The Poetry of Sylvia Plath: Crash Course Literature 216 

Even if she is poetry for just teenage girls, why do we discredit things liked by teenage girls? They are people.... and a MASSIVE demographic. I hate that things are so often discredited as soon they become popular among teenage girls.

Sylvia Plath didn't glamorize mental illness, she wrote about her experiences beautifully. There's a difference between glamorizing something and writing about an issue poetically.

As a young adult who struggles with depression, I have a fondness for Sylvia's work. To dismiss her simply because you've never experienced the crippling debilitation depression causes, is ignorant, insulting and lazy. Judge her as an "emo of her generation" or however you like, but she was honest, obviously in pain, yet she released that torment into striking words that have resonated with millions of people for over fifty years. Not an easy thing to do when you feel dead inside. So, critics, what have you done lately?

Dear John Green, please give us more of Crash Course Literature. Best wishes, every Crash Course Literature viewer ever

I did my Senior Thesis on Plath & was delighted to see Crash Course's excellent video on her work. It is dismaying that many write-off Plath as an emo, suicide poet when her work is, in actuality, very complex, rife with symbolism. Much of this misconception is due to Ted Hughes' reordering of the poems in Plath's last book, Ariel. He omits poems, such as "Purdah" which ends on a note of female empowerment (Clytemnestra slaying Agamemnon), and adds, as the penultimate poem, "Edge", which begins "The woman is perfected/Her dead//Body wears the smile of accomplishment." Plath's original ordering would have ended with her cycle of bee poems, culminating in "Wintering" in which the dormant bees re-emerge from their hive after winter, "The bees are flying. They taste the Spring." Plath was a poet of rebirth, not death. That's where she's misunderstood. Note the phoenix symbolism Green quotes from "Lady Lazarus", "Out of the ash/I rise with my red hair/And I eat men like air." Rebirth. Empowerment.

The "I am enormous" is probably not a feminist statement (at least not only). Sylvia Plath was Bipolar. She wasn't allowing herself to become enormous with happiness, she was being over taken by it. A feeling of being enormous is one of the most tell tale signs of a Bipolar Manic episode. Her writing of feeling stupidly happy is also in line with a Manic episode. While in a Mania many will often feel so happy that you experience yourself as indestructable and because of that you - to use her own word - act stupidly. Sylvia Plaths Bipolar disorder is the reason for her writing so much and being so active so close to her suicide. As John says she saw herself as living in two extremes, periods of extreme highs and of extreme lows. This is how Bipolar works. You have Manic episodes and Depressive episodes and a kind if lull or stable period inbetween where you flatten out while 'switching' between the episodes (The length and intensity of the stages vary). Sylvia Plath was most likely triggerd by her separation and went into a Manic episode. For people with Bipolar it is when coming down from a Manic episode and entering a Depressive one, or when starting to come up from a depressive episode that you are most likely to attempt or commit suicide. Sylvia was on the way down from a Manic episode and the reality of her situation very likely only made the depression she was entering worse. It is very likely that that is the reason for her tragic and preventable suicide. So while it is very possible and not wrong to read the "enormous" and "stupidly happy" as an act of social rebellion against female oppression, I dont think it is - at least not fully. It os more likely her explanation of the feeling you have while being Manic with happiness due to her Bipolar depression.

Plath's "romanticizing" of death and self-injury, and the manner in which she expresses them, is exactly why her poetry has helped me cope with my own mental illnesses and comforted me in times when I felt so determined to take my own life. Great vid btw!

LET'S TRY TO READ SOME POEMS BEFORE CONVINCING EVERYONE ABOUT HOW SMART WE ARE HA the epidemic

I sort of wish you would have dove a little deeper into the abusive relationship Sylvia held with her father and explained one of her last poems "Daddy." Personally, I think it's her best work and I was disjointed in not seeing it so much as mentioned.

Vincent Van Gogh made his best work when he was in moments of recovery, people need to stop twisting the “depressed genius artist” stereotype in general. Artists create beautiful things *in spite* of mental illness, not because of it.

John Green, I think you would be an absolutely amazing professor. I'm dead serious. You are brilliant with literature, you make me fall in love with it over and over again.

John green: “isn’t she like know mainly by young emo girls?” Also John green: literally is mainly read by young girls

I think the "What a thrill" line applies more to the fact that she hates domestic work (cutting onions) and for once, to do something other (cut her finger instead) is compelling, even if it is self-harm.

Ancient Aztec poetry (written by Nazahualcoyotl, the king of Texcoco): All the world is a tomb from which nothing escapes, Nothing is so perfect that it does not fall and disappear... What was yesterday, today is no more, And what lives today cannot hope to exist tomorrow. I, Nezahualcoyotl, ask this: Is it true one really lives on the earth? Not forever on earth, Only a little while here. Though it be jade it falls apart, Though it be gold it wears away, Though it be quetzal plumage it is torn asunder. Not forever on earth, Only a little while here. (excerpted from "Native Mesoamerican Spirituality")

It's great that you put that little excerpt about suicide in there. So many teenagers watch this, its really awesome that youre using your power as an educator for good, and for more than just shoving facts in our heads.

Dear John and all the CC team: For a glorious couple of weeks I have enjoyed Crash Course Literature along with my morning coffee. For those few short minutes my life experience was lifted beyond the ordinary because of your efforts. I assure you that this subject matter is warmly appreciated. Thank you. Make more!

"See you next week," he lied.

Also... in the midst of depression, it's often hard to see a way out, or believe that it will ever get better. And knowing, abstractly, that your life is actually quite nice compared to many people's, and that you really "shouldn't" feel terrible often does not help one feel better at all... in fact, it can make someone feel worse, because it adds in a guilt element to the depression. It's a terrible thing, how a person's mind and emotions can betray them.

I recently finished reading The Bell Jar today and I really enjoyed. Not much happened in the plot (not very much anyway) but I couldn't put the book down and every time I did manage to draw my eyes away from the page, I couldn't stop thinking about the story and Esther's problems. The book was easy to read and understand yet it did move me and I would happily re read it :) I'd love to get hold of some of her poems now...

3:51 to 4:49 Why do I need to come back and listen to this so often? I suppose I'm glad I am able to come back, glad it was written in the first place. Thank you, John.

The Poetry of Sylvia Plath: Crash Course Literature 216

You should do a crash course on Nabokov's works -- namely, Signs and Symbols and Lolita!

When I was a junior in high school, I was in the public library when this book flew off the top shelf and hit me on the head. It was Plath's Ariel. I asked my English teacher if she had heard of Plath. She hadn't but I checked out Ariel again and again because it had chosen me and I thought it was very good.

When John says "Her career was cut short, and I mourn all the many wonderful books we could have had" I immedeatly thought of a Kendrick Lamar line from 'i' a song about expression/depression "What do you want from me and my scars?"

I really liked your point towards the end, that we are "called to attentiveness, even when it's painful." That really resonated with me. Also, your me-from-the-past discussion seems particularly pertinant considering some of the recent criticism against TFiOS and Looking for Alaska.

my therapist suggested i read sylvia plath and i began to write again. it is not glamorous, depression. but, you have to admit, there is a certain stubborn beauty about it that causes you to cringe.

Dear John Green, An analysis of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go would be amazing. Best wishes, A diehard crash course fan

Crash Course Literature is so amazing. Every time I watch it I feel myself falling in love with literature even more. The quotes you guys choose are just incredible.

I would love it if John did a Crash Course on Animal Farm or 1984 both by George Orwell. Two really cool books.

I deeply enjoy the unique, pseudo-philosophical notion of both talking with the past self, and the way it is done. Such as "Let's actually read some poems before we trying to convince everyone how smart we are." It, intentionally or not, shows the flow of change, evolution of the individual and, in my opinion most important to the series on Literature, how ideals and life style can change through education and study.

1984...you should consider analyzing this. Or maybe "The Picture of Dorian Gray" since I'm currently reading it and it's interesting.

Thank you for the open letter, John. As someone who has read The Bell Jar, written a research paper on it and has dealt with depression firsthand, I applaud you. Also the TFIOS movie was great. DFTBA

Reading The Bell Jar is so emotionally exhausting. Like...Its unbelievably relatable in the things she talks about, but it is so obvious that she is wildly depressed. She wants to die so badly. In the second half of the book, there's just a constant mood of hopelessness and she talks about killing herself quite often. I cried, because I felt so bad for her.

Oh my goodness I love Sylvia Plath's work. Lady Lazarus is my favorite from her. Her use of enjambment, and repetition blows my mind! Thank you for doing this video!

depression isn't a temporary problem for some people though? For people like Plath depression is a lifelong illness and it's cruel to force those people to stay alive when they are so intensely unhappy and suffering so horribly.

Hey John! These are always intensely beautifully written and thought provoking videos. Thank you for doing them, but it would be awesome if you could do even more. I know you're busy, but I hope you know how much students (and non students) everywhere appreciate them in a time when literature is becoming increasingly devalued in society and in schools. Thanks again.

"By keeping her eyes open as long as she did, she helped to keep ours open" Well said sir.

Remember seeing this when I was a teenager myself. Looking back, the way you addressed this topic means the world to me - with such awareness and tact.

As a major Sylvia Plath fan I don't care much to call her poetry works of feminism but instead her works were adopted by feminism. She came from a time where the women's movement for equality was at full force and feminism was this new big thing, and generally feminists care for women who've lead horrid, battered lives whether it be physical or mental, and Sylvia's writing was just that, battered, and it all came from a bright and brilliant woman. They saw this in her and took her after her death under their wing. Sylvia wrote just to express her thoughts about everything around and inside her, her mind's eye never blinked.

I read The Bell Jar a few months ago and I loved it. It was relatable in the way that the way the main character thought about her day to day life, how it all feels distorted and hyper-aware sometimes.

The idea of suicide is rather interesting to me. I have depression and crippling anxiety so it is often a very temping prospect. I do not fear death at all, the idea of absolutely nothing sounds like a huge relief sometimes. But I never consider it as something I might actually do because it would be a terrible thing to do to the people who care about me. I don't blame people who take their own lives, I understand them quite well, but it is still a terrible thing to do.

I would like to thank everyone involved in the making for this video for addressing suicide the way you did, and depression, well the whole open letter response. Thank you

I've heard her reading her own poetry. And honestly I thought that when I was listening to her I could hear in her voice not only the genius, but also the madness.

John Green, you are doing a service to the world. I thought your literature videos couldn't compare to the history ones but these are great! Thanks so much for helping me and my students better understand the world in general.

Thank you for introducing me to the poetry of Sylvia Plath. I can now say from experience, rather than inexperience, that her work is boring, emo, dribble that's promoting self hate and is not worth my time. And before anyone jumps me for saying so, you don't have to have the same opinion as me. Art doesn't require conformity or agreement. Heck it doesn't even require understanding in many cases. This is but one man's opinion that I alone hold. Hold your own opinion with pride, but do not attempt to deprive me of my own.

What is perhaps the most important aspect of these videos (of the Crash Course Literature series) is their introduction of elements into literary discussion which broaden the perception of a potential reader without rounding-out or encapsulating an entire opinion or viewpoint. You are, as such, cracking open a door to a room, within which a curious glow pulls the reader deeper into exploratory thought. Keep it up, you're doing good work!

Confessional Poetry and theatre, (as an actor), give the healing of art to the producer, but the gift of it to the masses.

Why does no one seem to be discussing the adorable Catbug cameo? Catbug!!

Took me a little less than 2 days to read "The Bell Jar" when I was in High School. I liked the book, but when I referenced it to anyone else they thought the book was boring. I lent the book to my BFF and she couldn't even read it to the point where she lost my book in her house. Then again, I enjoy reading things about depression. Maybe because I can understand some aspects more than others? Idk.

You mentioned James Joyce as one of Plath's influences. I know it would be asking a lot, but is there any chance of covering him in this series?

Thank you, John Green, for giving me an accurate and deep explanation for who Sylvia Plath was and what her writing stands for.

Dear John Green, Thank you for your exploratory, humble, and reasonable approach to all things worthwhile and interesting. I love your thoughts on history, current events, and abstract concepts; but I'm starting to think that most of all, I love your thoughts on poetry. So, thank you for being the English teacher from afar that I could never have in person. And finally, thank you for believing that teenagers have something to contribute to this world without taking them too seriously. Best wishes! Ellie Brower

I love that whether I need help with a Sociology course, reviewing for a History test, and now trying to understand poetry for an English research paper, Crash course always has a vid for the subject I need! Thanks CC for helping me not fail since middle school 😅

More literature courses!!!!!!!

I was unexpectedly happy and interested when you told me where you shoot Crash Course, even though I live in Australia and will probably never work in Indianapolis. Thank you for that.

She was a fantastic writer. Her imagery incredibly lush, so alive which is always so strange, when it's used for poetry which is so much about death and stillness. Daddy is one of my favourite of hers.

"People who suffer from crippling depression don't create anything." This is false. Sylvia Plath wrote massive amounts of poetry up to the day she killed herself.

I read one of Sylvia's poems in English last year when we all picked poets to study (I picked William Butler Yeats), and my favorite of Sylvia's poems from the presentation was 'The Childless Woman'.

John is the best. I adore what you have to say, you always give us the info from a few angles.

1984 and Animal Farm definitely should be added to Crash Course in Literature.

Oh meh glob thank you for this video! We talked about Plath recently in English class before school ended, and her poems are a bit disturbing yet fascinating, and they really capture your attention once you really start to interpret and go in depth in the poem. Thank you!

This was my favorite Crash Course Literature episode so far. I want John to read me all of her poems.

I had pain in my path Sylvia Plath My problems were a myriad I was having my period

Robert Pinsky was the guest speaker for my college graduation this year. He has an incredible way with words.

THE PLATH!!!

I enjoy Literature and I enjoy Crash Course. 24 episodes are not enough to satisfy my need for enjoyment of these things. There needs to be more!

I HAVE read Sylvia Plath poems and tried to dissect each of them. Instead of first going into the details of her infamous life before reading the poems, I found that the best way to fully appreciate not just her poetry but also to honor her life is to first read her poems and through them, learn piece-by-piece what her life was like and how it affected her writing.

John Thank you for the Open Letter on suicide. If there is one message I could get through to anybody who is thinking that this is the answer it would be "YOU WILL BE MISSED!!!" There are people out there that do love you and care about you.To those who know some one thinking about suicide please let them know how much you love and care about them. Let them know they are not alone.

What happened to your arm? I see some bruises on it. Anyway thanks for the Transformers G1 references. And now I get the reference in that MST3K college short.

Thank you for not forgetting to be awesome and being so honest with Plath's writing. Loved the video!

What happened to this series :'(

I'm so happy Mr. Green and I share some favourite Plath quotes.

I had an exam on Plath a week ago today. Dammit.

i love Sylvia Plath, one of the best poets i have ever read. thank you for including her on crash course

Can we do an episode of Virginia Woolf?

Nope, still can't get over the fact that I'm being taught about literature from my favorite author. Rewatching every crash course lit video, hope the next season is this awesome!

If there's any hope we will get any more Lit videos could you do the Beat Generation?!

This video is so good I'm saving it to rewatch it. I LOVE how you interpreted her poems and how you question her without loosing the meaning she put in them. Thank you for being such a respectful appreciator. I have only recently found about the life and work of Sylvia Plath, even though my own work is SO much like her but so much less eloquent, off course, I feel hope when I hear about people who appreciate and how they appreciate her, because I always felt no one will enjoy my dark unhopeful poetry.

THE PLAAAATH

John Green's voice is perfect for reading poetry

I suffer with crushing depression, have had episodes of suicidal intent and action and her poetry is not really saying death is beautiful or glorious but instead it marks how sweetly poisonous it "smells" it draws you close with it's perfect illusion, you play with the idea, cause it looks beautiful.

I was introduced to Sylvia Plath when we read the Bell Jar in high school, and she has been one of my favorite writers ever since! I agree that I don't like when she romanticizes death, but she is so poetic. She expresses her emotions so beautifully. She died way too young. Thanks for reminding me of my love for her and inspiring me to write some poetry! (LOVE TFIOS, by the way! As always the book is better, but the movie was one of the better movie portrayals I have seen in a long time! Thanks for the wonderful story!!! :)

I find Plath both thrilling AND chilling.

PLEASE can we have a crash course literature on word stress in poetry? like identifying meter in lines and even with words?

You know what also starts with "what a thrill"? A certain song about a certain snake eater...

*Hugs John for saying what needed to be said about suicide*

Congrats to me for finding Crash Course. I spend my nights working on visual effects and learning a wealth of new facts and perspectives. Loved this playlist and as a result I wonder since you are a published novelist, what advice you have for someone looking to become one. Perhaps there is a string of Crash Course episodes you could explore on that subject. Keep on!

Depression is one thing I truly hate. One of the founding fathers had depression because of life being the worst despite being the greatest president he became before his assassination. I had depression after my parents were seperate, turning my life upside down, thinking of killing myself and going many times to the Obamacare facility to be treated by demons who poisoned me to die without peace, until God and Jesus came into my life and told me, "not to commit yourself to enter a world of fire, darkness and death", because I realize how my depression, how my anxiety came into my life, and there were three factions who wanted me dead without mercy and the three were capitalism, feminism and terrorism, the three evil factions who now rule with an iron fist to hurt people who are poor, men who are weak and hurt anyone who is not strong enough and then kill themselves to death. Those who haunted my life in the name of terrorism were radical young people who are to be proclaimed as terrorists, the creators of hell and darkness under Satan, their most trustworthy father in the other world full of evil. Now, I no longer have depression and I am now currently a Roman Catholic, a baptized Christian who now has the objectives he must complete. Since the martyr Elliot Rodger killed himself because of b....s who killed him for being insane, no, he died a hero and his words have awakened how brutal, corrupt and devious b....s have become nowadays and capitalism, ever since the financial crisis of 2008, I now realize, whoever has the highest debt should be the one who has to be punished and that enemy is the American Empire, the highest debtor in the world, failing to take care what's financially responsible, that led to poverty, inequality and violent actions to be in effect, killing innocents without an amount of wealth to become happy. Radical young terrorists, my generation, they prove to be a threat than the last generation who were moderate and safe to work with, now currently swarming with extravagance, technology and acts of violence they commit and get away with the crimes they commit is unjust, unrighteous and mostly, unconstitutional. These three factions or demons must be rid of for the world to be safe. Only two people are on my side and they are God and his beloved son, Jesus Christ. They are helping me to spread the truth, to spread what the enemy is truly capable of. I must take the responsibility and I must, not for myself but for all people who must learn and spread to fight not for evil but for equality, courage and security. I must do what the heavens want me to do is the right thing.

Thank you John Green for reminding me that people often suffer horrible pitfalls because they're on the path to something great. In the words of someone dear: "You can tell how amazing the future holds for you by the level of opposition that you face"

I wonder if they would do John Keat's poems. I have always loved his poetry.

One thing that I wish you had talked about was Plath's usage of other sensory objects, mainly sound 'imagery.' Plath uses visual imagery extensively, but her usage of the basic sounds of language in her poems is amazing. In Hardcastle Crags, for example, Plath plays with sound, starting out sharp, then moving towards softer, gentler, then back towards loud. By the end, it's almost as if the reader can hear the roar of silence she puts forward. Or in The Arrival of the Bee Box, where Plath has a near constant hissing sound throughout the poem. Poetry analysis looks at imagery, and sound devices like rhyming a lot, but I wish that we would talk about even more basic usage of sound.

John, please record an audiobook of you reading poetry.

I just finished The Bell Jar and am reading her collected late poems. I swear, I think Crash Course is going through my library!

Does any one else wonder when the history series will be back.

You are the best booktuber by far...very well done...thanks

CATBUG! 2:12

I was like "hmm the name Sylvia Plath sounds familiar" AND ITS BC SHE'S MENTIONED IN TFIOS I HAVE TOO MUCH OF THAT BOOK MEMORIZED

Wow, this was a depressing episode, I'm glad I never studied any suicidal poets during my teen years, this stuff can really get to ya.

Lucky to have john as my teacher

You know, John ... Please don't moralize on depression. Using great poets and presidents as examples of things someone might do if they don't commit suicide is manipulative, and it's really nobody's place to arbitrarily make that call. Just please don't. It's not that simple. I've been watching your videos for years but I can't get on board with that. It's right up there with "But have you just tried being HAPPY?"