Born in Boston in 1932, Sylvia Plath grew up to shape the world of poetry. Plath experienced a turbulent relationship with her father, who died when Sylvia was young. This turbulent experience later became a great influence on her work. After briefly working as a guest editor for the magazine Mademoiselle in New York City, Plath attempted suicide via overdose of sleeping pills, but survived after being hospitalized. After the brief stay, she returned to Smith College in England and received her degree in 1955. During the next few years of her life, Sylvia married fellow poet Ted Hughes with whom she had two children, taught English at Smith College, and became influenced by poets Ann Sexton and Robert Lowell. Hughes and Plath's marriage later fell apart in 1963 when Hughes left Plath for another woman. Throughout her life, Plath suffered from severe depression, and in 1963, she wrote a book about a woman struggling with mental illness titled The Bell Jar. Her depression and dark mind also affected a large percentage of her poetry. However, this depression also ended her life in February of 1963 after a successful suicide attempt. Today, Plath is celebrated as a dark and powerful female poet whose work has shaped 20th century poetry.
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"Sylvia Plath Biography." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
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Image and Content Source:
"Sylvia Plath Biography." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/sylvia-plath-9442550>.