Geena n 1ompong 8LLN3

Lady Lazarus Cn Sy|v|a |ath's L|fe

Sylvla laLh was born on CcLober 27Lh 1932 of Lwo parenLs ln a mlddleclass household
ln 8osLon AL a very young age she demonsLraLed greaL llLerary LalenL and a hardworklng
aLLlLude publlshlng her flrsL poem aL Lhe age of elghL and malnLalnlng a sLralghL A record
LhroughouL all of her sLudles A few days afLer she Lurned elghL her faLher deceased of
dlabeLes 1hls evenL ln her llfe ls whaL mosL speclallsLs belleve Lo have Lrlggered her depresslve
Lendencles lL has also been known Lo have caused Lhe poeL Lo haLe her faLher for Lhe paln hls
deaLh lnfllcLed on her 1wenLyyearold laLh commlLLed her flrsL nearsuccessful sulclde
aLLempL afLer a whole monLh of noL belng able Lo sleep wrlLe or eaL properly She recovered
from her nervous breakdown and meL her Lobe husband renowned poeL 1ed Pughes Lhree
years laLer Powever afLer havlng Lhelr flrsL chlld Lhelr relaLlonshlp sLarLed Lo go sLale and
flnally adulLery on boLh Lhelr parLs caused Lhelr palnful separaLlon Soon enough Sylvla
reLurned Lo her old sulcldal hablLs (hLLp//allpoeLrycom/poem)
uurlng Lhls fervenL perlod of her llfe Lady Lazarus and oLher poems of LhaL genre
were wrlLLen Lady Lazarus conveys a message abouL her own llfe obsesslons weaknesses
and feellngs 1he LlLle lLself ls very symbollc and speaks so much abouL of whaL Lhe enLlre poem
ls all abouL ln alluslon Lo !ohns accounL of Lhe resurrecLlon of Lazarus Lhe name Lazarus ls
ofLen used Lo connoLe resurrecLlon 1hus glvlng us Lhe ldea of how laLh sees her llfe AfLer
commlLLlng sulcldes she resurrecLs agaln Lo llfe 1here ls also a hlnL of her femlnlsLlc slde
presenL ln Lady a word LhaL pro[ecLs an lmage of a powerful woman
l bove Jooe lt oqolo
Ooe yeot lo evety teo
l moooqe lt

1he lnLroducLlon of Lhe poem lnLroduces laLh's concepL of her sulclde aLLempLs l
have done lL agaln could be LranslaLed as l have Lrled Lo klll myself agaln laLh declares Cne
year ln every Len / l manage lL she refers Lo her neardeaLh experlences one per decade and
one belng planned aL Lhls sLage
A sott of wolkloq mltocle my sklo
8tlqbt os o Nozl lompsboJe
My tlqbt foot

A popetwelqbt
My foce o feototeless floe
Iew lloeo


lor Lhe Llmes when laLh was resurrecLed from Lhe dead she refers Lo herself as A
sorL of walklng mlracle whlch reflecLs Lhe meanlng of Lhe LlLle Lazarus was mlraculously
ralsed from Lhe dead She Lhen uses Lhe comparlson 8rlghL as a nazl lampshade Lo descrlbe
her skln whlch deslgnaLes Lhe sulcldal personallLy LhaL llves wlLhln her and conLrasLlng Lhls
lmagery wlLh Lhe sofLer meLaphor a feaLureless flne / !ew llnen Lo deplcL her face whlch ls
Lhe vlcLlm ln a sLaLe of weakenlng She ls Lwo dlfferenL personas ln Lhls poem Lhe nazls and Lhe
!ews Lhe sLrong and Lhe weak My rlghL fooL / A paperwelghL ls raLher vague lL mlghL mean
LhaL she cannoL escape Lhese sLandards LhaL llve ln her glven LhaL she feels as lf she were nalled
Lo Lhe ground Loo heavy Lo move or acL agalnsL Lhese
leel off tbe oopklo
O my eoemy
o l tettlfy?

1be oose tbe eye plts tbe foll set of teetb?
1be soot bteotb
wlll voolsb lo o Joy

laLh dares us Lo eel off Lhe napkln AlLhough she ls speaklng Lo one dlsLlncL person
ln Lhe poem Lhls ls an lnvlLaLlon Lo everyone who wanLs Lo observe her wlLh all Lhe wonder and
dlsgusL her performance arouse 1o us who are wllllng Lo waLch she asks Lhe symbollc
quesLlon uo l Lerrlfy? We know as Lhe reader LhaL Lhe answer ls yes MosL of us are Lerrlfled
by sulclde She also wanLs us Lo look aL her face especlally whlch she had characLerlzed earller
1he nose Lhe eye plLs Lhe full seL of LeeLh? 1he persona ls perfecL evldence of her condlLlon
deaLh radlaLes from her face ln Lhe lasL Lwo llnes she assures us LhaL she can resLore her
orlglnal beauLy sLrengLh and healLhy sLaLe of mlnd
5ooo sooo tbe flesb
1be qtove cove ote wlll be
At bome oo me

AoJ l o smllloq womoo
l om ooly tbltty
AoJ llke tbe cot l bove oloe tlmes to Jle

1bls ls Nombet 1btee
wbot o ttosb
1o ooolbllote eocb JecoJe

1he flrsL sLanza ls a conLlnuaLlon of Lhe ldea of Lhe resLoraLlon of her orlglnal self a
smlllng woman 1he grave cave slgnlfles deaLh or her sulcldal personallLy nexL she sLaLes
her age only LhlrLy wlLh Lhe prlde of someone who has a llfeLlme ahead of Lhem and makes a
comparlson wlLh Lhe caL and herself who boLh have nlne Llmes Lo dle 1he caplLallzaLlon of
number 1hree ls an emphasls on how many Llmes she had Laken over deaLh whlch ln facL
LranslaLes laLh's poslLlon on Lhe maLLer
wbot o mlllloo fllomeots
1be peoootctoocbloq ctowJ
5boves lo to see

1bem oowtop me booJ ooJ foot
1be blq sttlp teose


1he sLanza acLs as a conLlnuaLlon of Lhe selfdlsgusL expressed ln Lhe prevlous sLanza
1he peanuLcrunchlng crowd represenLs everyone lncludlng Lhe docLors laLh's famlly and
us 1he crowd ls aggresslve as lL shoves ln Lo see and lLs lnLeresL as Lhey undress her
unwrap her lL ls 1he blg sLrlp Lease
Ceotlemeo loJles

1bese ote my booJs
My koees
l moy be sklo ooJ booe

Nevettbeless l om tbe some lJeotlcol womoo
1be fltst tlme lt boppeoeJ l wos teo
lt wos oo occlJeot


1he usage of CenLlemen ladles here ls purely saLlrlcal and ls meanL Lo mock Lhe
audlence She demonsLraLes her feaLures 1hese are my hands / My knees She emphaslzes
Lhe facL LhaL she's already skln and bone yeL she assures us LhaL she ls Lhe same ldenLlcal
woman ln splLe of her dlsLorLed physlcal appearance she has noL changed She menLlons Lhe
swlmmlng lncldenL LhaL nearly cosL her her llfe when she was Len 1hls was Lhe flrsL Llme she
had Laken over deaLh accldenLally
1be secooJ tlme l meoot
1o lost lt oot ooJ oot come bock ot oll
l tockeJ sbot

As o seosbell
1bey boJ to coll ooJ coll
AoJ plck tbe wotms off me llke stlcky peotls

laLh descrlbes of Lhe second Llme she nearly dled aL LwenLy when she Lrled Lo klll
herself wlLh sleeplng pllls She had rock shuL // As a seashell ln Lhe crevlce ln Lhe cellar of her
house She was Lerrlbly well hldden Per moLher and broLher found her only Lhree days laLer
pracLlcally dead wlLh earLhworms crawllng over her as menLloned ln Lhe lasL llne
yloq
ls oo ott llke evetytbloq else
l Jo lt exceptlooolly well

l Jo lt so lt feels llke bell
l Jo lt so lt feels teol
l qoess yoo coolJ soy lve o coll


laLh conslders dylng as an arL and boasL of Lhe facL LhaL she ls LalenLed ln dolng so as ln
anyLhlng else uylng / ls an arL llke everyLhlng else / l do lL excepLlonally well 1hls ls where
we are shown her perfecLlonlsL and masochlsLlc selves surfaclng as she makes sure LhaL she ls
real abouL lL l do lL so lL feels llke hell / l do lL so lL feels real lL has become an obsesslon for
her aL Lhls polnL llke a call or someLhlng relaLed Lo faLe

lts eosy eoooqb to Jo lt lo o cell
lts eosy eoooqb to Jo lt ooJ stoy pot
lts tbe tbeottlcol



comebock lo btooJ Joy
1o tbe some ploce tbe some foce tbe some btote
AmoseJ sboot

laLh says on how easy she flnds lL ls Lo commlL sulclde lL's easy enough Lo do lL ln a
cell / lL's easy enough Lo do lL and sLay puL nexL she descrlbes Lhe dlsappolnLmenL she feels
when she reallzes she ls sLlll ln Lhls world as lL ls only Lhe LheaLrlcal // Comeback ln broad day /
1o Lhe same place Lhe same face Lhe same bruLe / Amused shouL

A mltocle!
1bot koocks me oot
1bete ls o cbotqe

lot tbe eyeloq of my scots tbete ls o cbotqe
lot tbe beotloq of my beott
lt teolly qoes

As she ls resurrecLed Lhe crowd ls ln awe and enLerLalned buL compleLely lndlfferenL Lo
Lhe facL LhaL she ls allve sLlll 1heyre waLchlng a maglc Lrlck belng performed A mlracle! 1hey
are amused by Lhe facL LhaL deaLh nearly Look her from Lhem She ls a marLyr unaLLalnable and
expenslve as she needs Lo charge Lhem lor Lhe hearlng of my hearL or her naked psyche 1hls
klnd of buslness really goes says Lhe laLh

AoJ tbete ls o cbotqe o vety lotqe cbotqe
lot o wotJ ot o toocb
Ot o blt of blooJ

Ot o plece of my bolt ot my clotbes
5o so nett oktot
5o nett oemy

ln Lhese sLanzas laLh porLrays herself as a parody whlle Lhe people LreaL her as lf she
were a marLyr llke !esus or such personages 1hls deplcLlon ls found ln Lhe followlng llnes And
Lhere ls a charge a very large charge / lor a word or a Louch / Cr a blL of blood // Cr a plece of
my halr or my cloLhes SubsequenLly Lhere are oLher elemenLs such as Lhe usage of Cerman
Lerms Perr and uokLor whlch mean mlsLer and docLor respecLlvely She Lurns away from
Lhe audlence Lo address a slngle person Lhe nazl uokLor whlch Lurns ouL Lo be Lhe enemy
from Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe poem She LaunLs and pokes fun aL hlm uslng mock movle Lalk 1he
enemy Lhus far unspeclfled ls elLher a Cerman male flgure of auLhorlLy a scholar llke CLLo
laLh her faLher who Lhlnks of Lhe speaker as hls pure gold baby or she may slmply be
referrlng Lo docLors ln general who keep revlvlng her afLer each sulclde aLLempLs
l om yoot opos
l om yoot volooble
1be pote qolJ boby

1bot melts to o sbtlek
l toto ooJ boto
o oot tblok l ooJetestlmote yoot qteot cooceto


SLlll addresslng herself Lo Lhe uokLor CLLo laLh may be whom she's Lalklng Lo as she
says she ls hls valuable / 1he pure gold baby WheLher she ls Lhe daughLer or Lhe paLlenL she
ls elLher one's masLerplece an opus a pure gold baby and Lhls exhausLs her Lo a polnL
where she melLs Lo a shrlek Lurn and burn llnally wlLh more dlplomacy she assures hlm
LhaL she knows he's Lrylng Lo do whaL he Lhlnks ls besL for her uo noL Lhlnk l underesLlmaLe
your greaL concern Powever Lhls pollLe lmpresslon falls when we Lake lnLo conslderaLlon Lhe
sarcasLlc Lone behlnd lL ln reallLy she does noL wanL anyone Lo save her or Lo have plLy on her
Asb osb
oo poke ooJ stlt
llesb booe tbete ls ootbloq tbete


A coke of soop
A weJJloq tloq
A qolJ flllloq

She has burnL and reduced herself Lo ashes and noLhlngness ln Lhe flrsL sLanza shown
here 1hls may allude Lo Lhe use of an oven perhaps as Lhls would hlnL Lo Lhe meLhod by whlch
she would Lry Lo klll herself ln Lhe fuLure AlLhough noLhlng much remalns of her aL Lhls polnL
she knows Lhe enemy wlll be proflLlng from her deaLh She expresses Lhls as lf she were golng
Lo be made lnLo merchandlse whlch once agaln refers Lo Lhe nazls who manufacLured Lhelr
vlcLlms' halr skln bones rlngs and fllllngs PlsLorlans are noL cerLaln LhaL nazls made cakes of
soap wlLh Lhem buL Lhey dld however make weddlng rlngs and gold fllllngs

nett CoJ nett loclfet
8ewote
8ewote

Oot of tbe osb
l tlse wltb my teJ bolt
AoJ l eot meo llke olt

She warns Lhe greaL powers from above and below Perr Cod Perr Luclfer / 8eware /
8eware AddlLlonally she acknowledges no power greaLer Lhan herself as laLh accompllshes
her own resurrecLlon unllke Lhe blbllcal mlracle of Lazarus of 8eLhany We can clearly see how
she grows sLronger by Lhe end of Lhe poem as she rlses CuL of Lhe ash llke a phoenlx wlLh
red halr llnally wlLh her concludlng and blaLanLly femlnlsLlc verse l eaL men llke alr she
declares LhaL she has defeaLed all her enemles all Lhe men ln her llfe Lhe docLors who kepL
revlvlng her Lhe buslnessmen who sold her body Lo Lhe crowd and perhaps her faLher ln
concludlng Lhls poem Sylvla laLh flnally has Lrlumphed as her own puppeL and puppeL masLer

Oo lebtooty 11tb 196J o few mootbs oftet bovloq wtltteo loJy lozotos 5ylvlo llotb
commltteJ solclJe soccessfolly by lobolloq tbe qos ftom bet stove lo tbe ptocess sbe
lmmottollzeJ betself ooJ become exttemely popolot oftet bet Jeotb wltb bet collectloo of
poetty Atlel wblcb wos wtltteo wltblo tbe lost few mootbs of bet llfe ooJ pobllsbeJ two yeots
oftet bet Jeotb 1be fomoos poem loJy lozotos tbot boJ moJe o vollJ pteJlctloo of bet
Jestloy coo be foooJ lo tbls collectloo Altbooqb sbe wos oevet ttoly occlolmeJ os o wtltet
Jotloq bet llfetlme bet mocbootlclpoteJ compllotloo of poetty collecteJ loems wos floolly
teleoseJ lo 1981 ooJ lo 1982 woo o totely postbomooslyowotJeJ lolltzet ltlze lo splte of bet
selfJepteclotloq teoJeocles tbete ls oo Joobt tbot 5ylvlo llotb woolJ bove beeo exttemely
ptooJ (bttp//ollpoettycom/poem)