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Analysis and comments on A Birthday Present by Sylvia Plath

Comment 9 of 9, added on March 4th, 2013 at 11:29 AM.

BIRTHDAY PRESENT MAKES ME HAPPPYYYY

Will Norman from Belarus
Comment 8 of 9, added on February 12th, 2012 at 6:03 AM.
oPRdmbWtYZuLWkpYzLt

IikgAR Unbelievable. Class..!

oem software from Brunei Darussalam, Negara
Comment 7 of 9, added on November 3rd, 2011 at 4:02 PM.
A Birthday Present; the subject of Birthday Letters

This poem to me is about needing the truth, and the veil is the deception
the truth hides behind. More poignantly, Plath is desperate for her
husband, Hughes, to tell her the truth. His actions then and with other
women subsequent to Plaths death reveal a shifty character with a habitual
leaning towards deceptiveness. His widow Carol had to suffer the
indignities of his affairs with Jill Barber, Emma Tennant and others. Even
from his mistresses he hid other mistresses and was endlessly creative with
his subterfuge. This trait to operate surreptitiously must have been
unbearable to Plath and she felt, as expressed in the poem that he was
killing not only what was left of their relationship but also killing,
squeezing the joy out of her very existence. She writes:

"Is it impossible for you to let something go and have it go whole? Must
you stamp each piece purple. Must you kill what you can?"

And also:

"If you only knew how the veils were killing my days."

This is a clear cry for clarity and Hughes gave it to her in "Birthday
Letters," about thirty five years too late.

Adel from United Kingdom
Comment 6 of 9, added on April 12th, 2011 at 1:08 PM.
uh..okay

I thought this poem was about death and the afterlife. I only just found
out about this poet but I love her work immensely and now she is one of my
favorites.

Seihana
Comment 5 of 9, added on September 3rd, 2010 at 2:21 PM.

I always thought this was about someones penis

Emma
Comment 4 of 9, added on March 23rd, 2006 at 2:49 AM.

She is trying to tell us that reached to her end .Shimmering is the word
she used to describe her birthday present . The secret in this poam is to
find out what is her birthday present;
Putting end to her life by this shimmeriring birthday present will be the
perefect present for her!

Etwal from Lebanon
Comment 3 of 9, added on March 20th, 2006 at 11:33 AM.

thats sad

lalalalalal
Comment 2 of 9, added on February 20th, 2006 at 11:37 PM.

For more insight into what Plath was talking about here, read "Birthday
Letters", published by Ted Hughes (her former husband) just a few years
ago---nearly 40 years after her death. He finally gave her what she
wanted. Ironically, about a year before he died.

Plath fan from United States
Comment 1 of 9, added on March 23rd, 2005 at 10:04 AM.

i found this poem to be intriguing. it showed deep insight into the real
pain that could be found in Sylvia Plath. her longing is truly conveyed in
A Birthday Present, and i feel that it is done so in a more profound way
than in any of her other poetry to think of.

Brittany

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Information about A Birthday Present

Poet: Sylvia Plath
Poem: A Birthday Present
Added: Feb 21 2003
Viewed: 32636 times


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