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Ariel by Sylvia Plath
The Ariel-period poems of Sylvia Plath demonstrate her desire for rebirth, to escape the body that was "drummed into use" by men and society. I will illustrate the different types of rebirth with examples from the Ariel poems, including "Lady Lazarus," "Fever 103," "Getting There," and "Cut." "Lady Lazarus," the last of the October poems, presents Plath as the victim with her aggression turned towards "her male victimizer (33). ... Plath confronts Herr Doktor: Herr God, Herr Lucifer Beware Beware. ... (Plath 246-247) Lady Lazarus after her psychic death became stronger than her creator: " Male- female antagonism ends with the woman defiantly asserting power over her body and releasing its energies for her own ends" (Bundtzen 233). While the outcome of the poem is positive, "Plath turns on herself, identifying with her oppressor, and sadistically punishes her body in the process of recreating it" (Bundtzen 237). Plath did not see the rebirth process as a pleasant experience, but one that is expected of her "I guess you could say Ive got a call" (Plath 245). ... During the multiple orgasms of "Fever 103, " "the delirious woman sublimates a body sick with desire into an acetylene virgin flame and thereby rids herself of any need for men to complete herself sexually; " Thus, Plath freed herself from male dependency (Bundtzen 236). Two Ariel poems "Cut" and "Getting There" do not exhibit a full rebirth but rather exploit "the female bodys victimization to mover towards new self-perceptions (Bundtzen 247).
Approximate Word count = 1190
Approximate Pages = 4.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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