Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963 / Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts)
Born in 1932 to middle class parents in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Sylvia Plath published her first poem at the age of eight. A sensitive person who tended to be a bit of a perfectionist she was what many would consider a model daughter and student - popular, a straight A student, always winning the best prizes. She won a scholarship to Smith College in 1950 and even then she had an enviable list of publications. While at Smith she wrote over four hundred poems.
However, beneath the surface of her seeming perfection were some grave discontinuities, some which probably were caused by the death of her father, an entomologist, when she was eight. During the summer after her ... more »
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Popular Poems
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Quotations
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I only know that a rook
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), U.S. poet. Black Rook in Rainy Weather (l. 27-32). . . The Penguin book of Bird Poetry. Peggy Munserber, ed. (1984) Peng...
Ordering its black feathers can so shine
As to seize me senses, haul
My eyelids up, and grant
A brief respite from fear
Of total neut... -
A certain minor light may still
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), U.S. poet. Black Rook in Rainy Weather (l. 14-18). . . The Collected Poems [Sylvia Plath]. Ted Hughes, ed. (1981) Harper...
Leap incandescent
Out of kitchen table or chair
As if a celestial burning took
Possession of the most obtuse objects now and then... -
''I used to pray to recover you.
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), U.S. poet. Daddy (l. 14-15). . . The Collected Poems [Sylvia Plath]. Ted Hughes, ed. (1981) HarperCollins.
Ach, du.'' -
''Daddy, I have had to kill you.''
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), U.S. poet. Daddy (l. 6). . . The Collected Poems [Sylvia Plath]. Ted Hughes, ed. (1981) HarperCollins.

Here we sit at our desks; I'm sure Plath would have descibed us as having a bowl of peanuts beside us.
Ah Sylvia Plath; a very deep person she was, thus outstanding poetry.
One day, she went downstairs to the kitchen, stuch her head in the oven - and ended it all.
she is very popular poet 68752
Such rage, such sudden insights are not seen in many. She was unique.