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Comment 13 of 13, added on June 12th, 2007 at 3:14 AM.
Firstly i can understand how this poem can be associated with an eating
disorder of some type, but the conclusion i have come to after a critical
analysis towards the poem is the effects of drug and alcohol use.
The oppening line "I shall never get out of this! There are two of me now"
states that she has two sides of her, the drug or alcohol side, and her
normal side. The poem carries on talking about the two different people she
is and how, at first, she struggles to overcome the mentality but as the
poem goes on she slowly begins to fight her drug abuse.
In the second last paragraph it states "Living with her was like living
with my own coffin, yet i still depend on her, though i did it
regretfully". After seeing those two lines i clearly recognised the drug
abuse she may of been talking about how could you miss it?
Blake G from Australia
Comment 12 of 13, added on June 12th, 2007 at 2:46 AM.
I cannot see why anyone could see themes of anorexia in this poem, saying
this I can't say I've ever had to deal with the problem. My first
understanding of this poem was one of birth of all things. She depicts her
child as a new, white, representation of herself, who grows to take care of
her mother and eventually moves on to live her life. Read the poem just
once, substituting any reference to the white person as a baby.
Secondly i see the references to schizophrenia and depression as in the
majority of Plaths writings though i believe there is more to this poem
than just the obvious, as in most poems.
Justin Zanatta from Australia
Comment 11 of 13, added on April 10th, 2007 at 7:48 PM.
There is no textual support for these claims of an eating disorder. Just
so everyone knows,(ive seen this in various plath comments) she never
suffered from an eating disorder, she was bipolar and struggled with some
metal issues and depression.
This poem depicts the differences between the two people that she is, the
perfect mother/wife on the outside and the depressed, troubled person she
is on the inside. FYI i read that she was inspired to write about a woman
in a cast while in the hospital, the woman next to her was in a cast.
cat from United States
Comment 10 of 13, added on March 29th, 2007 at 8:30 AM.
I relate this poem with the eating disorder anorexia. I've had anorexia
for 6 years and the feelings she has about the hard, white being is the way
anorexia feels. It begins with a mutual friendship, but it tries to take
you over. Some wish to fight and that is the desire she is expressing in
the final few lines. What assures me that the poem is about anorexia is
her description of herself as ugly and hairy. She realizes that her thin
body is ugly and the hair is from a condition called lanugo that occurs on
the bodies of most anorexics
Miranda from United States
Comment 9 of 13, added on February 18th, 2006 at 10:03 PM.
i think so too that this poem is about an eating disorder of some
sort...anoerexia??
could she be anorexic too?
cos many people who are depressed have EDs and the other way.
idk...
cait from Canada
Comment 8 of 13, added on January 17th, 2006 at 10:36 AM.
This poem works on a multiplicity of levels and uses diverse commonplace
images. I believe that Sylvia Plath was a beautiful, sensitive and
creative human being who suffered from depression, perhaps the price we
have to pay for sensitivity and a creative nature. I see the poem as
drawing upon the "commonplace," or phenomenon, of out of body experience
(OBE) which would be consistent with the white identity and the yellow,
jaded poet persona.
There are numerous references in Sylvia Plath's poetry which I believe are
drawn from this OBE commonplace, such as the "spiritshift" in "Love
Letter." These experiences are ineffable, can be wonderful, beautiful, and
afterwards leave someone discontent with their "jaded," corporeal reality.
I believe that some depressive suicides are due in part to a desire to step
from the "yellow" reality to the "white," from the jaded to the perfect,
from the living to the spiritual which would be consistent with Sylvia
Plath's suicide.
There is a great deal more to Sylvia Plath's poetry than is first apparent,
and the aspect I describe is only an aspect, but in my opinion it is one of
the key aspects to a better appreciation of the poet's ouevre.
Kenni Campbell 17th of January, Anstruther, Scotland.
Kenni Campbell from United Kingdom
Comment 7 of 13, added on November 23rd, 2005 at 10:51 AM.
i wasnt sure bout this poem...i had to do it for english and i didnt really
no wat it was bout! im not sure but i think it was in another stay in
hospital and the 'white body' is a nurse who is slowly being the plaster
girl i think when she says she is her its just a metaphor or it has a
double meaning....
lily from Luxembourg
Comment 6 of 13, added on August 9th, 2005 at 10:12 PM.
I think this poem is about anorexia. Maybe it's not, but it sure sounds
like it.
Kimberly from United States
Comment 5 of 13, added on June 3rd, 2005 at 3:38 PM.
This is my favorite poem. I think it goes beyond, what society tells you is
beautiful, and true. At the start she hated it, then she learned to LOVE
it, and depended on it. She couldnt function without it. It is extremely
passive aggressive, as is most of her writing. But it can lead the reader
into this love/hate idealism of our own bodies, and minds, and lives. It
covers all of it. When youve lived a life so long in one body, you dont
know how to be anyone else, even tho you cannot stand the body. You NEED
it, but dispise it at the same time. Its extremely facinating to watch the
circle of life, in one poem.
Sarah Walker from United States
Comment 4 of 13, added on December 31st, 2004 at 8:52 AM.
The two selves she's referring to are her role as a housewife and her role
as a poet. She suffers a lot of conflict and fitting in to the role of a
housewife (white body, plaster) doesnt suit her. It stifles her poetic
creativity.
Sky from China
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
[1] 2
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Firstly i can understand how this poem can be associated with an eating
disorder of some type, but the conclusion i have come to after a critical
analysis towards the poem is the effects of drug and alcohol use.
The oppening line "I shall never get out of this! There are two of me now"
states that she has two sides of her, the drug or alcohol side, and her
normal side. The poem carries on talking about the two different people she
is and how, at first, she struggles to overcome the mentality but as the
poem goes on she slowly begins to fight her drug abuse.
In the second last paragraph it states "Living with her was like living
with my own coffin, yet i still depend on her, though i did it
regretfully". After seeing those two lines i clearly recognised the drug
abuse she may of been talking about how could you miss it?
Blake G from Australia