Getting into Sylvia Plath's head

Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath are renowned as the founders of the Confessional Poetry movement in the mid-twentieth century. Sexton was hospitalized in 1955 for bipolar disorder treatment. Her doctor there encouraged her to write poetry to combat melancholia. Sadly, she committed suicide in 1974, after several failed attempts. Plath started writing poetry in the 1950s and continued until her suicide in 1963, also preceded by multiple unsuccessful attempts.

For a poetry writing class, I had to read poems by Sexton and Plath. During her lifetime, Plath published only one book of poetry, The Colossus and Other Poems. I found it interesting that this collection didn't emphasize the first person as much as I expected. The word “I” doesn't appear until the fifth poem “The Eye-mote” and then again in the ninth poem “The Colossus”. However, Plath has more subtle ways of revealing herself. I felt closest to being in her head while reading \\"The Ghost's Leavetaking\\", which contains few personal pronouns.

Blog review.

The Colossus is an extraordinary collection of summer poetry that presents a paradoxical coldness. It's filled with disturbing imagery such as moles, maggots, cadavers, suicides, and various dead things. At times, the abundance of this dead stuff can be numbing. In the first third of the collection, the influence of Robert Lowell seems evident in some poems like “Point Shirley” and “Hardcastle Crags.” However, upon further reflection, I'm not so certain. Although Plath studied under Lowell and the seashore links the two, Plath takes the seashore poems to her own dark places. By the time you reach “Mussel Hunter at Rock Harbor,” you're horrified to find yourself fingering the nasty things on the beach. The poem is disturbing, drawing on Queen Gertrude's “long purples” speech about Ophelia's fate. After描绘 the rot and decay, Plath attempts to meditate on the skull beneath the skin like Eliot. But I'm not sure I believe her here as “God” is not a common word in her work. She knows you won't believe her and returns to the death process in the present. I could discuss several other poems, but her theme is clear in every one. By the end of the collection, you can't help but admire her uncompromising yet grim focus. When it comes to Plath, the hype is real.

Sylvia Plath is truly one of my all-time favorite women.

Her writing serves as a safe haven for me, much like a cozy blanket fort or a warm bath, especially for my angst-ridden and wordy self.

She seems to whisper, "I know how you feel, I've been there too, but let us make beautiful writing out of miserable experiences."

It's like making lemonade out of lemons.

I might be a biased reader, but that doesn't matter as we embark on this exploration.

Her poems are rich, sticky, and sweet, similar to honey.

The words move sluggishly through you, creeping up slowly and steadily until, all of a sudden, all you can sense are the words.

Even after closing the book and finishing the reading, they still cling to you.

When you try to scrub them away, the residue remains firmly and stubbornly in your brain.

The content, the diction, the style, and the craft all stay with you.

It's a good kind of haunting that makes us sad and angst-ridden teen girls feel a little less alone.

(4,5) Read the last poem. Read the very last poem. A thousand times over. The Ariel vibe is emerging here.

'Sickness begins here: I am a dartboard for witches.
Only the devil can eat the devil out. -

...

This is the city where men are mended.
I lie on a great anvil.
The flat blue sky-circle
Flew off like the hat of a doll' -

The words seem to dance on the page, inviting the reader into a world of mystery and intrigue. The description of being a dartboard for witches and the idea that only the devil can consume the devil create a sense of darkness and danger.

The mention of the city where men are mended and the image of lying on a great anvil add a touch of industrial and mechanical imagery.

The final lines about the flat blue sky-circle flying off like the hat of a doll are both whimsical and surreal, leaving the reader with a sense of wonder and a desire to explore more of the poet's vision.

This first collection of Plath's poems predominantly focuses on描绘自然或风景的位置.

The Winter Ship, in particular, is exquisite in its imagery.

It serves as the bedrock of the future Plath, as you can observe in her poems that delve into the matters of her mental health, such as The Disquieting Muses and The Stones, and her complex relationship with her father, like The Colossus, Full Fathom Five, and The Beekeeper's Daughter.

It holds the promise of what is yet to come in her future collections.

These early works hint at the depth and turmoil that would later become central themes in her poetry.

The vivid descriptions of nature and landscapes provide a backdrop against which her inner struggles and personal experiences are explored.

Plath's unique perspective and powerful language already begin to shine through in this initial collection, leaving readers eager to see how her poetic journey will unfold.

This collection consists of forty poems. Regrettably, not a single one managed to seize my attention. I suspected that perhaps the timing of my reading might have influenced my experience. Therefore, I gave it a second go.

The first time, it was at the conclusion of a workday, as I snuggled up comfortably in bed. The second time, it was a weekend morning, with me curled up on the couch, a cup of coffee in hand. Yet, both experiences left me with the same feeling, that of a reader who failed to establish a connection.

The words that came to my mind after reading it were "Nature/Death/Time Marches On". I must admit that the collection was well assembled. There was a certain flow to it. I read it from front to back both times, and it was clear that it was a journey through something. It was like how a thought in my own mind would lead to another, and then another, along a trail of tenuous connections.

The words that come to mind when reflecting back on it are "Cold Beauty/Sharp/It Just Is". I award three stars to this read, for which I tried with all my might to like more than I actually did.

It seems that despite my efforts, this collection just didn't click with me. Maybe it was my state of mind, or perhaps it was the nature of the poems themselves. Nevertheless, I can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into putting it together.

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I was never a big fan of poetry.

Although I had written a few poems that won me a couple of awards, this book was different.

It was extremely bold and cold, sending chills down my spine while reading certain poems.

When I noticed that there was little to no rhyme, I immediately thought of modern-day poets like Rupi Kaur, whose book I had also read.

To be honest, I thought of their poetry as something that anyone could write. When you read it, you feel nothing.

This book, however, was different. It reads like a poem but with a certain depth and fear, similar to the one you feel while watching a horror film.

I loved the small motives and elements from Greek mythology that it contained, which I adore.

Although I liked the poems, the book just didn't suit me well. It was a bit hard for it to hold my attention.

If you are a poetry lover, this is the perfect book and author for you.

This is the first poetry book by Plath, and even at this early stage, her state of mental health is quite evident.

The book is filled with nature imagery that has a certain tinge of sourness - the imagery of two dead moles, in particular, lingers in my mind.

I firmly believe that Plath has a profound connection with nature in her life. There appears to be a sense of peace that she manages to convey through her writings about the earth.

Plath is my favorite poet for several reasons. Every time I read her work, I am constantly reminded of how vast the vocabulary is that I still need to learn. Moreover, I am aware that each time I return to her poems, I will unearth new and different meanings. Her poetry is like a treasure trove that never ceases to amaze and surprise, offering endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.

I have only read some poems, but here I come. After all, it's Sylvia. She has this unique charm that draws me in. Her words seem to dance on the page, painting vivid pictures in my mind.

I know that once I start delving into her works, I'll be completely immersed. It's like opening a door to a whole new world of emotions and ideas.

I can't wait to explore more of Sylvia's poetry. I believe it will be a journey filled with surprises and revelations. And I'll be back, again and again, to soak up the beauty and wisdom she has to offer. ❤

Reading The Colossus is an experience that can be likened to standing alone on a desolate beach as a menacing storm approaches. The sea呈现出阴沉的灰色, the air is filled with an ominous and forbidding quality, and the distant rumble of thunder is just beginning to shake the clouds overhead.

Plath's remarkable talent for营造出一种萦绕心头且令人不安的文学氛围is fully evident in this collection. Each poem within it is distinct in terms of its subject matter and the meaning it conveys. However, the collection as a whole is unified by the palpable sense that something dreadful is即将来临, and the speaker is powerless to do anything but wait for its inevitable arrival.

There are several individual lines that have remained etched in my memory since my very first encounter with this collection. Lines such as “my hours are married to shadow” from “The Colossus” and “love is the bone and sinew of my curse” from “Poem for a Birthday” have a certain power and resonance. While poems like “The Thin People”, “Aftermath”, and “The Ghost’s Leavetaking” are among my all-time favourites, The Colossus as a whole fails to strike the same deep chord within me as some of Plath's other works. Overall, I would rate this collection at 3.5 stars.

It is difficult for me to evaluate something so... intimate.

However, if you like poetry, Sylvia will surely appeal to you.

Sylvia's works are filled with deep emotions and unique perspectives. Her words have the power to touch the heart and evoke a wide range of feelings.

Whether it's about love, loss, or the beauty of nature, Sylvia's poetry has a way of making you see the world in a different light.

She uses vivid imagery and rich language to paint a picture that is both captivating and thought-provoking.

If you haven't read any of Sylvia's poetry yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. You might just discover a new favorite poet.