“How frail the human heart must be―a mirrored pool of thought” (Plath, S, 1946). The human heart may be stricken in a deeper, more intense manner than the mind; it cannot always be separated due to the frail and vulnerable qualities of its being. Between this divide of heart and mind, stood renowned poet Sylvia Plath. Under a shield of hurt, destruction and darkness, the poetic makings of Plath were unravelled, as her experience with weakness opened up a side of sensitivity within her work. Through the poetry of Sylvia Plath, a weakened state of the human condition was introduced, revealing the dark side of our nature and the state of human frailty. The human condition contains many sides in which expose both the bright and dark nature of existence. Through exploring the darker edge of this condition from the perspective of Sylvia Plath, a further analysis of her life in light of her poetry will be evaluated to reveal this shadow within the human condition. Using distinct examples from poems Lady Lazarus, Mad Girl’s Love Song and Edge as a few examples, the distinction between the life of Plath, her work, and the human condition becomes clearly emphasised. Many would ask why such a good student (winning scholarships to Smith’s College and Cambridge) became so distraught, but it became evident after the death of her father when she was only eight years old. …show more content…
Plath wrote her poems as a response to oppressive modern society out of the sensuous and emotional experiences she encountered, and it was these experiences which influenced her writing. Literary Biography essayist Thomas McClanahan wrote: "At her brutal best - and Plath is a brutal poet - she taps a source of power that transforms her poetic voice into a raving avenger of womanhood and innocence” (Poetry Foundation,