Beaming Notes
Your Guide to Literature

This poem summary focuses on the poem ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’ by the confessional poet Sylvia Plath. Before looking at the content of the poem, one must look at its title though. ‘Mad’ is here used to mean both mentally unstable, and angry. The fact that Plath characterizes herself as a ‘mad girl’ shows that… Continue reading Summary of Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath

This poem summary focuses on Sylvia Plath’s apparently simple poem about a blackberry picking expedition known as ‘Blackberrying’. However, like all of Plath’s poetry, this poem too has a deeper layer of meaning that reveals much about her mental state, in the very mode of confessional poetry. This poem is composed of three stanzas. Each… Continue reading Blackberrying Summary by Sylvia Plath

Blackberrying: Analysis This poem analysis is divided into three parts – context, rhyme scheme and rhetorical devices, and themes. Blackberrying: Context This part of the poem’s explanation is absolutely indispensable to the construction of its meaning. Being a confessional poet, Plath’s poetry always reflects what phase of life she is going through at the moment.… Continue reading Blackberrying: Analysis

This poem summary focuses on the poem ‘Lorelei’ by Sylvia Plath. This poem combines the confessional style of Plath with a myth of German origin, that of the water spirit called Lorelei who lures sailors with her breathtaking beauty and her enchanting voice, leading them to the perils of the rocky reefs of the Rhine.… Continue reading Summary of Lorelei by Sylvia Plath

This poem analysis is divided into three parts – context, rhyme scheme, and symbolism. Context: ‘Lorelei’ was written by Sylvia Plath as a part of the collection of poems entitled The Colossus and Other Poems which was published in the year 1960. Many of the poems in this collection refer to myths drawn from various… Continue reading Analysis of ‘Lorelei’ by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was arguably one of the most prolific confessional poetry writers of the 20th century. Plath combines traditional classical poetry themes with confessional style poetry. Academics and critics have suggested that she has used her poetry as a narrative vehicle to express her emotional turmoil. For instance, one of her most well known poems,… Continue reading Childless Woman Analysis by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath ( October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was one of the most renowned and influential poets, novelists, and short story writers of the 20th century. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College at the University of Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a poet and writer. She was… Continue reading ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath : A Summary