Poetry stems from a place deep down in the soul, and frequently this comes from a saddened core. Sylvia Plath’s poetry is no different; she incorporates her struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies in “Lady Lazarus.” Although this poem address melancholia in a beautiful pattern, “Lady Lazarus” acts as a peephole into the darkest realms of Plath’s existence. Through personal accounts of loss and devastation, Plath paints a lugubrious picture of her overall state of despair and emptiness. Dark thoughts circulate Plath’s mind constantly, and she describes this in “Lady Lazarus.” Plath takes the reader through a short journey in her head, where she begins with a recollection of her childhood, up through her present state of torment.
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With all of the pain and suffering that she endures, Plath perseveres. Even with her picturing herself as an exhausted pile of burnt ash, she transforms into a mythical Phoenix. “ Out of the ash” Sylvia Plath regains her strength and becomes a new creature (82). Not necessarily human, but in fact she transcends to a new form. Instead of being a weak, interesting woman, Plath becomes this force to be reckoned with. Plath then proceeds with her self-description as a fiery beast which “[eats] men like air” just as those who wronged her (84). Towards the end of “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath emphasizes her strengths over weaknesses. Each inquisition about her life causes her to burn a little more inside, but once all is said and done, Plath uses this ashy destruction to reach a new level of existence. No longer does Sylvia Plath see herself as a young woman with a tormented soul, but rather she is a magical beast who has power over everything and anyone. Starting with her herself, Plath controls what she wants others to see, but also she morphs peoples’ judgmental perceptions into an untamable, fictional bird. Forming from her own self destruction, Sylvia Plath gathers all of her strength and goes through a metamorphosis unlike any other. At first she is viewed as a frail woman with depression, but now Plath defies all odds as she uses her weaknesses to build up an impassable barricade between her and the cold, cruel world which she lives
With all of the pain and suffering that she endures, Plath perseveres. Even with her picturing herself as an exhausted pile of burnt ash, she transforms into a mythical Phoenix. “ Out of the ash” Sylvia Plath regains her strength and becomes a new creature (82). Not necessarily human, but in fact she transcends to a new form. Instead of being a weak, interesting woman, Plath becomes this force to be reckoned with. Plath then proceeds with her self-description as a fiery beast which “[eats] men like air” just as those who wronged her (84). Towards the end of “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath emphasizes her strengths over weaknesses. Each inquisition about her life causes her to burn a little more inside, but once all is said and done, Plath uses this ashy destruction to reach a new level of existence. No longer does Sylvia Plath see herself as a young woman with a tormented soul, but rather she is a magical beast who has power over everything and anyone. Starting with her herself, Plath controls what she wants others to see, but also she morphs peoples’ judgmental perceptions into an untamable, fictional bird. Forming from her own self destruction, Sylvia Plath gathers all of her strength and goes through a metamorphosis unlike any other. At first she is viewed as a frail woman with depression, but now Plath defies all odds as she uses her weaknesses to build up an impassable barricade between her and the cold, cruel world which she lives