work and her life were so much more complex and multi-faceted. We should look beyond the surface and truly appreciate the depth and the fight that was within her.

Plath was truly remarkable when it came to using words. She had a certain flair that made her work stand out. However, it couldn't be ignored that she had a tendency to be a bit of a drama queen.

It was truly fascinating to see her original manuscript and to gain her daughter's perspective on both the manuscript and her mother's drama-queen nature. Additionally, her daughter provided a defense of the husband who had re-arranged the original manuscript.

Overall, it offered an interesting insight into Plath and the drama within the Plath family. Many of the poems were clever, interesting, and carefully constructed to have a particular Plath-y sound and look.

Nevertheless, reading the entire book of poetry at times inspired some eye-rolling because of how seriously Plath could take her personal problems. It was as if she blew them out of proportion, which at times made it a bit difficult to fully appreciate the depth of her work.

Despite this, there was no denying the talent and creativity that Plath possessed, and her work continues to be studied and analyzed to this day.

I am truly fascinated with Sylvia. Her work, her life, and even her death all hold a certain allure for me.

Although I may not be able to fully understand every single poem she wrote, they all manage to leave me with a sense of a deeper meaning lurking beneath the surface.

What strikes me the most about Sylvia is her brutally sincere nature. She is unafraid of showing her emotions, no matter how intense or raw they may be. Her fierceness is truly breathtaking and it draws me in every time.

This restored collection of her works is, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant. It is both beautiful and sad in its own unique way.

Among her many wonderful poems, my personal favourites are "The Applicant", "Elm", "The Night Dances", and of course, the one and only "Lady Lazarus". Each of these poems has its own charm and power, and they continue to resonate with me long after I have finished reading them.

I can't wait to explore more of Sylvia's work and discover the hidden gems that lie within.