Plath just leaves me cold. She clashes some words together in occasionally interesting ways, but it doesn't feel like there's much going on at the center. Poems like 'Tulips' and 'Mirror' feel like overcrafted metaphors from teenage angst scribblings.

Critical reading unlocked some enjoyment from Ariel and Daddy for me (although I still think the latter is a bit cheap). Beyond those... I think that's about it. ( )

As much as I want to like the poetry of Plath I just don't - I don't really see it as being a particularly good example of the craft, and believe much of the reverence of her writing is more to do with a fascination with her doomed life than her poetry. That said, the book itself is well organised and lovely to read - a triumph of form over function. ( )

depressing as they are i really enjoy her work ( )