More Plath/Hughes exploitation
"Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath", is a book that should not have been written or published. The poetry itself is lame and lackluster, and doesn't do the subject any credit at all. Also, as a fan of Plath myself, I feel Plath, as well as her late husband, have been exploited in the literary far too much. How do you look into someone's marriage and make a verse story out of it? As the author of this waste of time must be an andmirer of Plath, so am I, and I think enough is enough of the Plath/Hughes melodrama. Let's just respect both poets great works.
A testimony to the ongoing power of the poem.
While this verse interpretation of poet Sylvia Plath was intended for teen audiences, it's reviewed here because it'd be a shame to limit its meaning to teens alone. Stephanie Hemphill uses verse herself to interpret the events and influences that summed the life of tragic poet Sylvia Plath. Her approach is unique and her verse a testimony to the ongoing power of the poem.
Our own Sylvia.
Forty-five years after her death, Sylvia-Plath-mystique is alive and well. This story of Plath's life, from childhood to tragedy, is told in verse, purportedly in Plath's own style. Hemphill, an outstanding poet in her own right, admirably gives more than suitable voice to those who knew Sivvy--her mother, brother, friends, editors, therapist, husband and Sylvia herself, defining Sylvia's hopes and aspirations, fears, vulnerabilities and dichotomies. Each poem is titled and the point of view and speaker are made clear. Factual end notes enhance the biographical aspect. "Your Own, Sylvia" reads like a novel, a good one. Readers are rewarded with an intimate look at this remarkable young woman and brilliant poet, and may deduce that she was a modern female, ahead of her time. The nature of this book is that Sylvia's suicide becomes less frightening, less intimidating, less sensational, allowing readers to embrace Sylvia and accept her as their own.
Really bad ideas 101
It is a very, VERY bad idea for a poor poet to attempt to sketch the life of one of history's greatest poets. The poems are laughably awful. If you want to learn about Sylvia Plath, her life and work, buy her collected works and one of the many biographies written about her. I wouldn't waste your time with this book.
Read Sylvia's own
I found the notion behind this book, which I read for a book group, off-putting: The author writes a book about the life of Sylvia Plath by writing her own poems, in the voice of characters from Plath's life, and based on the style of Plath's poems. It's an interesting exercise, but I believe reading Plath's actual poems and researching some short bios would be far more satisfying.
