Resurrecting the Dead: Poetic Exorcisms in Sylvia Plath's 'Daddy' & 'Lady Lazarus'

Beyond the Verse

TW: Discussions of suicide

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Verse, the official podcast of PoemAnalysis.com and Poetry+, hosts Joe and Maiya dive into Sylvia Plath’s posthumous collection "Ariel," focusing on 'Daddy,' 'Lady Lazarus,' and other landmark poems from the collection.

The episode begins with an exploration of Plath’s life, from her early literary ambitions to the psychological and artistic forces that shaped her groundbreaking work. The hosts examine how "Ariel" redefined confessional poetry, channeling personal trauma, feminist resistance, and mythic reinvention into striking poetic forms.

Poetry+ users can get exclusive access to analysis, content, and PDFs, including the following that relates to this episode:

• Sylvia Plath PDF Guide
• ​Confessionalism PDF​
• 'Daddy':
  • Poem PDF Guide
  • Poetry Snapshot PDF
• 'Lazy Lazarus'
  • Poem PDF Guide
  • Poetry Snapshot PDF

Tune in and discover:

• How Plath redefined confessional poetry with "Ariel"
• The controversial imagery and feminist undercurrents in 'Daddy' and 'Lady Lazarus'
• The themes of death, rebirth, and self-reinvention in Plath’s poetry
• Her influence on contemporary poetry and beyond

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