Sylvia Plath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sylvia Plath - Essay Example Sylvia Path had a way of making words change into pictures and imagery. Her works have been very beautifully cited as works of art in the field of literature. Sylvia Plath was born in Boston, in October 1932. She was born as a first child to Aurelia and Emil Plath, who was a biology professor at the Boston University at that time. When Sylvia turned eight, her father died of lung cancer and Aurelia Plath had to work at two places to support the family. This was the time when Sylvia's first drawing and poem were published in Boston newspapers. (Liukkonen, 2000) She got her intitial education from Phillips Junior High School, where she maintained very good grades. She started writing poetry for the literary magazine in her school also, by that time. She won an award in the National Scholastic's Literary Contest, in addition to the Carnegie Institute's Achievement Certificate, which was a very honorable award. In 1950, after graduating from Bradford High School, she got admitted to Smith College on a full scholarship. However, after returning home from New York, she found out that she had been rejected at Harvard's Summer School's Literary Class. She tried committing suicide by taking sleeping pills, due to the great depression caused by this news. After graduating, she won another bright scholarship to Cambridge University, England. This was an important period of her life as she continued to shine with her academia achievements and then met a British poet, Ted Hughes. After getting married, four months later, they shifted to Boston where Plath enrolled in Robert Lowell's poetry classes at Boston University. (Welz, 1999) In 1960, after her first child was born, Sylvia got her first major work published, that being called "The Colossus and Other Poem". This also included 'Lady Lazarus' and 'Daddy', in which Plath indulged in open, expressive poetry. This was a difficult time for the author, since she was overcome by suspicions of Ted Hughes's infidelity. These suspicions came true when Ted left Sylvia devastated and financially over burdened, for another woman. "Every woman adores a Fascist, The boot in the face, the brute Brute heart of a brute like you". (From 'Daddy', 1966) Plath died on February 11, 1963 in London by committing suicide. She was a commendable author and her works create a sense of emotion in the reader. Her tombstone still reads the pride achieved through her literary work. Sylvia Plath is considered a legend. And there is no doubt, to why so. Her Works: Besides, having The Bell Jar, as her most awarded piece of work, Sylvia's other poems also attracted praise and recognition. Some of these include (Liukkonen, 2000) Three Women, 1962 - radio play, BBC Uncollected Poems, 1965 Crossing The Water, 1971 A