Sylvia Plath

Life

Sylvia Plath was an American poet, one-time novellist, and short story writer. She was born on October 27, 1932, in Boston, Massachusetts. A very intelligent and extremely beautiful woman, she committed suicide on February 11, 1963. Her life, works, and marriage remain shrouded in controversy to this day. Plath married the poet Ted Hughes in 1956, before he became poet laureate of Great Britain. With him she had one daughter and one son; Frieda and Nicholas Hughes. Nicholas committed suicide in 2009.

Works

Plath is regarded as one of the foremost confessional poets in the history of American literature and was one of the most influential of the 20th century. She drew upon many themes from her own life in her work. For instance, in her poetry, she addressed her loathing of her father, and in her novel, The Bell Jar, she wrote eloquently about her hesitant attitude towards sex, her fear of adhering to societal conventions, the treatment she underwent for mental health issues, and her contemplations of suicide. Plath was awarded the Pulitzer Prize after her death, becoming the first person to receive the award post-humously.

Notable Works

• The Bell Jar - a novel.
• "The Colossus" and Other Poems - poetry.
• Ariel - poetry.
• Crossing the Water - poetry.
• Winter Trees - poetry.