Amelia Willadsen
Laura Cline
ENG102
6 September 2011
Blog Post #3
The poem “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath stood out to me more than any other poem that was available to read. Throughout the entire poem were powerful descriptive words that kept me interested the whole time. I think the words that the author used is what kept me interested. Words like “flesh” or “eye pits”. I consider these words to be creepy or bone chilling. This poem could have many different thoughts to create the outcome. I enjoy reading poems like “Lady Lazarus” because it keeps the reader wondering throughout the whole poem.
I honestly didn’t know what to make the outcome of “Lady Lazarus”. She adds,
“I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die.”
That part was a little confusing to me because before the author said that, I was thinking she has cancer at a young age and is describing what it feels like to have the disease. I didn’t know what to think after that statement. She writes this next stanza soon after and it led me back to think my original thought.
“Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.”
I thought this stanza was very powerful. What could she mean by, "I do it exceptionally well?" I think knowing you were going to die pretty soon would be extremely scary to come across. The author describes it as an art.
In conclusion, “Lady Lazarus” was a fantastic poem in my eyes. I would be interested in looking into some more of Sylvia Plath’s work to see what else she has up her sleeve. Maybe she has more poems like this one or maybe she wrote some completely different. I would also be interested to look into this particular poem and get some questions that I have, answered. I’m curious to find out what she was really talking about throughout her poem.
I really did not understand this poem when I read it, but I think you did a really good job of explaining what it was about. I liked that you put your own feelings as you were reading the poem in you blog post. I also think that how you came up with the idea of what you think she was talking about within the poem was really good. I'm glad that you pointed out that the author points it out as an art.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that if you knew that you were going to die soon it would be a little bit on the scary side. I think you are doing a great job on your blog posts. Good luck (:
When I first read this poem I did not understand it but It really interested me. I agree with you on how Plath used strong descriptive words to keep the reader wanting more. "I do it exceptionally well" was one of my favorite lines throughout the whole poem and it showed death as a natural art. It may be scary and painful but it's a regular occurrence in the world that we can't just bypass.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the stanza you picked out and how you compared death to an art. Poems come in many different forms and they show different natural occurrences in the world as an art and I completely agree with them. Birth, death, hurricanes, lightening, they come in many different forms but they are all an art of the world. So is poetry.
I didn't connect much with this poem when I read it. I guess I wasn't able to decipher it much. After re-reading it now though, so that I could comment here, I see some of your points and have the same questions. Like the creepy and bone chilling words in the poem and what does she mean that " like a cat I have nine times to die". You did a good job explaining your thought and ideas here. You piqued my interest enough to re-read it anyway.
ReplyDeleteHello Amelia,
ReplyDeleteI too was curious about this poem, but as I couldn't even vaguely decipher it I left it for "Goblin Market". I had never thought of looking at it from a cancer patient's perspective. Yet as I read it again, I wonder what it could mean that she comes back to life every ten years? In any case Plath is certainly good at defining horror. One line in particular struck me as disgusting. It was that of them trying to "pick worms off me like sticky pearls". That is quite graphic. I am interested in seeing what comes of this poem; what the meanings could be. Good luck and keep writing!
Pax et Bonum,
Joseph
When I first saw the title of this poem, "Lady Lazarus", I was very curious as to what it was about. When I first read through it I just couldn't figure it out. It didn't stand out to me so, I read it a couple times and really enjoyed the language and descriptive words the writer used. I like how you analyzed it and your analysis brought me into a different perspective. You have inclined me to read it again and try to discover what I see in it. Great JOB!!
ReplyDeleteThis poem was definately dark and that is what I liked most about it. Growing up I was drawn to Edgar Allen Poe because of his darkness. If Sylvia Plath has more like this I would love to read them like you said. I too was interested to see where it went after the line about having 9 lives as well.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Walker
I agree with you. I only find most creepy and dark poems and stories because they better interest me. Like the poem i choose to read i didn't understand it the first time but when i read it a second time and went stanza by stanza and i figured out some inferences about the story. But i thought your description was well put and overall this is a great job.
ReplyDelete