Sylvia Plath:
A Troubled Soul
Michelle Borukhov, Marina Barron, Grace
Medico, Nishitha Burman.
42
Sylvia Plath was a talented American poet, novelist and short story writer born in October
27, 1932, Massachusetts. Sylvia Plath was born to Aurelia Schober Plath and Otto Plath and has
one older brother Warren Plath. Plath’s talent was blooming from the time she was a little girl. She
published her first poem in the Boston Herald’s children’s section and, in addition to that she won
an award for her paintings from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 1947.
Although Plath led a very talented and gifted life, she faced many afflicted obstacles in
her life. Depression was a major dispute in her life. Depression began in her life from the time her
father died of diabetes in November 5, 1940. Plath was only eight years old when her father died.
As Plath has said, the first nine years "sealed themselves off like a ship in a bottle—beautiful
inaccessible, obsolete, a fine, white flying myth" (Wikipedia).
In 1950 Sylvia Plath enrolled in Smith College and excelled there academically. She was
the editor of the Smith Review and was awarded guest editor at Mademoiselle Magazine while she
was away at New York City. She regretted greatly not being able to be there to meet her favorite
poet Dylan Thomas whom she loved “more than life itself” said one of her boyfriend. Not being able
to meet him torn her up and she attempted at suicide many times by slashing her legs. She also
took more attempts to suicide by taking her mom’s sleeping pills. She survived the attempts and
was put in a psychiatric care for six months where she was received electric and insulin shock
treatment. After her recovery she returned to college and graduated Smith with the highest honors.
She also obtained a Fulbright Scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge where she continued
working on poetry and publishing her work.
College Days +Everything
Else….
Continuing her life at Cambridge, Sylvia Plath met Ted Hughes who was also a
poet, at a celebration. They got married a few months after on June 16, 1956. They both
traveled to many places and continued writing poetry while keeping an open mind and
excelling in other fields like astrology. They had their first child, Daughter Frieda on April
1, 1960. After her birth Plath published her first collection of poetry The Colossus. In
February 1961 she ended her second pregnancy in a miscarriage which led her to depression
and writing poems on miscarriages. Then she finished her semi-autobiographical novel The
Bell Jar. After, she had her second child, son Nicholas in January 1962. In 1969 when they
rented their flat to Assia and David Wevill, Hughes was struck by Assia’s beauty and was
discovered having an affair with Assia Wevill. In September Plath and Huges separated.
This added on to Plath’s depression. She had a car accident which was described as one of
her many attempts at suicide.
She returned to London with her two children two years and nine months by
herself. She continued her poetry and wrote at least 26 poems of her collection Ariel. Her
depression returned bur she finished her collection which was published after her death.
Plath alone was raising two children and Dr. John Horder a friend of her tried helping her
out in many ways. He prescribed her antidepressants and arranged a live-in nurse. On the
morning of February 11, 1963 the nurse was supposed to arrive to help but could not get in
her flat. When they eventually got in Plath was found dead of monoxide poisoning in the
kitchen with her head in the oven with the rooms between her and the children sealed with
wet cloth and towels. She placed her head in the oven with the gas turned on at exactly
4:30 a.m (Wikipedia).
So What Was Going On In The World....
The 1950's were very different times, during which a woman's social standing was below that of men.
Women were typically confined to the household, purposed to being a domestic housewife, serving their
husband and focusing on the upbringing of a family and children. Although many women sought to
challenge the social normitive placed upon them, job opportunities were highly limited and their choices
were restricted to working in factories, on farms, behind the counters of a store or as secretaries. Such
jobs provided limited opportunity and often unsuitable conditions for raising a family.
For most women, the 1950's were typically known as "the era of the housewife." Men were generally
considered the providers of a family, thus holding a position of superiority within the household and
similarly within society. Women on the other hand were intended for the raising of an ideal family, and the
maintenance of a secure, stable and calm household. Beneath such pressing societal pressure, many
women found themselves dropping out of college and giving up on career dreams and individuality in
order to become society's "perfect woman."
Society provided endless opportunity for men in furthering themselves, but provided a repressive and
constrictive environment by way of high expectation and importance on public image and behavior. The
delegated positions for women were that of the obedient and caring wife and mother, gracefully
maintaining a tranquil home for a husband to return to. The template for women in these times was
ironclad and women that sought to break the mold deliberately crafted to keep them subservient in the
household found difficulty advancing.
Societal roles were standard, but slowly changing in favor of women as they began to uphold a greater
standing in the labor workforce following World War II. Simply put, they were bored weaving, mending,
and maintaining in the household and many sought something more intellectually stimulating. Sylvia
Plath was one such women, whose achievements as a successful poet and writer are accentuated by the
times that harbored her growth and development.
"Cinderella"
The prince leans to the girl in scarlet heels,
Her green eyes slant, hair flaring in a fan
Of silver as the rondo slows; now reels
Begin on tilted violins to span
The whole revolving tall glass palace hall
Where guests slide gliding into light like wine;
Rose candles flicker on the lilac wall
Reflecting in a million flagons' shine,
And glided couples all in whirling trance
Follow holiday revel begun long since,
Until near twelve the strange girl all at once
Guilt-stricken halts, pales, clings to the prince
As amid the hectic music and cocktail talk
She hears the caustic ticking of the clock.
This Is What We Think Of It.....
In this poem, Plath paints a picture of a
magical night. A night with dancing, music
and a prince. Plath uses words like leaning,
slanting, reeling, tilting, revolving, etc. to
depict a night of movement and fluidity. A
night of enchantment and beauty but then
something happens, something clicks. Just as
it is in the fairy tale, Cinderella, at the strike of
midnight, her night comes to a halting stop
and suddenly, the night isn’t magical
anymore. With “guilt-stricken halts” and
“pales”, the night becomes one of a tiresome
mess.
The Meaning Is Revealed....
This short adaptation of the Cinderella fairy tale focuses on the moment when Cinderella dances
with Prince Charming at the ball. In Plath's telling, the prince leans into the girl with her scarlet heels, green
eyes, and "fan / Of silver" hair as they dance together and the violins play. Guests glide about while
candles flicker on the walls, reflecting in the wine glasses of the happy partygoers. The couples dance
together "in whirling trance." At twelve, the girl suddenly becomes "guilt-stricken," and clings to her prince
as she hears the "caustic" clock tick amid the music and the chatter.
So what of the sweet "Cinderella"? It appears to be a mere retelling of the moment in which
Cinderella dances with her prince and hears the clock chime midnight, thus signaling the end of her
magical evening. Even were this all the poem offered, Plath offers an effectively atmospheric adaptation in
it. She is masterful at creating the sense of movement that Cinderella feels, through the use of words like
"reels," "revolving," "slide," "gliding," and "whirling." She also sets the glamorous and romantic mood
through images of candles flickering, "gilded couples," a glass hall, and sparkling wineglasses. If nothing
else, she captures the glorious fairytale atmosphere that has captivated little girls for centuries.
However, despite the beauty and putative lightness of the scene, the specter of the chiming
clock hangs over the poem, much like the clock in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"
portends doom for his revelers. Cinderella, who is immersed in dancing, hears the clock chiming in its
"caustic" manner, thus signaling that her time is up. She "clings to the prince" and becomes pale and "guiltstricken." Most readers know what comes next: she tears herself away from him and retreats quickly,
leaving only a slipper.
There are two elements, though, that confound the generally simplistic telling. The first is the
adjective "guilt-stricken," which makes Cinderella into a criminal in her own mind. She has not captured the
glory that she is owed, but rather considers herself an usurper, a cheat. It is definitely possible to use a
feminist interpretation, in that the woman feels guilty for attempting to capture the man she loves.
Secondly, Plath changes the slipper's quality, from gold to scarlet. This shift makes the slipper seem more
contemporary, which also makes it possible to read the poem as more of a comment on contemporary
woman than as simply an atmospheric adaptation.
Some critics have even posited that the poem attempts much more than the basic story.
They comment that the clock, which is a symbol for the passing of time, is hearkening not
only the end of Cinderella's evening, but the imminent arrival of old age. Indeed, one of
Plath's most frequent concerns in her poetry is the fear over the loss of youth and beauty,
and this poem may very well be alluding to that same theme. Axelrod reads more
autonomy into the titular character, commenting that "the outsider protagonist liberates
herself from feminine stereotype, gaining more in autonomy than she loses in social
standing and sensual gratification." He is perhaps referring to her assumption of a new
self that, while interested in attaining the favor of a prince, was also a very public and
independent figure, and one that did not shy away from engaging in the activities that
were most pleasurable and absorbing. Of course, even if one takes this direction in
interpreting the poem, it is undeniable that Plath has not yet mastered her ability to
capture such contradictions and complications with ease and subtlety.
"Follow holiday revel begun long since,
Until near twelve the strange girl all at once
Guilt-stricken halts, pales, clings to the prince"
This is her fear of the end of youth. The ticking of the clock, midnight nears and she fears
the end of her magical youth.
Finally, loss of life. The ticking of the clock is "caustic," which is a very harsh word. The
imagery of the clock makes one think of one's lifespan and how it is finite. The clock
striking midnight will end the life that Cinderella has created for herself.
A Mad Girl's Love Song
"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you'd return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)"
More Of What We Think Of....
In this poem, Sylvia Plath creates a feeling of
fear. The line, “I shut my eyes…”, presents a
picture of being afraid or tired of something. In
the second stanza, Plath writes, “arbitrary
darkness” which refers to the idea of
depression. Throughout the poem, Plath
describes her constant battle with reality and
with herself. Whether or not what she has
thought to be reality, truly is, or if everything she
believed in, was just made up inside her head.
Another Mystery Revealed....
“Mad Girl’s Love Song” by Sylvia Plath is a poem about a girl who spent her whole life waiting
for a man she gave herself to, against her beliefs, who was never to return. The most visible device the
author used in this book is repetition. One phrase the narrator repeats is “(I think I made you up inside my
head).” The emphasis repetition puts on this quote is that the narrator is wishing that this man is made up,
and trying to convince herself of it. The quotes signify that these are thoughts to her, and not out loud,
which means she is trying to convince herself it is true. The narrator also repeats the line, “I shut my eyes
and all the world drops dead.” This, along with the reference to God, Satan, and Seraphim, mean that
getting “into bed” with the man the narrator was speaking to was a sin, and therefore they never
married. When the narrator tries to sleep, “All the world drops dead,” which could represent nightmares
and visions of hell because she feels guilty for her sin. Plath uses repetition to emphasize certain phrases
so the reader can decipher the true meaning.
Another device the author uses is personification. In the second stanza the narrator describes
“the stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in.” Clearly, stars can not waltz
and blackness can’t gallop. Stars “waltzing out” and blackness galloping in are used to describe how they
are leaving her without a second thought, self-assured, easily, and quickly, as the man who left her might
have done. The narrator continues to say “I should have loved a Thunderbird instead; At least when spring
comes they roar back again.” The narrator is giving a car, Thunderbird, the personification of being able to
love and return to its lover, as she wished her man had done. The narrator is also relaying the message
that the car is a better man and companion than her lover is. Personification in this poem is very
meaningful and powerful to the underlying theme.
The first thing that struck me with this poem is the title, “Mad Girl’s Love Song.” The title has
two underlying meanings. One, the girl is mad, or angry, about the love in her life. This is true, because the
narrator is very upset that she gave herself to a man who left her. Also, that the girl is mad, or insane,
over convincing herself that this lover is “made up” and does not exist. The second thing about this poem
that caught my attention is the author, Sylvia Plath, who is extremely emotional and troubled. I liked the
religious undertones of the poem, which represent that sex before marriage is a sin to the narrator, and
she is regretting her actions. “Mad Girl’s Love Song” is cynical view on a bad relationship, and I enjoyed
reading it.
Sylvia wished that she would eventually overcome her depression and grow out of
the despair she was living in. "I fancied you'd return the way you said, but I grow old and I
forget your name." But in fact, her longing and search for her happiness had driven her
insane. She had been lost for so long that she didn't remember what it was like to truly be
happy so therefore she would never be able to identify it if she were to regain control of her
life. Once again the line, "(I think I made you up inside my head)" is referring to the state of
insanity that Sylvia Plath had driven herself into.
Finally, in the last section of the poem, Sylvia states "I should have loved a thunderbird
instead, at least when spring comes they roar back again." With this statement she is blaming
herself for wanting and in the end actually having a love for something that was impossible
for her to obtain. She feels that she should have been like the rest of the world and chose
something materialistic to long for such as a thunderbird sports car. In this case, people put
these cars away for the winter but she would have the reassurance that her happiness, her
love would always be there to come back to her. The two repetitious lines are seen here to
end the poem. "I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead, (I think I made you up inside my
head)" This time these lines are seen in the same stanza when before the line containing
death was seen after an idea of despair and the line about imagination was seen in the
stanzas that dealt with how her life should have been. The line, "(I think I made you up inside
my head)" , is written in parentheses, so therefore is something Sylvia is just realizing herself
but does not want believe it as being true. So, in combining these two lines, Sylvia is making
a bold statement that in committing suicide she would be able to escape the reality of never
being able to find true happiness in living. The title "Mad Girl's Love Song" , when looked
after analyzing the poem, is quite clear. It is saying that the love for her happiness drove her
to insanity.
Are They Similar?
These two poems, Cinderella and Mad
Girl’s Love Song, both deal with struggles of
capturing reality. In the first, Plath shows how
everything must come to an end and
sometimes people can get lost in the moment.
It’s always important to stay grounded an keep
in touch with reality and what really matters. In
the second poem, Plath shows someone who
has always struggled with figuring out what
was real in her life and what isn’t. Throughout
Plath’s life, she also had trouble differentiating
between reality and what was in her mind and
that was depicted in these two poems.
What's So Special?
Cinderella: we learn about this poem in because
we can interpret it. when we saw the title we
thought it was beautiful thing, so we chose it. it is
important to understanding poetry because it uses
literary elements
Mad Girl’s Love Song: we learn about this poem
so we can interpret it. we loved the title to this for
many reasons. it made us think of an amazing
singer/song writer so we decided to analyze it. this
poem as well, uses literary elements.
You Can Do This…
BY: Michelle Borukhov
Be proud of who you are,
You're one of a kind,
A shining star,
With a great piece of mind.
There is nothing you can't do, you'll shine bright.
Set your mind to it all.
You're beautiful you, a bird in flight.
Don't be scared to fall.
There will be fast flowing rivers,
There will be times you won't see other birds.
You'll feel like it's the end, but forget your shivers.
Forget it all like yesterdays words.
Always stand tall,
Be proud of who you are,
Even if there isn't someone to catch you as you fall,
Remember you're as bright as a shooting star.
The Plants
By: Marina Barron
The plants climb up the wall
Across the ceiling
Down the floor…
Down the floor.
The plants cannot decide
To stay or go. they have no choice
For here or there, for less or more.
They aren’t free but aren’t slaves,
And they decorate their graves.
My One And Only Love….
BY: Grace Medico
That unique feeling comes from up above
It’s that feeling I have when you get close
It’s that special feeling that we call love
Can’t you tell that you leave me breathlessly
Cause if you only saw what I could see
You’d know why I want you so desperately
But it’s sad that you don’t even notice me
You are the reason I smile everyday
To me you are perfect in every way
Family…
BY: Nishitha Burman
We share love
Hate, We’re free of
We share tears
We share fears
It’s the love and sacrifice
The promises and compromise
The secrets but no lies
The bond that it ties
We know each other like no other
A Brother a Sister a Father a Mother
A family’s love is never impaired
Its love is always shared
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bibliography
Antonov, Aleksandar. "Sylvia Plath - Life in the 50's (Time Period)." Sylvia Plath - Life
in the 50's (Time Period). Aleksandarantonov.wikispaces.com, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 06
June 2013.
"Women's Roles in the 1950s." American Decades: 1950-1959. Ed. Vincent
Tompkins. Vol. 6. Gale Cengage, 1994. eNotes.com. 6 Jun, 2013
http://www.enotes.com/1950-lifestyles-social-trends-american-decades/
Cox, Erika. "Life in the 1950’s." – The Fifties. Loti.com. 06 June 2013
<http://www.loti.com/fifties_history/life_in_the_1950s.htm>.
"Sylvia Plath." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 June 2013. Web. 06 June 2013.
Osbourne, Kristen. "Sylvia Plath: Poems Summary and Analysis." Sylvia Plath:
Poems Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of "Cinderella" Www.gradesaver.com.
06 June 2013 <http://www.gradesaver.com/sylvia-plath-poems/studyguide/section10/>.
Shelly. "What is Sylvia Plath's poem "Cinderella" rreeally about?" Yahoo! Answers. 02
June 2010. Yahoo! 06 June 2013
<http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100530083848AAqaFkH>.
WriteWork contributors. "Critcal Analysis Of Silvia Plath's "Mad Girl's Love Song""
WriteWork.com. WriteWork.com, 12 August, 2001. Web. 07 Jun. 2013.