Ariel - Sylvia Plath

...My favourite poem in Ariel has to be 'Lady Lazarus'. It tells the story of a women who goes repeatedly through the agony of being reborn every time she kills herself. It is this blunt admission of Plath's desire to die that makes this poem so real and so harrowing. 'It's the theatrical Comeback in broad day To the same place, the same face, the same brute Amused shout.' She is bored with life, she is bored with not being able to die. Her world ...
...detached from the action which the 'Peanut-crunching crowd' view through their voyeuristic eyes. It is all the 'same', nothing changes, she is sick of plodding through life, death clearly seems more attractive. This image is beautiful and so sadly bitter. I believe Plath knew she was going to die here, she wrote these poems in a frenzy, she was alive with the thought of death. Her candid descriptions of her own suicide attempts run through this ...

princess_lu 12.02.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Ariel - Sylvia Plath

...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 ...
...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 ...

joolzroolz 24.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ariel - Sylvia Plath

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 ...
...Plath's poetry is as intriguing as her life. People might suggest her poetry is depressing and such but i urge you to read it. She has such a way with words. Also i would highly recommend reading 'The Bell Jar'. A fascinating insight into the world of insanity through the eyes of a young girl. ...

Kickboxer22 30.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Ariel - Sylvia Plath

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 ...

PaulVerrico 28.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ariel - Sylvia Plath

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 ...

Alican 06.07.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Ariel - Sylvia Plath