"Lady Lazarus" is a poem written by Sylvia Plath, published in her posthumous collection Ariel. It is a highly personal and autobiographical poem, reflecting Plath's own struggles with mental illness and her experiences with electroconvulsive therapy.
The poem begins with the speaker announcing that she is "the opposite of the dead." She is a woman who has come back to life, who has been "resurrected" like the biblical figure Lazarus. However, she is not a miraculous resurrection, but rather a woman who has been brought back to life through the horrors of electroconvulsive therapy.
The speaker goes on to describe herself as a "miracle," a "Phenomenon," and a "new statue," suggesting that she has been transformed by her experiences. She also compares herself to a "mummy" and a "corpse" that has been "dipped" in "tar" and "turpentine," further emphasizing the painful and traumatic nature of her experiences.
Throughout the poem, the speaker is self-aware and self-conscious, seeming to be aware that she is being watched and judged by others. She speaks directly to her audience, challenging them to "Do not think I underestimate your great concern." She also mentions that she has "done it again," implying that this is not the first time she has come back to life in this way.
The poem ends with the speaker declaring that she is "the fig tree," a reference to a passage in the Bible in which Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit. The fig tree is a symbol of fertility and abundance, and the speaker suggests that she too is a source of life and renewal. However, the fact that she is cursed like the fig tree also suggests that her life is marked by suffering and struggle.
Overall, "Lady Lazarus" is a powerful and deeply personal poem that explores themes of mental illness, trauma, and the search for meaning in life. It is a poignant and moving depiction of the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit.
The Theme of Death in Plath's "Lady Lazarus" Poem
The reference to skin lampshades and jew linen are not linked as closely as they could be since one possible interpretation of Jew linen is that it is that the linen refered to is actually the flayed skin being used as linen. She insists there is nothing there but soap, a wedding ring, and a gold filling. I did a column on her awhile back with pictures, sources and links to her reading her own work on YouTube. I may be skin and bone, Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman. These are only possibilities but then so is any analysis not done by the poet herself. Lady Lazarus is stating that although society has oppressed her and beaten her down, she will get back on her high horse eventually, just like the saying in Nazi Germany.
Critical Appreciation of Lady Lazarus
It seems as if Lady Lazarus is picturing herself as a Jew in Nazi Germany as a way to state that she is a victim, for her entire life she has been weighed down by the people oppressing her and treating her poorly. I guess you could say I've a call. In this sense, it seems that each new coming of the heroine after unsuccessful suicides makes her stronger and more determined. In reality Lady Lazarus continues to fail at dying, so she is actually quite bad at the act of dying. The poem can also be understood in a larger context, as a comment on the relationship between poet and audience in a society that, as Pamela Annas claims, has separated creativity and consumption. For Plath dying is an art like everything has this poem was written before she committed suicide in 1962.
Sylvia Plath
The speaker is a woman who has the great and terrible gift of being reborn. One evening, i was reading a blog of how so many people got this blank card online when i was trying to search for a new job, but it didn't seem clear to me so i ignored. Well not exactly, sure she has died various times, according to her previous statements, but each time she has come back to life. She has this mindset because she is terrified that others will discover that even though she is alive in the flesh, her spirit is gone. They searched for anything left from the Jews that they could further profit from.
Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus," Deconstructed
A cake of soap, A wedding ring, A gold filling. She has tried once every 10 years to kill herself. And like the cat I have nine times to die. This also makes me think that Plath had such disturbing and troubling thoughts haunting her mind that this thought, to kill herself and quietly go and become one with the soil and insects, actually eased her mind. This was the first time she skimmed death. She will ultimately be able to die nine times, like a cat, and has just completed her third death.
