The poem “Circus in Three Rings” by Sylvia Plath contains some elements of the poet’s biographical influence. In the poem, Plath touches on how heartbreak, failure and depression ignite instances of sadness in her life. Hughes (1982) asserts that Plath admitted to divulge pieces of information concerning her life in certain social or professional circumstance. The poem is deeply influenced by the poet’s personal experiences which are characterized by depression during her childhood once her father passed away (Carson, 1994). The level of her depression intensified as the years went by, resulting to acute insomnia and suicidal thoughts. The poem is a reflection of the depressive episodes “extravagant heart” and “fragments” that Plath went through. Plath uses the phrase “extravagant heart” to refer to her restless desire to alway seeking a sense of fulfillment – by craving love as the only type of solace to ease her depression.
While reading the poem, the audience identifies with the sense of depression that Plath felt due to her choice of imagery and figurative language. The poet compares her love life to a ‘circus’ and her life to a ‘hurricane.’ This comparison illustrates Plath’s level of depression which is influenced by the lack of sufficient love that makes her ‘extravagant heart blow up’ over and over again due to the wraths of the hurricane (Plath, 1955). According to Hughes (1982) Plath never revealed her true self to people – thus, it can be assumed that her poetry was an outlet to express the different sides of her life. According to Moramarco (1982) Plath’s personal experiences and depiction of herself as a victimized persona were the main themes of her poems. Therefore, she used the details of her personal life to express her feeling through poetry.
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References
Carson, A. (1994). "Sylvia Town." Grand Street 8.3 (Spring 1989): 191. Print. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV . Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Hughes, T. (1982) "Foreword." The Journals of Sylvia Plath . Ed. Fran McCullough. New York: The Dial Press, 1982. Print.
Moramarco, F. (1982). “Burned-Up Intensity’: the Suicidal Poetry of Sylvia Plath.” Mosaic : A Journal for the Comparative Study of Literature 15 .1. 141-151.
Plath, Sylvia. (1955). Circus in Three Rings. The Atlantic Monthly .
