The Poetry of Sylvia Plath by Claire Brennan

The Poetry of Sylvia Plath by Claire Brennan

Sylvia Plath is one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. Her second volume of poetry, Ariel, published posthumously in 1965, shocked and provoked reviewers with its unexpected intensity and power. Initially recognised as a confessional or extremist poet, Plath was significantly reassessed by revisionist feminist readings of the 1970s, which argued for her consideration within a feminist canon and signalled the move towards increasingly sophisticated theoretical discussion. The publication of Plath's Collected Poems in 1981 confirmed her as a poet of stature and maturity. In this Readers' Guide, Claire Brennan explores the critical debates surrounding Plath's poetry. Beginning with reviews of her initial collection, The Colossus, the reader is clearly guided through the profusion of critical material that has variously described Plath as feminine and feminist, personal and political, an American modernist and an English Romantic. The Guide includes extracts from Robert Lowell's influential foreword to the American edition of Ariel, and significant cultural readings from Susan Van Dyne and Alan Sinfield. Recognising the centrality of Plath to feminist debates, this Guide follows the progression from Sandra M. Gilbert's defining essay of 1979 to Jacqueline Rose's ground-breaking study, The Haunting of Sylvia Plath (1991). The final chapter contains extracts from recent articles offering innovative considerations of subjectivity and nationality.

'I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticism having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading

CLAIRE BRENNAN lectures at the University of Dundee.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781840461954
ISBN 10	1840461950
Title	The Poetry of Sylvia Plath
Author	Claire Brennan
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Year published	2000-10-01
Number of pages	202
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable