SYLVIA PLATH: A POET

Sylvia Plath is a very popular poet of the 20^th century. She is called a confessional poet. Her poetry is full of autobiographical notes. It has a variety of themes. We find her personal anxiety through her poetry.

Born at Boston in America, Sylvia Plath lost her father in the age of eight. Her father’s death sowed the seeds of anxiety in her life. It continued almost endlessly throughout her life. Her conjugal life was very pitiable. Her divorce produced her disregard for men and society. She came in direct conflict with society and its practices. She lost her faith in humanity and society.

Plath’s poetry has various themes. It may be considered as an expression of schizophrenic mind. Desperation, schizophrenia and total negation of life were her basic thematic concerns. She was a feminist who was averse to male dominance. She is a literary symbol of the feminist movement. She condemns the submissive and marginal roe of a woman. She always glorifies the motherhood. The Morning song is a beautiful example of it. Thus she is ranked as a remarkable poet as well as a responsible mother.

Sylvia Plath is called a personal poet. It is because her poetry deals with her anxiety and her feministic attitude. She transmutes her biography into art. In her poetry we find her personal emotions, fears, wishes, desires and conflicts. All these things make her a poet of confessional strain.

In Plath’s poetry Death is one of the major themes. Her biography tells us that she attempted suicide many times. She had a lot of bouts of depression and breakdowns. Her mental condition is vividly expressed in her writings.

Thus Sylvia Plath is a very great poet. Her sharp sensibility and consummate craftsmanship are blended. Her imagery is imbued with symbolic significance. Her images clearly convey her mental state and attitude towards life. Her diction is simple and appropriate to the theme.