LADY LAZARUS, as Sylvia Plath’s title suggests, is a poem about suicide and a woman’s (reluctant) resurrection. Reading Lady Lazarus, it’s possible to argue that it’s about the resurrection of all women forced to live in restricted oblivion instead of a truly fulfilling life. The illustration above is about the Bell Jar, her novel about a young girl trapped in a vacuum of conventional society’s expectation. And as dark as the theme of Lady Lazarus might seem, particularly as it’s a precursor to Sylvia Plath’s suicide at just 30, it’s also alive with her trademark satirical wit, and most of all it surges with her determination and defiance. She’s a woman in charge of her destiny and she has the courage pursue it, particularly with men. As the last lines say,
Herr God Herr Lucifer
Beware Beware
Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like I eat air
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