Remembering the Confessional Poet

Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was one of the most prominent 20th century American poets. She is best known for her confessional poetry and for her two published collections “The Colossus and Other Poems” and “Ariel”. Her short stories are also much acclaimed and attracted the attention of a multitude of readers. Plath is considered as one of the most celebrated poets and writers of English language in the post world war era.  Intensely autobiographical in her writing, Plath is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry. We remember this great literary personality on her 51st death anniversary. 

Sylvia Plath was born on October 27, 1932 in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighbourhood
Plath wrote poetry from the age of eight and her first poem was published in the Boston Traveller magazine
She was admitted to Smith College in 1950 and there she enjoyed scholarship for studying literature.
She was also awarded with the position of guest editor for the college's Mademoiselle magazine

Plath already published over 50 short stories when she was admitted to Smith College
On her graduation in 1955 she won the Glascock  Prize for her poem “Two Lovers” and” A Beachcomber by the Real Sea
Her first collection of poems “The Colossus and Other Poems”  was published in 1960
In 1965 two years after her death, Plath's collection of poetry “Ariel” was published which is considered as one of her best collections

In 1971, two other anthologies, “Crossing the Water” and “Winter Trees” were published from the UK
Plath wrote a semi-autobiographical novel “The Bell Jar” which was published shortly before her death 
She also left some one hundred and thirty pages of a novel titled “Double Exposure” but the manuscript disappeared
Plath's letters were published in 1975 edited and selected by her mother Aurelia Plath 

Plath won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for “The Collected Poems” and became the first poet to win the prize posthumously 
Plath married British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes in 1956
She suffered from depression in much of her adult life 
Plath committed suicide on February 11, 1963 at the age of 30