Sylvia Plath wrote "Lady Lazarus" in 1962, during a creative burst of energy in the months before her death by suicide in 1963. The poem alludes to the biblical story of Lazarus, whom Jesus famously resurrected. The poem's female speaker also dies and is resurrected—multiple times, in fact, and not always happily. Each revival is akin to a circus performance for a voyeuristic, "peanut-crunching crowd" that's hoping for a glimpse of the speaker's "scars." The speaker ultimately warns that she will one day rise from the ashes of her death and devour "men like air." The dark poem provides insight into a suicidal mind, a glimpse at the horror of being a woman in a patriarchal world, and a critique of society's twisted fascination with suffering.
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I have done ...
... I manage it——
A sort of ...
... a Nazi lampshade,
My right foot ...
... Jew linen.
Peel off the ...
... set of teeth?
The sour breath ...
... a smiling woman.
I am only ...
... annihilate each decade.
What a million ...
... same, identical woman.
The first time ...
... like sticky pearls.
Dying ...
... knocks me out.
There is a ...
... or my clothes.
So, so, Herr ...
... your great concern.
Ash, ash— ...
... A gold filling.
Herr God, Herr ...
... men like air.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Biography — Poetry Foundation's brief biography of Sylvia Plath.
Plath Interview — Audio of Sylvia Plath's 1962 interview with Peter Orr, discussing her poetry career, influences, and her poetic interests.
Sylvia Plath Crash Course — An episode of Crash Course in which author John Green explores Sylvia Plath's poetry.
"Lady Lazarus" Audio — An audio clip of Sylvia Plath reading "Lady Lazarus." This reading includes a few differences from the published version— after line 12's "Do I terrify?" Plath adds, "Yes, yes, Herr Professor, it is I. Can you deny?" Plath also reads an additional line, "I may be Japanese," which follows line 33's "I may be skin and bone."
Plath's Letters — An article describing the publication of Plath's many, many letters of correspondence between her mother and others.