6 Facts You Don’t Know About Sylvia Plath

You may only know Sylvia Plath from when you were assigned The Bell Jar in gender studies class in college. You might know about her relationship with the poet Ted Hughes. If you only know one thing about her, it’s about know her all-too-early death; 50 years ago this month, Plath committed suicide. Though she’s one of the most iconic figures in 20th century literature, she’s scarcely remembered by more than those three tidbits.

Two new books profiling the famed poet and author have just been released: American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath (January 29, St. Martin’s) by Carl Rollyson; and Mad Girl’s Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted (February 5, Scriber) by Andrew Wilson. We read these books for some new facts about Sylvia Plath, who was totally inspiration-worthy from a ridiculously young age. Check this out:

She published her first poem, “Poem,” in the Boston Herald in 1941. She was nine years old! At twelve, her IQ was recorded at around 160 (certified genius, literally).

In 1944, at twelve(!) she had more work published in her local newspaper, The Townsman. By this age, she was writing a poem a day at school.

In 1947, Sylvia began what would be a five-year pen pal relationship with a German teenager, Hans-Joachim Neupert. Though she grew up during the WWII, she was eager to learn and move past her sheltered, suburban upbringing.

Even in her teens, Plath was a passionate pacifist: she was publicly against the Korean War and called the dropping of the atomic bomb “a sin” in a 1950 letter to Neupert.

She worked her way through Smith College even though she had been accepted to Wellesley for free. She worked on a farm, doing manual labor. She later turned this experience into a poem “Bitter Strawberries.”

She was encouraged by her mother to journal details of her everyday life, an act that would greatly influence her later art.

Whether you’re a writer, an activist, or just a woman, period, that’s some rally-worthy stuff.

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Are you a Sylvia Plath fan? Was The Bell Jar important to you growing up?

Photo: Everett Collection