Sylvia Plath tragically died more than 50 years ago, however the vitality of her work continues on. To some, Plath’s writing is a biography of her life, yet to others, her work is simply a piece of art to be admired and studied. Through the earlier drafts of her poem “Stings,” one can develop a biographical perception of Plath’s writing. However, it is within her published version of “Stings” that Plath’s writing is revealed as the Introduction to Johnny Panic states, “impassioned reorganizations of relevant fact.” (Hughes 2) Plath’s first known typewritten draft of “Stings,” in Stings: Original Drafts of the Poem in Facsimile, there is a powerful negativity towards men. The speaker of the poem refers to men as “stingless dead men,” (65)
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. . to no avail.” (Unabridged Journals 658) In every draft of “Stings,” including the published version, the third stanza ends with the speaker asking about the hive and if there “is there any queen at all in it?” (Drafts in Facsimile 15) The search for the queen bee in the poem is evidently a true event as told by Plath in her journals. Without Plath’s real life experience, perhaps there would not be the metaphor of the queen bee. The queen bee and the speaker of the poem become fused together as one. This fusion occurs succeeding the significant search for the queen. Van Dyne believes that Plath’s creation and search for the queen is a “search for an authentic and autonomous self.” (3) Once again, Plath is amalgamated with the speaker of “Stings,” demonstrating a biographical …show more content…
Knickerbocker admits that “to a certain extent, Plath’s biography” (17) is a part of her writing, however it is not her writing as a whole. Knickerbocker believes that Plath is an “ecological poet.” (4) He bases this belief on Plath’s childhood journals where her “obvious love for the outdoors” (4) is revealed. In “Stings,” Plath’s fascination with nature is demonstrated through the vivid imagery of the hive filled with “[B]rood cells grey as the fossils of shells.” (Drafts in Facsimile 12) Plath undoubtedly pays attention to the environment at Charlie Pollard’s, and then reorganizes it into an intense experience for her readers. All evidence that supports a biographical reading of “Stings,” is created with the assumption that readers know what Plath’s inner feelings are. Whereas, readings such as Knickerbocker’s ecological perception has objective
. . to no avail.” (Unabridged Journals 658) In every draft of “Stings,” including the published version, the third stanza ends with the speaker asking about the hive and if there “is there any queen at all in it?” (Drafts in Facsimile 15) The search for the queen bee in the poem is evidently a true event as told by Plath in her journals. Without Plath’s real life experience, perhaps there would not be the metaphor of the queen bee. The queen bee and the speaker of the poem become fused together as one. This fusion occurs succeeding the significant search for the queen. Van Dyne believes that Plath’s creation and search for the queen is a “search for an authentic and autonomous self.” (3) Once again, Plath is amalgamated with the speaker of “Stings,” demonstrating a biographical …show more content…
Knickerbocker admits that “to a certain extent, Plath’s biography” (17) is a part of her writing, however it is not her writing as a whole. Knickerbocker believes that Plath is an “ecological poet.” (4) He bases this belief on Plath’s childhood journals where her “obvious love for the outdoors” (4) is revealed. In “Stings,” Plath’s fascination with nature is demonstrated through the vivid imagery of the hive filled with “[B]rood cells grey as the fossils of shells.” (Drafts in Facsimile 12) Plath undoubtedly pays attention to the environment at Charlie Pollard’s, and then reorganizes it into an intense experience for her readers. All evidence that supports a biographical reading of “Stings,” is created with the assumption that readers know what Plath’s inner feelings are. Whereas, readings such as Knickerbocker’s ecological perception has objective