Ariel Plath, Sylvia Poetry

First US edition, review copy, of Sylvia Plath's second book of poetry, published three years after her death - a dark and personal collection. ARIEL - largely penned during a sharp uptick in productivity after her separation from Ted Hughes - crystalizes Plath's struggles with mental illness, depression, and abuse. Her vivid use of imagery heightens the confessional nature of the poems, sometimes twisting into the surreal and horrific. "ARIEL is not easy poetry to criticize. It is not much like any other poetry. It is her," noted the POETRY BOOK SOCIETY, who named it their Spring Choice of that year. 8.5'' x 5.25''. Publisher's black cloth. In original unclipped ($4.95) typographic jacket designed by Ellen Raskin. 85, [3] pages. Review slip loosely laid in. Jacket toned at edges an spine, as common. Else a sharp, clean example. Near fine in a near fine jacket.