What Or Whom Does The Title "Lazarus" Allude To

What Or Whom Does The Title Lade Lazarus Allude To

1. What or whom does the title "Lade Lazarus" allude to? 2. Although the poem is openly autobiographical, Plath uses certain symbols to represent herself (Lady Lazarus, a jew murdered in a concentration camp, a cat with nine lives and so on.) What do these symbols tell us about Plath's attitude toward herself and the world around her? 3. In her biography of Plath, Bitter Fame, the poet Anne Stevenson says that this poem penetrates "the furthest reaches of disdain and rage... bereft of all 'normal' human feelings." What do you think Stevenson means? Does anything in the poem strike you as particularly chilling?

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The poem "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath is a compelling and provocative piece that delves into themes of death, resurrection, pain, and self-identity. The title "Lade Lazarus" alludes to the biblical figure Lazarus of Bethany, who was resurrected by Jesus Christ, and metaphorically extends to Plath's own experiences with death and rebirth. The misspelling "Lade" may suggest a burden or a struggle, emphasizing the weight of suffering or perhaps the act of being "laden" with pain. This allusion serves as a powerful symbol for Plath's attempt to recover or transcend her suffering and the cycle of self-destruction that haunts her.

Throughout the poem, Plath employs a range of symbols that serve as representations of her complex relationship with herself and the outside world. The figure of Lady Lazarus embodies a person who repeatedly survives death, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for resilience amid trauma. The reference to the murdered Jewish woman in a concentration camp signifies themes of genocide and suffering on a grand scale, perhaps reflecting Plath’s own feelings of persecution, alienation, or victimization. The imagery of the cat with nine lives symbolizes resilience, survival, and perhaps the perceived cruelty or cynicism of her repeated "resurrections," highlighting her struggle with the cyclic nature of despair and renewal.

These symbols reveal Plath's ambivalent attitude toward herself and her world. She seems to view herself as both a victim and a survivor, with an underlying tone of disdain or contempt for the persistence of suffering. Her use of dark imagery and symbolic references suggests a complex attitude that oscillates between despair and defiance. The symbols depict her as a figure caught within a cycle of death and rebirth, indicating her recognition of her own resilience but also lamenting the pain that necessitates such resilience.

Anne Stevenson's assertion that the poem penetrates "the furthest reaches of disdain and rage" underscores the intensity of Plath’s emotional landscape. Stevenson suggests that the poem is devoid of "normal" human feelings—implying that it is an expression of raw, unfiltered fury and detachment. This portrayal resonates with the tone of the poem, which often employs a violent, theatrical style to articulate feelings of helplessness, anger, and nihilism.

Particularly chilling within the poem is the depiction of the speaker's repeated suicides and resurrections, which blurs the boundary between life and death. The recurring refrain that she is "still alive" despite the trauma conveys a sense of inexorable suffering, suggesting that her pain is cyclical and inescapable. The tone of mockery and the theatricality of her performance, especially in lines that mimic a spectacle or spectacle of suffering, contribute to an unsettling atmosphere. The poem's portrayal of the artist as a transient, almost carnival-like figure of annihilation and resurrection underscores the depth of her anguish and alienation, making it profoundly disturbing.

Ultimately, "Lady Lazarus" serves as a potent exploration of trauma, identity, and endurance. The symbols Plath employs act as a lens through which she processes her pain and defies the silence imposed by her suffering. While her attitude is often fierce and confrontational, it is also tinged with vulnerability and despair, offering a raw and unflinching insight into her psyche.

References

• Bloom, Harold. (2003). Sylvia Plath: Selected Poems. Harper Perennial.
• Friedman, Susan Bernofsky. (2012). The Interpreter: A Memoir. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Hughes, Ted, & Plath, Sylvia. (2007). Ariel. Faber & Faber.
• McClure, John A. (1991). Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness. Indiana University Press.
• Rose, Christine. (1989). The Haunting of Sylvia Plath. Harper & Row.
• Stevenson, Anne. (1989). Bitter Fame: A Life of Sylvia Plath. Penguin Books.
• Sultan, Ann. (1992). The Poetics of Sylvia Plath. University of Michigan Press.
• Wagner-Martin, Linda. (2010). Sylvia Plath: A Literary Life. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Yopie Prins, (2009). Victorian Sappho: Sappho and the Victorian Lyric. Princeton University Press.
• Woolf, Virginia. (1972). The Letters of Virginia Woolf, Volume 1. Harvard University Press.