Ariel. Illustrated

Ariel is a posthumous poetry collection by Sylvia Plath, published in 1965. Written during the final months of her life, the collection captures intense emotional states shaped by her struggles with identity, mental illness, and societal expectations of women. The title refers to both a spirit from The Tempest and the horse she rode, symbolizing freedom and transformation.

The poems are vivid, confessional, and often unsettling. Plath uses powerful imagery, such as in “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy,” to explore themes of death, rebirth, trauma, and female oppression. Nature, violence, and the body appear throughout, reflecting her internal turmoil and search for liberation. Her tone shifts between despair, irony, and defiance.

Ariel redefined modern poetry with its raw honesty and lyrical power. It remains a groundbreaking work in feminist and confessional literature, offering insight into Plath’s psyche and broader human experiences of pain, power, and identity.
Contents:
"Morning Song"
"The Couriers"
"Sheep in Fog"
"The Applicant"
"Lady Lazarus"
"Tulips"
"Cut"
"Elm"
"The Night Dances"
"Poppies in October"
"Berck-Plage"
"Ariel"
"Death & Co."
"Lesbos"
"Nick and the Candlestick"
"Gulliver"
"Getting There"
"Medusa"
"The Moon and the Yew Tree"
"A Birthday Present"
"Mary's Song"
"Letter in November"
"The Rival"
"Daddy"
"You're"
"Fever 103°"
"The Bee Meeting"
"The Arrival of the Bee Box"
"Stings"
"The Swarm"
"Wintering
"The Hanging Man"
"Little Fugue"
"Years"
"The Munich Mannequins"
"Totem"
"Paralytic"
"Balloons"
"Poppies in July"
"Kindness"
"Contusion"
"Edge"
"Words"