Ariel - Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath is too often passed off as 'that crazy woman who wrote poems about dying and stuck her head in an oven'. Her 'Ariel' poems are the last she wrote before she died and acclaimed as her most brilliant works.

There are not that many poems in the volume, although any more would be too many, as each piece has so much potential that it makes for a heavy read. Plath has managed to produce in 'Ariel' very powerful verses, infused with deep feeling, whilst remaining economical with words. There is no verbal 'padding' to be found here - no wasting of ink. There is hardly a letter in the poems that does not serve some function - it is as if her thoughts have been whittled down to the bare minimum needed to convey meaning - and this works extremely well : "Eye, the cauldron of morning " ; the poetry is full-on, hard core expressionism, whilst at the same time retaining an aura of modesty.

Quite a few of the Ariel poems can be associated with death and dying or depressive behaviour (Lady Lazarus being the most famous example of this),
Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.

I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I've a call.

which makes Plath's poetry ( especially Ariel) very popular 'depression culture' reading. Not that's it's all doom and gloom - there are a few rays of light scattered here and there to stop you from feeling helplessly suicidal.

What I find the most attractive aspect of her writing is the unique use of metaphor - a juxtaposition of precious words which somehow have managed to tell it like it is - display those personal moments on paper which you always knew exisited, but never thought could be expressed.

What a thrill??
My thumb instead of an onion.
The top quite gone
Except for a sort of a hinge

Of skin,
A flap like a hat,
Dead white.
Then that red plush. (... 'Cut')

Her poetry is highly personal - not only does she write soley about her subjective experiences, but the descriptions she uses are about as personal as they can get - so being that you can choose to make what you want of her writing by relating it to yourself, or try to dechiper why exactly she uses the words she does - what emotion prompted this sometimes obscure seeming verse. Either way you choose to take it, 'Ariel' is a collection of profound verse; seemingly simple - deeply effective.