Maev Kennedy at The Guardian just rocked my world with her news article, "Gnawed Roman skeleton that inspired Sylvia Plath poem goes on display." I'm so glad Kennedy mentioned that six years after penning the poem Plath killed herself because it is entirely relevant to the exhibit. Sarcasm aside, the embedded video is interesting, for video of the woman, the mouse, and the shrew, see about 4 minutes 22 seconds into it; though the whole video is well done.
Sylvia Plath inspires us all in various and wonderful ways. She is in many respects a form of comfort to us, which is something that Esther Greenwood expresses in The Bell Jar , about a bath: "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. Whenever I'm sad I'm going to die, or so nervous I can't sleep, or in love with somebody I won't be seeing for a week, I slump down just so far and then I say: 'I'll go take a hot bath.'" We read and remember Sylvia Plath for many reasons, many of them deeply personal and private. But we commemorate her, too, in very public ways, as Anna of the long-standing Tumblr Loving Sylvia Plath , has been tracking, in the form of tattoos. (Anna's on Instagram with it too, as SylviaPlathInk .) The above bath quote is among Sylvia Plath's most famous. It often appears here and there and it is stripped of its context. But I think most people will know it is from her nove...
HI Peter
ReplyDeleteSome one else has read the article and who has suggested that the comment about Plath's death was unnecessary.
I added something as well.
On another topic, a friend sent me a set of the stamps today!!!! How fantastic!!!
Hi Suki! I'm glad that you got some of those poets stamps!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment here, too. You've made an excellent point on The Guardian comments thread, too. I suspect that discussing the Cambridge poems in any detail - or Plath's experiences there - would have lessened the dramatic flare that every article that mention Plath needs. Perhaps I'm too cynical, perhaps it's too early in the morning...
pks