Comparing Poems 'Lady Lazarus And Bitch'

The poems “Lady Lazarus” and “Bitch” were published almost 2 decades apart, both still present a personal challenge from an outside force. But, they differ in the way they handle the battle with their emotions from the effects of the force. In “Lady Lazarus” the speaker had a depressed approach to her emotions while maintaining a feeling of reward and pleasure. In contrast, in “Bitch” the reader had a humorous and often times confused/angry approach to the outside force of her ex-lover. But, Plath’s approach differs from Kizer’s by the way she chooses unordinary words and comparisons to express her innermost feelings. Since many readers may not have experienced something similar to Plath, they are less familiar to emotions and the thoughts

of someone who has. While reading “Lady Lazarus”, it digs deeper into the feelings of the character to create a more memorable feeling after reading it. This poem is overall more artful and an insightful poem describing her experience during her multiple attempts of suicide by the form and meaning of the poem.
When comparing the language of the two poems, we find that “Lady Lazarus” has more emotion-wrenching words throughout. The word choice of “Bitch,” by comparison, consists of formal common everyday words along with a few slang words. Plath uses many unexpected and unusual words like a “walking miracle” and “annihilate”, which creates a deeper and meaningful feeling (675; ed. 8). While on the other hand, Kizer uses everyday words like “kindness” and “gag” to describe the feelings that she experienced while communicating with her ex-lover (ed.7). Since the experience of meeting an ex after a period of time is common, it goes hand in hand to use everyday informal words. Just as it does with Plath’s poem, the experience of depression does not happen to everyone, it makes sense to uncommon words. In “Lady Lazarus, it includes many anaphora’s, meaning a repetition of the same words in the beginning of a line. This is shown multiple of times in the poem, for example, lines 57 and 58 the phrase “There is a charge” is repeated (ed.8). By repeating the same beginning words, can be related to Plath’s repetitive suicide attempts and the same thoughts that seem to repeat through her head. “Lady Lazarus” has a stronger meaning from the words and phrases by the way they are organized.
Both poems contain metaphors throughout to describe their feelings in comparison to another object.

But, in “Lady Lazarus” it also contains similes like in lines 39 and 40, “I rocked shut/ as a seashell” (676 ed.8). Throughout the poem, Plath questions the reader in a few lines, symbolizing her uncertainty of emotion. While Kizer maintains a conversation with internal self and her ex-lover, she does not directly address the reader. In “Lady Lazarus” there is many metaphors comparing her feelings for instances, saying her face is like “Jew linen” and her skin is bright as a “Nazi lampshade” (675 ed. 8). Plath was known as “One of the most celebrated controversial of postwar poets writing in English” (Sylvia Plath Poetry Foundation). By using a well-known horrific moment in history, the poem conveys a deeper feeling than it would if comparing a common experience. Plath creates an illusion of an unfamiliar world to many readers that most likely have not experienced such an intense emotion towards suicide like the speaker did. Also, this poem creates a play/theater metaphor when the speaker describes how there is an audience waiting to see such a terrible act of her taking her life. She seems to get pleasure out of the attention she lures in just like in a play, the actor’s purpose is to entertain the audience. Metaphors and similes are used to help explain the thoughts and feelings of the speaker by using a universal object to create a better

understanding.
The pair of poems are told from a first person point of view which includes the speaker’s direct emotions towards the subject. Choosing this type of point of view creates a specific world and explores many elements that a reader might not have noticed before. Since Sylvia Plath’s poem is autobiographical, it becomes clear to use first person point of view. By using first person in “Bitch”, it makes the poem more compelling because it includes the speaker’s inner dialogue with herself, which we wouldn’t receive if it was another point of view. Point of view is one similarity among others that these two poems share.
Both of the poems use another element to symbolize their feelings from the situations that they experienced. Kizer compares the speaker’s internal feelings to a female dog but, Plath compares her feelings to multiple things like a cat with nine lives, a seashell, Nazis, and Jews. According to the Poetry Foundation’s website, Charles Newman (who later wrote about Plath’s poems) mentioned that Plath used history to “explain herself” just as if she experienced for herself being in a Nazi concentration camp. She explains herself by using history so that her emotions are perceived to be more detrimental and horrifying. Newman also explained that "in absorbing, personalizing the socio-political catastrophes of the century, [Plath] reminds us that they are ultimately metaphors of the terrifying human mind.” By having multiple comparisons to different things, it portrays the over whelming feeling of depression. In contrast, in the poem “Bitch” uses personification of her inner actions and emotions being the ones of a dog, as if she does not feel the self-worth of a person. Similarly, the two poems dehumanize the speakers but, Kizer also does this to the other women in her ex-lover’s life.