Ariel by Sylvia Plath

Ariel by Sylvia Plath is a collection of poems that tells the story of the speaker’s descent into madness. The speaker is a young woman who is struggling to cope with her mental health and decides to end her life. Ariel is a powerful and haunting book that captures the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

There are few poets who have captured the imagination quite like Sylvia Plath. Her work is marked by a deep sense of melancholy and despair, which is perhaps best exemplified in her poem “Ariel.” This poem is written in free verse and follows a young girl’s journey as she tries to make sense of the world around her.

The speaker in “Ariel” is a young girl who is trying to find her place in the world. She feels lost and confused, and her journey towards understanding is fraught with difficulty. The poem opens with the speaker asking questions about the world around her: “What am I? / A child? / A beast?”

She does not yet understand who she is or what her place in the world might be. As the poem progresses, the speaker becomes more aware of herself and her own power. She starts to see that she is different from other people and animals, and that she has a unique role to play in the world.

By the end of the poem, she has come to accept herself for who she is: “I am not a man / I am something new.” “Ariel” is a powerful poem about self-discovery and acceptance. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost or out of place in the world.

And it reminds us that we all have something special to offer, even if we don’t always know it ourselves.

Ariel by Sylvia Plath Pdf

Sylvia Plath’s novel, “The Bell Jar”, is one of the most important works of literature written in the 20th century. It follows the story of a young woman, Esther Greenwood, who is struggling with mental illness and trying to find her place in the world. The novel has been praised for its frank portrayal of mental illness and its exploration of themes such as female empowerment, sexuality, and societal pressure.

“The Bell Jar” was published under a pseudonym in 1963 and was not widely read until after Plath’s death in 1963. It has since become an international bestseller and is considered one of the most important works of feminist literature.

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What is the Meaning of the Poem Ariel by Sylvia Plath?

The poem “Ariel” by Sylvia Plath is about a girl who is trying to find her identity. She feels like she is lost and does not know who she is. The poem starts with the girl looking in the mirror and seeing herself as a “fiend angelical”.

She then goes on to say how she wants to be free, but she does not know how to get there. The girl feels like she is trapped inside of herself and can not escape. In the end, the girl decides that she will just have to wait and see what happens next.

Why Did Sylvia Plath Call Ariel?

Sylvia Plath called her collection of poems Ariel after the spirit of the air in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In an interview, she said that the name represented “the dawning of the person who is becoming conscious and has shed all her chrysalis skin.” The title also has personal significance for Plath.

When she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown in 1953, she felt like she was trapped under water and desperately fighting to surface. The experience inspired her poem “Lady Lazarus,” in which she compares herself to a phoenix rising from the ashes. For Plath, Ariel symbolized rebirth and liberation.

By naming her book after this powerful image, she hoped to give voice to her own struggles and empower other women who have been silenced.

What Poems are in the Ariel Collection?

The Ariel poems are a collection of 26 poems written by the English poet Sylvia Plath. The collection was published posthumously in 1965, two years after her death. The title “Ariel” refers to the spirit of the air in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, and also alludes to Plath’s own name (Sylvia means “wood nymph” or “forest sprite”).

Many of the poems in this collection deal with themes of nature, death, birth, and rebirth.

How Many Poems are There in Ariel?

Ariel by Sylvia Plath is a collection of poems that was published posthumously in 1965. The poems in Ariel deal with themes of childhood, nature, death, and femininity. Many critics have praised Ariel as one of the most important collections of poetry of the 20th century.

Sylvia Plath reading 'Ariel'

Conclusion

In the poem “Ariel,” Sylvia Plath uses a horse as a metaphor for her own life and journey. The horse represents her strength and determination, but also her vulnerability. She compares herself to the horse, saying that she is both wild and tame, both free and captive.

The poem is about her struggle to find balance in her life, and how she ultimately decides to embrace her wild side.