Sylvia Plath
F05
Mark Wunderlich
Sylvia Plath is one of the 20th century’s best known poets. The question remains, however, as to how to read a poet whose biography has overwhelmed the reputation of the work. In this course, we will examine the nature of literary fame and read Plath’s poems and fiction with a fresh and critical attention. We will study Ariel, Plath’s posthumously published masterpiece, in the edition assembled by her husband, Ted Hughes, and compare it to the recently restored, facsimile edition assembled by Plath prior to her death. We will also read Plath’s journals, letters, stories, and novel. Additionally, we will read criticism, poems by Ted Hughes, the one “official” biography of Plath—Bitter Fame, by Anne Stevenson, and the book about the writing of the biography by Janet Malcolm. Students will write critical prose and present research in class.