Well, Sylvia Plath WAS quite popular as a UK poet before her mental illness hit the news after her death. Much of her personal demons remained personal because of the way the press dealt with such things in the 50's. It simply wasn't mentioned. There's also a case to be made about post-partem depression after the birth of her second child. She found it more and more difficult to write with the same devotion as before her children, and although they were a bit of a sanctuary to her after Ted had his affair and left her (which is telling by the fact that she very carefully sealed the door to the kitchen so that the children wouldn't be harmed by the gas she used to suicide).
But Plath's mental illness started much earlier, back in her childhood of WWII. Since much of her brilliance came from her depression (much as a growing insanity led to some of Van Gogh's greatest works), if she had found a proper dose of medication, would the creation of images in her poetry have gone away? We'll never know.
But Plath's mental illness started much earlier, back in her childhood of WWII. Since much of her brilliance came from her depression (much as a growing insanity led to some of Van Gogh's greatest works), if she had found a proper dose of medication, would the creation of images in her poetry have gone away? We'll never know.
Can't help yourself can you? Put miss snippy back in the box 
