Lady Lazarus

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"Lady Lazarus" is a poem written by Sylvia Plath, and is commonly used as an example of her writing style. The poem is dark and ironic, yet there is a bright side to it. The title "Lady Lazarus" refers to "Lady", implying her feminine side, and "Lazarus" which is a Biblical allusion to Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, who died and was resurrected by Jesus. The poem implies rebirth--she was metaphorically reborn, like Lazarus. The Nazi lampshades are made out of skin, and the lampshade which covers a lamp, implies light, meaning hope. The poem rejects the fact that she committed suicide, which happened three years later, so it is a mistake to regard it as a suicidal poem.

If analyzed completely, one could notice that it was one of hope, light, and humanity.^{[citation needed]} Many critics claim that this poem is about suicide, which is another provocative translation of the poetic language.^{[citation needed]}

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.

[edit] References to the Phoenix

The poem also alludes to the mythological bird called the Phoenix. The speaker of this poem describes her unsuccessful attempts at committing suicide not as failures, but as successful resurrections, like those described in the tales of the biblical character Lazarus and the Phoenix. By the end of the poem, the speaker has transformed into a firebird, effectively marking her rebirth, which some critics liken to a demonic transformation.