Sylvia Plath

Steven Axelrod (University of California, Riverside); Revised By: Dorka Tamas (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Ed. by Cristina Sandru, The Literary Encyclopedia, Justin Parks, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

Born 27 Oct 1932
Died 11 Feb 1963
Activity 1952-1963

Places

Born in United States
Active in England; United States

Activities

Primary

Novelist
Poet

Resources

Plath's Works

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Despite her short life, Sylvia Plath (1932-1962) is one of the most notable American poets of the twentieth century. Writing before the second wave of feminist movements, Plath touched on many subjects that were considered taboo in poetry, such as pregnancy, miscarriage, female power, sexuality, and death. Plath was also a forerunner of Cold War fiction: her novel

The Bell Jar

portrays the oppressive cultural and political effects of McCarthyism. In her poetry, Plath is known for her sharp and expressive language, fierce and unsettling metaphors, and complex vocabulary. She is most famous for her collection

Ariel

. Plath was a trendsetter for many women writers in the second half of the twentieth century, and remains one even today. Her work ethic and commitment to writing are just as…

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3582 words

Citation: Axelrod, Steven, Dorka Tamas. "Sylvia Plath". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 September 2003; last revised 02 May 2025. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3579, accessed 03 July 2025.]

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