Ariel - Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath gets a bad time of it from most people. She's often seen as having written the most depressing novel ever in the form of 'The Bell Jar', and as the catalyst for many teenager's suicidal angst. However, the woman was ill, and she was married to an adulterous scoundrel in the form of Ted Hughes. For anyone interested in Plath, it is well worth reading Hughes' 'Birthday Letters', a collection of 88 poems mainly about Plath, and their relationship. Bit off topic but they convey another side to her story. It definitely dispells some of the myths and mystery surrounding her status as a ... more

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 ... more

I really enjoyed reading this collection of poetry. Plath has a graphic imagination evident in poems such as 'Cut' and her imagery is at times explicit but so apt. 'Morning song' is yet another beautiful poem. The title plays upon the two seperate meanings of 'morning' and 'mourning'. Describing a mother's feelings after birth, Plath describes her as 'cow heavy' using the image of the lactating mother and effortlessly transferring it to the accurate image of the heavy mother who is still carrying weight. Plath's poetry is as intriguing as her life. People might suggest her poetry is depressing ... more

Ariel Ariel Lady lazarus and others combine to make this spellbinding work painful to the human psyche with its discusion of pathos and suffering. Plath is sadly dead, but the strength of her work continues to inspire,.. Read this. Weep. Read this. Smile. Such is the emotion of the greatest poet of the 20th century All that I can suggest is you read Lady Lazarus.. 'the tulips are too red, they bleed' Feel the rawness of a tortured mind, revel as she shows the innermost soul, then rollercoasts you down the hill of despair, safe in the insular knowledge that you are safe. The book is old now ... more

When I first picked up this book in the shop, I thought to myself, 'Ah, some nice relaxing poetry', but once I got it home I realised this wasn't the case! As a keen poet myself, this book has been very useful, it is very inspiring and the quality of the poetry is absolutely fantastic! It does, however, require a lot of hard work on the part of the reader. I had to read each poem several times before discovering the true meaning of it, but they are a joy to read! Now I have put in the effort, every time I pick up the book, I discover something new hidden within the poems. It's one of those ... more