“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)”
This poem is wonderful!! Then again, so is all of her work. But it was this poem that touched me the most, laconic, yet so meaningful.
Derin, Sylvia Plath has no “bad poems.” although i understand that not everything is poetry, that’s not the case with Ms. Plath. it seems like she found an oasis in poetry. i can relate to her a lot, i know that sounds dumb, but its true, and often times, putting thoughts into words helps. i also agree with another reader that ms. plath was not speaking of love, but of insanity. the “(i thought i made you up inside my head)” directly pinpoints her insanity over men, or maybe a certain man. i think one of the components that make her such a renowned writer is the portrayal of emotion in these poems. poetry is like her diary, she has an entry for every important and semi-important even in her life.
I think that this poem conveys a real sadness. A portrait of love painted in her head, that didnt prevail. I adore this poem.
I love this poem. I love all of Sylvia Plath though and I don’t think she can ever go wrong. I know people criticize poetry and that depends whether it’s to their liking but I don’t see how anyone can be judgmental of it because it is the persons’s feelings. Feelings cannot be helped. I love reading of Sylvia Plath’s emotions and can relate a lot to them. Something about this poem make it my favorite.
This by far my favorite poem, of hers and anybodys really…………..
yes indeed bobby, this song was written for someone other than ted hughes.
an excerpt from plaths diary:
“March 10(1956):Postscript:Oh the fury, the fury. Why did I even know he was here. The panther wakes and stalks again, and every sound in this house is his tread on the stair; I wrote ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’ once in a mad mood like this when Mike didn’t come and didn’t come, and every time I am dressed in black, white and red: violent, fierce colours. All steps coming up and running past I made into his step and cursed the usurpers that took his place….”
everyone is commenting about how this is about her first love, and how you feel when you fall in love, and how it reminds them of their love…but i think it has nothing to do with something romantic in that sense. i think this is Plath lamenting about the fact that she married Ted Hughes and he cheated on her, after she had made him out to be this perfect man, and how she wished she had loved someone else instead. look at the title: MAD girl’s love song. she feels like she is going insane over this. i dont think its about falling in love. she wasn’t all that romantic i’m thinking.
derin,
granted this is a brief comment block so expression is limited, but your comment is almost entirely worthless. what have you been reading for years that has taken you no further than the most mainstream and obvious poems published by plath. furthermore i can’t believe you have a very competant grasp of poetic forms or the history of the villanelle or you would realize that in form and traditional theme this poem is nearly perfect; more amazingly, written before her studies at cambridge. rather than long after, as your mentioned works, which while good, remain the easiest sells in the collection of plath’s work.
cheers mate, i suggest a few more years.
sincerely, b
post script- emily from israel, sylvia did not know ted hughes when she wrote this poem.
I love Sylvia Plath and have been reading her for years now. I have to say though, I think this one poem is exceptionally bad. My favorites are Lady Lazarus and Daddy for their sheer power of expression and their powerful imagery.
Plath has alwasy been my favorite author, and this happens to be one of my favorite poems of hers. I love how she can take something so simple and make it so dark and macabre…masterful.
Im notmuch of a poem reading kind of gal but when i had to research a poem for my english project this poem really jumped at me. Im goin through a hard time right now and just been ditched by a guy i liked.. this poem makes me feel more like im not the only one who thinks like this!!!
This is cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i like this poem a lot..came across it when i needed help for an english project..i thin silvia plath is an amazing poetist..howeveru call a femal poet!..shes got so many origianal ideas
Absolutely wonderful poem. It kinda reminds me of a girl I was dating some time ago..we’re supposed to be getting back together, but things are getting screwed up again. I read this after a long time of not having seen it and it made me cry. I love it.
I think this poem of Plath’s is pretty out there and can fully touch you in one reading. it easily sticks to anyone who reads it. Especially those who’ve had someone they can only daydream about… i love it, it’s my favorite. 🙂
wow…really great poem. makes me think of this guy i fell in love with…but he never really felt the same way back. really great poem… “i closed my eyes and all the world drops dead. i lift my lids and all is reborn again” b e a u t i f u l.
I’m thrilled to see that so many have commented on this poem. I love all of Plath’s work, but this poem always sticks out in my mind. The villanelle is extremely hard to write, but the great Plath was no match for it’s iambics. Rest in peace, Sylvia.
Sylvia’s Poetry is great especially this particular poem .
i think “Mad Girl’s Love Song ” is dedictaed to her husband Ted Hughes because he cheated on her while she loved him, she talks about the distance between them , ” I should have loved a thunderbird instead ,At least when spring comes it will roar back again” .
The confessional poetry reveals to the reader the poets mental state .
it it is a very very very very good job and i really really LOVED IT SO MUCH IT MADE ME CRY THATS HOW GOOD IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s probably as love is. Everything is inside our heads.