"Teeth like tombstones," I said,
"Do you see nothing eerie in that?"
She shook her head. I wondered,
had she read the book. With a shy
look, she said, "I liked Esther:"
I was impressed. But why had she
not picked up upon the rest, the
atmosphere of sick decay, the dark
ceiling without a star?
Sometimes we impose our thoughts
upon the young. Why should not she
see the whole book as an exciting story?
Nothing gory. Not a bit depressed.
She'd rather missed the message.
But who's to say? The facts of
Ms Plath's life are too well known
pared to the white of bone:
And this girl had shown how life
Is so much happier, without
the cruel knife, the sad domestic strife.
A contest entry
- because we find the personal in the universal by Dienush.
300 points, ended September 8, 2008, 7 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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This is interesting. I'm assuming it's a daughter or someone. I read The Bell Jar at age 22 and was abit like this with it. I didn't know anything about Plath and only in very recent years have begun to read her poetry and about her life - years where I was older and much more experienced than she lived to be. It's definitely a whole different ball game. This person will read it again later and experience it according to their experiences, no doubt it's time I gave it a second read.
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I like the way you've brought a different point of view into it besides Sylvia's and your own. It was an "exciting story" in its way, I agree. But that's not how I'd describe it. Is Esther likeable? She was smart and funny, as I recall. But likeable? This may send me back to the book for re-reading. That would be the third time, I think.
An excellent write.
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To be honest, the title turned me off from this poem. As an entry in my contest, though, I've read it and I'm glad I have because it's very nice. I love how you combine imagery and personal thoughts with details from the book. The message, too, is forceful and has a great, positive impact. The rhyming scheme flows naturally and that helps the piece (thanks for understanding the "only good rhyme" bit
). The only problem is the last line, I feel the rhyme there is a bit cheesy and it would have a better impact if you finished in "the cruel knife". The next phrase seems redundant to me. Thank you for entering my contest 
~Diana
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No, I'm sticking with the last line, and the title, though I can quite see your objections. This poem is actually based on a true incident which I remember as a teacher, where I recommended that a pupil read The Bell Jar, and I was totally unable to "teach" her the accepted rubric about how it chronicles a young girl's descent into depression, etc, etc. I would agree with you 100% that the novel is a classic, but the cult which has built around poor Sylvia and her awful life is one which has in its time encouraged youngsters to label themselves as depressives, bipolar and so on. I see so many examples of it on this site, as I suspect, do you.
I like to approach any work of art without any preconceived notions, but I accept that this is impossible, and such is especially true when the life of the artist is inextricably linked with the work of art. In the case of The Bell Jar, this is rather unfortunately true.
It just impressed me that one happy-go-lucky girl (whose name I have forgotten, and which I wouldn't use anyway) had read the book purely as a good story (which it is) and had identified with the heroine. The book is described as "seriocomic" isn't it? She flatly refused to take in any of my doom and gloom interpretation,and concentrated on the comic moments, and I haven't forgotten that.
And I respected her for it. -
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Wow, I didn't really get that the first time I read the poem. Funny how I mostly just remember the gloomy moment
(I read the book a while ago). Yes, I do see the trend which you talk about and it is very unfortunate. I don't think what's happening today has anything to do with this book, but I guess for that student and others during that time it did. Thanks for the explanation
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