I have done it again.
One year in every ten
I manage it-
A sort of walking miracle, my skin
Bright as a Nazi lampshade,
My right foot
A paperweight,
My face a featureless, fine
Jew linen.
Peel off the napkin
O my enemy.
Do I terrify?--
The nose, the eye pits, the full set of teeth?
The sour breath
Will vanish in a day.
Soon, soon the flesh
The grave cave ate will be
At home on me
And I a smiling woman.
I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die.
This is Number Three.
What a trash
To annihilate each decade.
What a million filaments.
The peanut-crunching crowd
Shoves in to see
Them unwrap me hand and foot--
The big strip tease.
Gentlemen, ladies
These are my hands
My knees.
I may be skin and bone,
Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman.
The first time it happened I was ten.
It was an accident.
The second time I meant
To last it out and not come back at all.
I rocked shut
As a seashell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.
Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.
I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I've a call.
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
Amused shout:
'A miracle!'
That knocks me out.
There is a charge
For the eyeing of my scars, there is a charge
For the hearing of my heart--
It really goes.
And there is a charge, a very large charge
For a word or a touch
Or a bit of blood
Or a piece of my hair or my clothes.
So, so, Herr Doktor.
So, Herr Enemy.
I am your opus,
I am your valuable,
The pure gold baby
That melts to a shriek.
I turn and burn.
Do not think I underestimate your great concern.
Ash, ash--
You poke and stir.
Flesh, bone, there is nothing there--
A cake of soap,
A wedding ring,
A gold filling.
Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.
Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.
Stanza one
As the poem opens we are introduced to some sort of anniversary of a decade.
''I have done it again.
One year in every ten''
This thing that is being done 'one year in every ten', seems to mark an anniversary to the
persona as she speaks among herself and not to a listener. This first stanza linked with title
almost gives a hint to the audience, as the story of Lazarus in the bible is whom Jesus brought
back to life, in other words resurrection. And so with this, we can see that the persona has experiences something every year in ten which is related to death and resurrection.
Stanza two
The use of juxtaposition in this next stanza, shows the difference between the happenings of
the anniversary of this persona and the resurrection of Lazarus in the bible.
''A sort of walking miracle''
Here, the persona uses colloquial language to express the happenings of such a 'walking
miracle'. The colloquial language is used in such a way that it expresses how the poem is modern and informal, and what might be seen as not so important. Yet, the story of Lazarus in the bible is one of the most important and is very formal towards its audience. Also, the walking miracle relates as biblical imagery, relating to the story of Lazarus, to express how two of the same thing can be so much different.
Furthermore, as the stanza develops there is more imagery, this time imagery of WW2 and references which express the dark irony within this poem.
''Bright as a Nazi lampshade''
This reference to WW2 explores the dark irony of the poem, as the persona expresses her skin as being as bright as a Nazi lampshade yet this story behind the lampshade is most important. As during the Holocaust, once bodies had been burnt remains were used to create things for the Germans, such as lampshades and fillings etc. And so, by the persona referring to her skin as 'as bright as a Nazi lampshade' there is obvious dark irony, as the persona's skin is obviously not all that bright. The skin would also especially be bright after such a situation which may of being the resurrection of the persona them-self.
Stanza three
As this stanza opens, the previous stanza is carried threw with the last line using enjambment.
''My right foot
A paperweight,''
The foot of the persona is being described as like a paperweight as to reflect on the making of the Nazi lampshade. The persona is exploring how there limbs are heaving due to the Nazi's making bodies into objects during the Holocaust. This idea of people being turned into objects, links to the situation in the applicant, as people are also classed as objects. Although not literallyin the applicant, yet it is literally here, this link is strong between the two poems.
The persona uses a metaphor in order to express death and after death in the poem, and how this reflects to the story of Lazarus in the bible.
''My face a featureless, fine
Jew linen.''
The featureless-ness of the face is a clear metaphor for how when a body is buried it, usually, has the face covered with a fine linen in order to 'dress' the body. This is more frequently done within families with a high background of money, as grave clothes are expensive. And so, the featureless face is a metaphor for these clothes, and the death of the people as death is the creation of people being very featureless and blank.
Stanza four
The persona uses further juxtaposition as to express the person who has awoken her from such an experience. As the poem has developed, it seems the persona is committing suicide to only be saved or 'resurrected''.
''O my enemy.
Do I terrify?''
The person who has in fact awoken the person is seen as her enemy, as if what he has done is a bad thing. This is obvious to see, as the persona wanted to get away from her life, yet the person awaking her is obviously the person who saved her and therefore, to her, is her enemy. This idea is extremely subversive and a juxtaposition to the story of Lazarus, as he was forever grateful to Jesus for bringing him back to life. In the bible, resurrection is seen as a miracle and an amazingly grateful thing, yet the persona expresses otherwise. The persona is being very subversive in her language and choice of appearance to her opinion.
Stanza five
This stanza is the listing of imagery of death of which is explored by the persona.
''The nose, the eye pits, the full set of teeth?
The sour breath
Will vanish one day.''
Here, the persona uses listing as the express graphic imagery of death and the human body. The stanza is almost dehumanizing as the skeleton-like imagery is expressed disturbingly. It is as if the persona is asking whether her body will have this left when she dies, as she is concision of how she will look in her grave.
Stanza six
Again, the persona uses biblical reference in order to keep relating back to the story of Lazarus in the bible to express the story in the poem deeper and deeper.
''The grave cave ate will be''
This biblical reference of the cave is important as to keep referring back to the Lazarus story and how this poem is an extremely different story yet the same situation. Also, in this line there is the use of assonance which is used to create internal rhyming within the line. This sound is almost like an echo, which creates the idea of emptiness within the grave as it is not literal but is because of the death of the human inside.
Stanza seven
The stanza could be arguably the most important as to suggest that the persona is in fact Plath herself, as within knowing her life background it reflects almost exactly to this poem.
''I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die.''
The idea of the persona being 30, the time in which the poem was wrote Plath herself would of been thirty. Furthermore, the idea of the cat and having nine times to die reflects back to the opening of the poem where the anniversary of past events. This could express how the persona, or Plath, justifies her idea of trying to commit suicide and failing as to be a cat with nine lives.
Also, in the stanza Plath relates back to the Applicant poem as she expresses the 'ideal women'.
''And I am a smiling women.''
The idea of the smiling women, is almost a mock by Plath as she realizes this is the social norm of women, yet she was obviously not smiling or happy because of the situations she puts herself threw every ten years. This irony by Plath explores the ideal women, which is what she does not want to be, and reflects it among the 'living doll' image in the applicant.
Stanza eight
As this stanza opens, we are introduced to a significant number of 'Number Three' which stands out in order to catch the attention of the audience.
''This is Number Three.''
This capitalization of the 'number three' expresses how the event is important and significant to Plath and her life. This line of the stanza is to show how the event she is talking about is 'number three', this event is her near death experience of which she experiences every ten years being a decade of which is her anniversary spoken of in the first stanza.
Also, the choice of lexis by Plath is interesting as she expresses her past and how she feels about her past experiences and what the future holds.
''To annihilate each decade.''
The choice of the lexis 'annihilate' means to erase the past, cancel out and start again, which could be seen as the reasoning in why Plath decides to try to commit suicide every ten years in order to recreate her anniversary. It is as if Plath does this to try forget the past and start again when she awakes, yet if this worked she would not remember anything as to maybe no awake.
Stanza nine
As the stanza opens, Plath's choice of lexis is extremely deep as she explores her look as she awakes.
''What a million filaments.''
Plath choices to use an alternative of bandages to call them 'filaments', these filaments have been used to express how Plath has been mummified. This mummification is almost as if Plath has been wrapped up like a dead body, yet she has been awoke. By expressing these filaments, it could be seen that this is a hint at how she feels when she awakes, as if she is trapped and suffocated and this is the reasoning in why she wants to leave.
Here, Plath explores how the poem is modern and the period in which order her is also, compared to the period in which the story of Lazarus occurred.
''The peanut crunching crowd
Shoves in to see''
The idea of the peanut crunching crowd, is used by Plath to express the idea of the media and thousands of people all around her looking in on her situation as she awakes from trying to commit suicide. The media and people around are to express the modern day and how this is causing a situation when she awakes. As Plath explores them moving as if to 'shove', in order to rush in on her and judge her.
Stanza ten
With an odd idea in the middle of the poem, we are introduced the Plath's side of challenging the typical women stereotype.
''The big strip tease.
Gentlemen, ladies''
The idea of the big strip tease explored by Plath, shows how she is sacrilegious, which is another concept of the modern nature of the poem, and challenges the stereotype of women. It is as if Plath is exploiting herself as entertain for the audience in which can see her, by doing this she judges the audience back as to explore how they are the reasoning for her carrying this on. She blames them from encouraging her, yet with them doing this she is challenging the women stereotype of being quiet and keeping themselves to themselves, yet Plath explores herself to the whole world. The idea of Plath being entertainment for the audience creates a sense of voyeuristic, as to get pleasure out of watching someone in such a way.
Stanza eleven
This stanza expresses just how much Plath has become entertainment to the audience, yet also how Plath exploits herself to the audience.
''These are my hands
My knees.
I may be skin and bone.''
The idea of Plath exploiting herself to the audience shows how she puts on the show being of their encouragement by 'shoving' in to see her. Plath explores this matter as to expresses how she can judge her audience back, without giving them the chance to judge her for trying to kill herself. Yet she judges them back for encouraging to do so.
Stanza twelve
Again, this stanza is another important one as to express how it is actually Plath herself creating the voice of the persona in the poem.
''The first time it happened I was ten.
It was an accident.''
As the persona speaks about 'the first time' being 'an accident', it can be seen that in fact this accidental near death experience actually happened in Plath's life when she was just ten. When working this out, it is clear that a decade of anniversary for 30 years running would of first started when the person was ten, making the person in fact Plath herself.
Stanza thirteen
This stanza is introduced by Plath as the 'second time', which could be assumed that is the events of the second time she tried to kill herself. She uses a dreamlike state to express her wants of death and how she did not want to come back.
''I meant
To last it out and not come back at all.''
This dreamlike state is described by Plath as to express how this second time was not an accident like the first, and in fact she wanted it to last... She wanted to die. This imagery of death, is a huge juxtaposition towards the death and resurrection of Lazarus. As the death of Lazarus was a shock and misfortune to all, yet Plath describes her own death as wanted and as if she was not to be missed.
Also, in this stanza the use of enjambment carries the last line threw to the first line of stanza fourteen.
''I rocked shut
As a seashell.''
This imagery of the natural seaside environment, as to describe a seashell, is a great juxtaposition as to be placed with the idea of death and a body 'rocking shut'. Yet, this juxtaposition could be seen as a metaphor as to describe how Plath's thoughts are far at sea as she thinks about killing herself and 'lasting it out'. It could show how her mind is in a dreamlike state, where as her body does actually feel the pain of this, also expressing the juxtaposition of the nature imagery as to the death imagery.
Stanza fourteen
As more juxtaposition is used in the poem, to express how Plath see's death to how others would, we can see that the whole poem is together as a whole to explore the juxtaposition of Plath's idea of death with the idea of death in the Bible.
''They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.''
Here, we have the disturbing imagery of worms around the body which is then juxtaposed by Plath as if the worms are pearls. These pearls are seen as imagery of elegance, which expresses how Plath sees the idea of death, yet most people would see it as worms around the body.
Stanza fifteen
This stanza opens with exploring one of the biggest contrasts between Plath and the Bible.
''Dying
Is an art''
The idea of Plath thinking dying is an art, as if it is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination is a huge crime, especially in the period of which the poem was written. Also, suicide in the Bible is one of the biggest sin's as to kill oneself when in fact this is a job of God, can be seen an extreme wrongdoing. By exploring this, we can see how Plath was not religious and did not believe in anything as such as she was willing to take a job of God to kill herself.
Stanza sixteen
As the poem continues to get deeper and deeper into the idea of death and how Plath feels about such a thing, greater technical skills are used in order to express such a matter. As in this stanza, phonological rhyme is used to explore the depression and lack of excitement Plath feels.
''I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.''
This use of phonological rhyme is expressed to how Plath does this event on a ten year anniversary as to carry on. The rhyme in the lines gives the sense of carrying on with someone, as to carry it out, and Plath decides she will carry out these events in an anniversary to make sure she gets what she wants. When Plath talks about the suicide as making her 'feel real', could express how life does not excite her and it does not feel real to here. This could be seen as a symptom of depression, as she does not feel as if life is real but believes that death is and will make her feel so.
Stanza seventeen
This stanza is very blunt and puts out there of what Plath believes about suicide with the use of dark humor.
''It's easy enough to do it and stay put.''
This idea of 'doing it and stay put' is almost a dark hint at humor, as if to say it is easy to do it over and over again and no one would notice. Plath connotes this as dark humor as without using emotional language, she does not want the audience to feel sorry for her but yet to think 'that's about right'. The poem in itself does not grab attention due to feeling sorry for Plath, yet it is just shocking and almost unbelievable as she is able to talk about suicide so opening. This talking of suicide opening if very modern, along with Plath herself. As she describes her work as 'long and thin', Plath herself was evidently long and thin connoting to this humor and how she is very modern, as to compare to William Shakespeare he would not class his poem's as 'long and thin'.
Stanza eighteen
Referring back to stanza sixteen, we see again the idea of Plath wanting to leave the real world as to believe death will make her feel real. This is linked to the listing and repetition in this stanza, as we expressed to how Plath feels about 'the real life'.
''To the same place, the same face, the same brute
Amused shot:''
This expression as Plath comes back around from 'the second time', tells the audience how her coming back to the same things around her is a realization that her work did not pay off. Plath tried to escape this life, but yet instead of waking up to 'feeling real' she is in the same place etc., which is described an outright nightmare for her. Furthermore, the 'amused shot' is joined with the stanza by the use of enjambment to the shouting of the audience ''A miracle!''. This voyeuristic shout by the crowd, explores how they are insensitive about Plath and her situation.
Stanza nineteen
The use of a popular idiom, is explored as the figure of speech is almost metaphor for the events of which had just happened to Plath in the poem.
''That knocks me out.''
This figure of speech could be seen as a literal idea of how this does actually 'knock her out', as this figure usually means as if 'it killed me' to express excitement or happiness. For example, someone might say 'that concert knocked me out/killed me' as if to express how good it was. This is the context in which Plath means in this line as she metaphorical tells the audience that attempting suicide knocks her out, when literally it also does. This is clearly done by Plath, in such a way to express her feelings towards the events of suicide and how she really feels about it.
Furthermore, also in this stanza the idea of death becoming a right of passage for Plath is greatly expressed.
''There is a charge
For the eyeing of my scars...''
As this stanza carries on to the next one, the audience can get an idea of how Plath tries and tries yet she does no succeed in what she wants. As Plath believes that death is a rite of passage, as to express it as 'to make her feel real', this idea is very clear. Yet, someone is preventing this rite of passage for her and so she expressing this by explaining that the attempts come with a charge. This charge could also be seen as a literal charge for the audience, as she creates her 'entertainment' for the crowds who gather. This literal charge is again a reference to the dark humor in the poem as to charge people to let them watch you try to commit suicide is rather sickening and disturbing, although it may not be in Plath's mind.
Stanza twenty
See above.
Stanza twenty one
Again, more reference to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust is made here in this stanza as Plath describes her 'miracle maker'.
''So, so, Herr Doktor.
So, Herr Enemy.''
The idea of the Nazi Germans in this stanza is used to express the doctor who awakes Plath from her attempt at suicide. As she expresses his as 'Mister Doctor' by the German 'Herr Doktor', and as her 'enemy'. This strong use of the lexis 'enemy', expresses how she deeply feels about the doctor as to hate him for awaking her from escaping to become 'real'. This is huge contrast as in the Bible to express someone as an enemy, was a reference to the devil as another name of his. The idea of Plath expresses her doctor as the devil, is a huge reference to hell and the ideas of which she had in her mind as to kill herself.
Stanza twenty two
Here, Plath talks about herself as if to speak to the doctor of whom is in front of her as time of the event is present here.
''I am your opus''
The idea of Plath being the doctor's opus is to express her as a piece of the artistic work, especially one on a large scale. And so, in other words Plath is describing herself as the doctors biggest piece of work so far, yet expressing this as if the doctor is only helping in order to make himself biggest in his industry. Plath believes that the doctor is only doing this in order to get his name bigger, and that in fact he does actually want to help her. However, in overall fact he is just simply doing his job.
Stanza twenty three
Again, Plath is hinting at the doctor of not just doing his job but making it seem as if his concern is unreal, just as she feels unreal in the world.
''Do not think I underestimate your great concern.''
Plath explores the nature of her doctor threw the use of sarcasm and irony, as she expresses that the doctor is unreal and fake as he pretends to care about her. Although, it seems Plath would think this as her personality comes across very blunt and depresses which makes her feel this way about other people when in actual fact the doctor probably does genuinely care about her and her feelings as she has tried to commit suicide and he has saved her.
Stanza twenty four
Another link to the Holocaust and Nazi Germany could be interpreted here as Plath explores different lexis in order to compare the suicide of herself to such a big event in history, in fact most probably one of the biggest.
''Ash, ash
You poke and stir.''
The use of the lexis 'ash', relates to the Holocaust as the devastating fact of the people who did not meet Hitler's need were burnt. This death relates to the Plath of which Plath is trying to commit to herself, yet she is not succeeding in such a matter. This repetition of the lexis could be seen as how Plath feels that the death of people is dragged out, as she expressed in her other poetry.
Stanza twenty five
Again, reference to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust appears in the poem as we are explored into the objects of which the humans were literally made in to.
''A cake of soap,
A wedding ring,
A gold filling.''
Here, Plath has used listing to express how Hitlers ongoing of the killings of the Jew's was long and painful for the audience who had to watch. This listing shows how during the Holocaust, no ones feelings came into the deaths as people had to do as they were told all round. Again, this is sickening imagery from Plath and is extremely disturbing, especially to sensitive audience yet with the modern day writer she explores this in such a way to shock her audience, without it shocking her.
Stanza twenty six
In this penultimate stanza, more dark irony is expressed by Plath as she refers to the Bible and God herself without hiding behind the story of Lazarus.
''Herr God, Herr Lucifer''
This line is the main part of the poem, as to realize that in fact Plath does compare herself to Lazarus and is in which why the poem is named 'Lady Lazarus'. Yet, she does this with the use of irony to express how she is not religious, although she is not fully ignorant to the Bible. She see's the story and understands, yet her opinion of death is the complete opposite and this is the reasoning the complete juxtaposition between the two 'Lazarus'' in the poem.
Stanza twenty seven
This last stanza is full of different imagery which Plath puts together to sum up the poem, as to express what death means for her.
''Out of the ash
I rise''
The idea of Plath rising from the ash, is a reference to the rising of the phoenix from the ash. This reflect on the idea from early in the poem where Plath explores her want to annihilate, and start again by wiping her past, which is like what the Phoenix does as creates new life or is reborn as it rises from the ashes.
Also, in this stanza Plath uses colour imagery to reference the devil and hell.
''With my red hair''
The idea of Plath expressing herself as having red hair, reflects to the idea of the devil and hell as if she has created or is a sin. Yet, Lazarus was risen or reborn to free his sins, this contrast again expresses the difference between the two stories despite the situation being the same.
Finally, the last line of the poem is very powerful as Plath expresses 'eating' as a strong verb. The last line being the finale of the poem, does end on a note of which the audience begin to think about what Plath means.
''And I eat men like air.''
This idea of eating men like air gives Plath a strong finale, as if to express how she is not back to life and is strong, despite nearly dying were she would of been extremely weak and vulnerable. Plath wants her audience to see this strong side of her, as throughout the poem she wants her death to be seen as a liberation. This liberation of her death links in with the period, as the starts of the Women's Liberation, which is clearly put together by Plath as she links all the references together.
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