Poetry Analysis: Sylvia Plath's Lady Lazarus

The Speaker's Identity

• The speaker is a 30-year-old woman who has a troubled relationship with her body
• She compares her skin to a Nazi lampshade, suggesting a sense of discomfort or shame with her appearance

The Speaker's Body

• The speaker's body is likened to a paperweight, implying a sense of heaviness or burdensome
• Her face is described as featureless, with a comparison to fine Jew linen, suggesting a sense of pale or lifeless complexion
• The speaker's nose, eye pits, and teeth are mentioned, but with a sense of detachment or disconnection

Death and Rebirth

• The speaker mentions dying and being reborn, with the phrase "I have nine times to die" suggesting a sense of resilience or cat-like ability to cheat death
• The speaker implies that their body will be returned to its natural state, with "the flesh / The grave cave ate will be At home on me" suggesting a sense of acceptance or surrender

Performance and Spectacle

• The speaker describes their body as a spectacle, with "the peanut-crunching crowd" gathering to see them unwrapped "hand and foot"
• The speaker presents themselves as a performer, with "the big strip tease" suggesting a sense of exposure or vulnerability

Self-Awareness

• The speaker acknowledges their own mortality and impermanence, stating "I may be skin and bone"