poetry texts, poem archive at plagiarist.com

This is my favorite Plath poem. I would say to not interpret it as a split personality, etc. She is speaking about seeing herself change from a third person perspective with the metaphor of a new girl--she is separated enough to see the change (this new girl) and what she/it is doing to her and yet helpless to stop it because it's so tightly assimilated into the old her. I think this poem would make a lot of sense to people who have struggled with depression, which she did herself. You remember who you were and you see how you are now...and you want the old back even as you find the new taking over.

I had never read a Sylvia Plath poem until this one, and I'm really impressed. I'm an official fan. It's really amazing how she can take a subject that held no metaphorical meaning or importance (a body cast) to me before, and change it into an idea that makes me think about so much. What someone in the cast is thinking, recovery from physical and mental wounds, creating personalities to help yourself move on, and so on and so forth. Thank you, Sylvia, for adding so much thought to this world.