Sylvia Plath siempre apunta al corazón. Tres mujeres es un emocionante poema a tres voces que tiene como tema central la maternidad. Cada voz representa una forma de vivirla: la mujer que centra su realización en ser madre, la que sufre por no poder serlo y la que lo es a su pesar. Sylvia concibió este poema, feminista y antibelicista, para ser leído en voz alta, y en 1962, un año antes de su muerte, lo leyó en la BBC. La experiencia supuso un cambio de dirección en su forma de afrontar la escritura. Desde entonces concebiría los poemas «en voz alta», cambiando de forma definitiva su técnica poética.
Publicado póstumamente en 1964, este es el último poemario de Sylvia Plath y llegó envuelto en una cierta polémica, pues su marido, Ted Hughes, editó el manuscrito original suprimiendo o añadiendo algunos poemas. Esto dividió a la crítica entre los que lo consideraban una intromisión y los que entendían que Hughes y Plath solían colaborar. Finalmente, en 2004, salió a la luz la edición íntegra de Ariel que ahora presentamos, con la selección y organización original de los poemas, en edición ilustrada. Esta obra es una brillante muestra del estilo poético de la gran escritora estadounidense, de versos alternativamente brutales y suaves, cortantes y acariciadores.
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was one of the writers who defined the course of
twentieth-century poetry. Her vivid, daring and complex poetry continues to
captivate new generations of readers and writers. In the Letters, we discover
the art of Plath's correspondence, most of which has never before been
published and is here presented unabridged, without revision, so that she
speaks directly in her own words. Refreshingly candid and offering intimate
details of her personal life, Plath is playful, too, entertaining a wide range
of addressees, including family, friends and professional contacts, with
inimitable wit and verve. The letters document Plath's extraordinary literary
development: the genesis of many poems, short and long fiction, and
journalism. Her endeavour to publish in a variety of genres had mixed
receptions, but she was never dissuaded. Through acceptance of her work, and
rejection, Plath strove to stay true to her creative vision. Well-read and
curious, she offers a fascinating commentary on contemporary culture. Leading
Plath scholars Peter K. Steinberg and Karen V. Kukil, editor of The Journals
of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962, provide comprehensive footnotes and an extensive
index informed by their meticulous research. Alongside a selection of
photographs and Plath's own line-drawings, the editors masterfully
contextualise what the pages disclose. This selection of early correspondence
marks the key moments of Plath's adolescence, including childhood hobbies and
high school boyfriends; her successful but turbulent undergraduate years at
Smith College; the move to England and Cambridge University; and her meeting
and marrying Ted Hughes, including a trove of unseen letters post-honeymoon,
revealing their extraordinary creative partnership.
Sylvia Plath began keeping a diary as a young child. By the time she was at Smith College, when this book begins, she had settled into a nearly daily routine with her journal, which was also a sourcebook for her writing. Plath once called her journal her “Sargasso,” her repository of imagination, “a litany of dreams, directives, and imperatives,” and in fact these pages contain the germs of most of her work. Plath’s ambitions as a writer were urgent and ultimately all-consuming, requiring of her a heat, a fantastic chaos, even a violence that burned straight through her. The intensity of this struggle is rendered in her journal with an unsparing clarity, revealing both the frequent desperation of her situation and the bravery with which she faced down her demons. Written in electrifying prose, The Journals of Sylvia Plath provide unique insight, and are essential reading for all those who have been moved and fascinated by Plath’s life and work.
The collection showcases the powerful and poignant verse of a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, known for her intense emotional depth and artistic brilliance. Through brutally honest self-exploration, the poems—such as "Lady Lazarus" and "Daddy"—reflect personal tragedy while resonating with universal themes. Plath's work continues to shape contemporary poetry, leaving a lasting impact with its raw intensity and vivid imagery.
Sylvia Plath's letters, primarily to her mother, span from her time at Smith College in the early 1950s to her suicide in 1963. They reveal her ability for both domestic joy and literary fulfillment, while also hinting at her profound despair.
Upon the publication of her posthumous volume of poetry Ariel in 1965, Sylvia
Plath became a household name. Readers may be surprised to learn that the
draft of Ariel left behind by Plath when she died in 1963 is different from
the volume of poetry eventually published to worldwide acclaim. This is a
facsimile edition of her original draft.
