Sylvia Plath Lovers discussion

so what is it about her, to you, that attracts you to follow her words? her life, her writing, both, or something else?

I'm attracted to the idea of a human being who could access and channel the sort of metaphysical power Plath wields in her poetry. I am both in awe and terrified. What would it be like to "touch" that kind of intensity? I read everything I can about Plath to try and understand how she got to where she was - both because I would like to access that power myself, and because I wonder if there is a way to reach that point without breaking.

Great question!

-aniko

i have always been fascinated with her and her writing. i understand what you say about trying to tap the power and i assume it is the same reason people read poe and shakespeare. the psychological aspects you mention is an interesting point as well.

Plath's poetry reaches the level of mystical. Even when I can't make "sense" of one of her poems, my illogical core recognizes the raw truth. She had amazing access to the undercurrent of existence. It's a shame that her last journal was burned. I would have be interested to know how it felt to write the Ariel poems.

-aniko

Steven, hello!

It is an inspiration to see how Plath takes even the most ordinary object and elevates it to something worthy of reflection. She helped make the realm of the feminine mysterious again, and worthy of examination. We are far less gender-biased or locked into gender roles these days than we were in Plath's time, possibly because she and other writers like her made the "smaller" or "women's" topics equivalent to the "bigger" more "masculine" topics.

And, yes, her journals are a constant source of gorgeous images, great quotes, and clues to her "impenetrable" poetry.

Happy writing to you!

-aniko

i love the fact that her writing seems to strike more at the unconscious and really makes the reader think about what they read. most things you read tend to be black and white and when your done the thought leaves you. with Sylvia the writing doesn't allow for that and it forces the reader to take the reading with them. perfect example would be Daddy.

I think I'm attracted to the reality of her madness. Her life was filled with opportunities, but at the end of it all, nothing was enough to quell the fires that life had lit in her sad body all along.

she says things that, I feel like, could have only been thought of by her. the uniqueness and the passion scream. "I have simply ordered a box of maniacs." is one of my favorite lines. it's just so different than so much poetry. she stands out even among likeminds.

I feel that she understands me in a lot of ways. there are things she's done or said that was very much me. very relateable. the unaltered accounts of life as a depressed woman. a lot of people lie about the truth of their emotions, but I just don't think she could. at least not in her poetry.

Personally I just relate to her and her story on numerous levels. I am, even currently, in a residential treatment center for Borderline Personality Disorder. Her personal life, from events to relationships and more, has many similarities with my own. Her writing instead of depressing me, has actually inspired me to continue on in the hope that I can make my life better, even with this disorder.

Steven wrote: "Her writing instead of depressing me, has actually inspired me to continue on in the hope that I can make my life better, even with this disorder.

"Write about your own experience. By that experie..."

Thank you, Steven! I appreciate that quote too.

great point steven