In the poem “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath narrates the story of a character who has attempted suicide three times. The title makes a reference to Lazarus, a biblical character raised by Jesus of Nazareth, to give readers an idea of the speaker’s struggles when attempting suicide. The speaker illustrates her third attempt at suicide by using figurative language to dramatize her poem. She employs the use of metaphors to compare herself to a Nazi prisoner. By describing death as an “art,” the speaker gives the poem a dreary and depressive tone (line 44). This poem describes and identifies the speaker’s fascination with suicide due to oppression.
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker confesses that she has done “it” again (1). However, it is not until later in the poem that we find out that by “it” the speaker is referring to yet another suicide attempt.
In the third and fourth stanza, we can …show more content…
Now we can understand what she means when she states “I have done it again. One year in every ten” she tries to commit suicide (1-2). The speaker describes her body as “a million filaments” (25). In her third suicide attempt, the speaker describes the people watching her as a “peanut-crunching crowd” (26). This term infers the speaker wants to be the center of attention by making a circus of her suicide attempt.
Lady Lazarus goes on to explain to her audience about her two previous attempts at suicide. She claims her first suicide attempt happened when she was just ten years old, and “it was an accident” (36). In her second suicide attempt, which happened in her twenties, she asserts she did not mean to “come back at all” (38). In the 11th stanza, the speaker portrays a simile where she compares herself to a “seashell” (40). This simile may refer to the speaker trying to shut the world out. Finally, she was brought back to life by the people who “call and call” to save her life.
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker confesses that she has done “it” again (1). However, it is not until later in the poem that we find out that by “it” the speaker is referring to yet another suicide attempt.
In the third and fourth stanza, we can …show more content…
Now we can understand what she means when she states “I have done it again. One year in every ten” she tries to commit suicide (1-2). The speaker describes her body as “a million filaments” (25). In her third suicide attempt, the speaker describes the people watching her as a “peanut-crunching crowd” (26). This term infers the speaker wants to be the center of attention by making a circus of her suicide attempt.
Lady Lazarus goes on to explain to her audience about her two previous attempts at suicide. She claims her first suicide attempt happened when she was just ten years old, and “it was an accident” (36). In her second suicide attempt, which happened in her twenties, she asserts she did not mean to “come back at all” (38). In the 11th stanza, the speaker portrays a simile where she compares herself to a “seashell” (40). This simile may refer to the speaker trying to shut the world out. Finally, she was brought back to life by the people who “call and call” to save her life.