Sylvia Plath lives on after her death, at least the symbol of a talented poet with a tragic ending does. Plath is a much acclaimed American writer, known for her works The Colossus and Other Poems, The Bell Jar, and the posthumously published Ariel. However, the focus is often on her suicide, which is commonly cited as being caused by her severe depression and tumultuous marriage to the poet Ted Hughes, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning via an open stove.
Her spectre is particularly strong in pop music. Here she is with Billie Eilish, who is set to play the protagonist and author surrogate, Esther Greenwood, in a film adaptation of Plath’s sole novel, The Bell Jar. Maggie Nelson, author of The Argonauts and Bluet, has recently published a book comparing Taylor Swift to the poet. Lana Del Rey claims to be ‘24/7 Sylvia Plath’ in her song ‘Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – but I have it’. Recently, Del Rey has replicated Plath’s death in her ‘White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter’ music video and referenced it in the current name of her upcoming album, Stove.
However, the title of this album has changed several times, and, as its current name appears more stupid than provocative, it may well change again. Even the lineage of modern pop lyrics, especially those telling deeply personal stories such as Lily Allen’s West End Girl, can be traced back to Plath’s confessional style. So, why is pop so fascinated with the poet?
Plath occupies an interesting space in the popular imagination. Like so many other poets and musicians who died so young, she is treated more as a character with a tragic fate, rather than an author in her own right. Fellow women in this space get treated slightly differently from the men here. While men’s works are rapturously applauded, their deaths do not get referenced in culture as much. Plath’s suicide is replayed and repeated ad nauseam. Her death haunts the collective consciousness, especially with the circumstances of it; a woman in the 1960s, poisoned not only by carbon monoxide, but by society’s expectations of her.
In turn, Plath has occupied many ideals, from feminist idol to her more modern incarnation of coquette darling. The shift reflects the political climate of our time. As the world turns more conservative, so does the interpretation of Plath. There are certain spectres in the world which act like oracles, holding up a mirror to society, especially in how they are packaged to be sold off to the masses. Will we see Billie Eilish in Plath regalia on the front cover of The Bell Jar, similar to the new Wuthering Heights edition? Maybe it’s also easier to consume her image and her works by reducing her to these cliches, rather than comprehending her as a complicated individual.
There’s no denying that many people, especially women, see themselves in her. My second-hand copy of Ariel, filled with the former owner’s annotations, and the well-worn editions of The Bell Jar in the library can attest to this. Her candid words are held dear. Although they are often deeply personal, others find familiarity in her experiences.
There’s also the fact that she is a well-regarded wordsmith who is a woman. Sadly, it is still harder for women to receive critical acclaim compared to their male peers. Therefore, there is the desire to be her and a vicarious pride in her achievements. This could be the reason why Plath receives so much veneration from pop singers who show their admiration by referencing her in their art.
I don’t see her ghost fading away any time soon. Plath will forever reside in her books tucked under teenage arms and in the intimacy of her words. She will shift and change, before shifting again. A woman stuck in another time, able to tell us so much about our own.
Another article you may enjoy – https://thebadgeronline.com/2026/04/queerness-music-and-church-dominations-an-interview-with-bella-artois/
