“Lady Lazarus” was written late in October of 1962 and later published in Sylvia Plath’s collection of poems, Ariel. Plath combines a narrative and dramatic monologue in order for the reader to better understand why she finds satisfaction in her multiple suicide attempts in hope of rebirth. The author’s Holocaust references throughout her poem helps to draw a comparison between her experiences in a rehabilitation center to the experiments performed on the Jews. Also, this poem gives deeper insight into the dark thought process of someone who has been through a suicide attempt and why they resorted to that action. Lastly, the author suggests at the next attempt on her life and her need to get vengeance on the people who have wronged her. In
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The poem does not possess any formal restrictions to its form and grammar is “often ignored” (“Overview” 1). Plath uses the informal pattern, form, and grammar to reflect the chaotic thoughts in her mind onto the page. Although the poem does not have a set rhyme scheme, the poem does contain some line ending rhymes. The poem is a combination of a narrative poem and a dramatic monologue, which gives the story element a deeper meaning to what the speaker is going through. “Lady Lazarus” is Plath’s personal “confessional” of her frustrations and this gives the reader a unique point of view (Howe …show more content…
Lines 43-44 reveal to the reader that “Dying / Is an art” to explain the persona’s view that coming back to life is art, not actually dying (Bloom 2). In line 6-7, she refers to her foot as a paperweight, which can be interpreted to Plath’s father’s leg amputation that eventually led to her death, the first death in this poem (“Overview” 1). Also, the persona acknowledges her ability of resurrection in line 21, “And like the cat I have nine times to die,” but with every rebirth, she has a different goal. In line 39-40, “[the persona] rocked shut / As a seashell” and did not mean to come back to life like she did in “Number Three” (Line 22). However, she clarified her will to seek revenge on the man who wronged her in her next suicide attempt and will “rise with [her] red hair / And [she will] eat men like air” (Lines 83-84). In the final stanza, the author’s use of symbolism in the phoenix and fire in “Lady Lazarus” solidifies the theme of rebirth and rising from the ashes. The mythological creature, the phoenix, is the perfect fit because of its ability to resurrect itself “out of the ash” (Line 82), but in order to do so, it must first catch fire. Fire is known for its destructive qualities and Plath uses it to symbolize how the problems in her own life are destroying her mentally. The persona threatens to “rise with [her] red hair” and … eat men like air” because she
The poem does not possess any formal restrictions to its form and grammar is “often ignored” (“Overview” 1). Plath uses the informal pattern, form, and grammar to reflect the chaotic thoughts in her mind onto the page. Although the poem does not have a set rhyme scheme, the poem does contain some line ending rhymes. The poem is a combination of a narrative poem and a dramatic monologue, which gives the story element a deeper meaning to what the speaker is going through. “Lady Lazarus” is Plath’s personal “confessional” of her frustrations and this gives the reader a unique point of view (Howe …show more content…
Lines 43-44 reveal to the reader that “Dying / Is an art” to explain the persona’s view that coming back to life is art, not actually dying (Bloom 2). In line 6-7, she refers to her foot as a paperweight, which can be interpreted to Plath’s father’s leg amputation that eventually led to her death, the first death in this poem (“Overview” 1). Also, the persona acknowledges her ability of resurrection in line 21, “And like the cat I have nine times to die,” but with every rebirth, she has a different goal. In line 39-40, “[the persona] rocked shut / As a seashell” and did not mean to come back to life like she did in “Number Three” (Line 22). However, she clarified her will to seek revenge on the man who wronged her in her next suicide attempt and will “rise with [her] red hair / And [she will] eat men like air” (Lines 83-84). In the final stanza, the author’s use of symbolism in the phoenix and fire in “Lady Lazarus” solidifies the theme of rebirth and rising from the ashes. The mythological creature, the phoenix, is the perfect fit because of its ability to resurrect itself “out of the ash” (Line 82), but in order to do so, it must first catch fire. Fire is known for its destructive qualities and Plath uses it to symbolize how the problems in her own life are destroying her mentally. The persona threatens to “rise with [her] red hair” and … eat men like air” because she