Voice of the Poet: Plath

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0375405992, Audio Cassette)

Before committing suicide in 1963 at the age of 31, Sylvia Plath wrote a bounty of work, including the final eight poems included in this self-read collection--described by Robert Lowell as her "appalling and triumphant fulfillment." This later work, as well as 13 additional recordings gathered here from Plath's short but significant career, are certainly triumphant: her prose is precise, scathing, utterly original, and mature beyond her years. Fortunately for listeners, Plath's voice mirrors her writing. She delivers "Lady Lazarus"--a piece about suicide, self-loathing, and her hatred for men--with a dagger-like cadence and clear, confident pitch. She describes a suicide attempt:

It's easy enough to do it in a cell.
It's easy enough to do it and stay put.
It's the theatrical

Comeback in broad day
To the same place, the same face, the same brute

Drawn from two separate recordings--one while accompanied by her husband, the poet Ted Hughes, in 1958, and one conducted shortly after their separation in 1962, The Voice of the Poet includes a companion book containing the text of each poem, as well as an introduction by editor J.D. McClatchy. Listen to Plath read "Lorelei." Visit our audio help page for more information. (Running time: 1 hour, 1 cassette) --Rob McDonald