Das Herz steht nicht still

by Sylvia Plath, Judith Zander (Translator)

Späte Gedichte 1960-1963

Zweisprachige Ausgabe. Herausgegeben, aus dem Englischen übersetzt und mit einem Nachwort versehen von Judith Zander

1960 ist ein Jahr des Aufbruchs, Sylvia Plath zieht nach England und ihr einzig zu Lebzeiten veröffentlichter Gedichtband erscheint: Der Koloss. Kurz vor ihrem Tod, 1963, folgt ihr einziger Roman: Die Glasglocke. In den drei Jahren dazwischen schreibt Plath unerschöpflich und wird zweimal Mutter. »Es ist, als setzte mein Herz ein Gesicht auf und ginge hinaus in die Welt.« Größte Verletzlichkeit prallt in diesen späten Gedichten auf zuckersüße Tage, »eingeweckt wie Obst«. Zwischen Leben schenken und Todesnähe entfaltet sich eine ergreifende, einmalige Kraft.

Zum 90. Geburtstag versammelt Das Herz steht nicht still Sylvia Plaths monumentales lyrisches Spätwerk erstmals auf Deutsch. In der brillanten Übersetzung von Judith Zander wird erfahrbar, wie die Ikone feministischen Schreibens ihr Werk zur Vollendung brachte.

Genres: Poetry

2010 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2022

About the author

Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the most influential and emotionally powerful authors of the 20th century. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she demonstrated literary talent from an early age, publishing her first poem at the age of eight. Her early life was shaped by the death of her father, Otto Plath, when she was eight years old, a trauma that would profoundly influence her later work.
Plath attended Smith College, where she excelled academically but also struggled privately with depression. In 1953, she survived a suicide attempt, an experience she later fictionalized in her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar. After recovering, she earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Newnham College, Cambridge, in England. While there, she met and married English poet Ted Hughes in 1956. Their relationship was passionate but tumultuous, with tensions exacerbated by personal differences and Hughes's infidelities.
Throughout her life, Plath sought to balance her ambitions as a writer with the demands of marriage and motherhood. She had two children with Hughes, Frieda and Nicholas, and continued to write prolifically. In 1960, her first poetry collection, The Colossus and Other Poems, was published in the United Kingdom. Although it received modest critical attention at the time, it laid the foundation for her distinctive voice—intensely personal, often exploring themes of death, rebirth, and female identity.
Plath's marriage unraveled in 1962, leading to a period of intense emotional turmoil but also extraordinary creative output. Living with her two children in London, she wrote many of the poems that would posthumously form Ariel, the collection that would cement her literary legacy. These works, filled with striking imagery and raw emotional force, displayed her ability to turn personal suffering into powerful art. Poems like "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus" remain among her most famous, celebrated for their fierce honesty and technical brilliance.
In early 1963, following a deepening depression, Plath died by suicide at the age of 30. Her death shocked the literary world and sparked a lasting fascination with her life and work. The posthumous publication of Ariel in 1965, edited by Hughes, introduced Plath's later poetry to a wide audience and established her as a major figure in modern literature. Her novel The Bell Jar was also published under her own name shortly after her death, having initially appeared under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas."
Plath’s work is often classified within the genre of confessional poetry, a style that emphasizes personal and psychological experiences. Her fearless exploration of themes like mental illness, female oppression, and death has resonated with generations of readers and scholars. Over time, Plath has become a feminist icon, though her legacy is complex and occasionally controversial, especially in light of debates over Hughes's role in managing her literary estate and personal history.
Today, Sylvia Plath is remembered not only for her tragic personal story but also for her immense contributions to American and English literature. Her work continues to inspire writers, artists, and readers worldwide. Collections such as Ariel, Crossing the Water, and Winter Trees, as well as her journals and letters, offer deep insight into her creative mind. Sylvia Plath’s voice, marked by its intensity and emotional clarity, remains one of the most haunting and enduring in modern literature.

Reviews

[an Anna Blume]

das ist keine Poesie. Zumindest keine, die ich verstehe, oder deren Schönheit ich genieße.

[Niklas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mein erster Gedichtband von Sylvia Plath und was für einer: Beim Lesen den Kopf voll von schweren Gerüchen, von Blütenstaub und Nebel, Krankheit, Geburt und das Herz auf der Zunge, die staubigen Städte und Landschaften vor Augen. Berauscht von den vielen Worten, der feinen Eleganz dieser Zeilen, kann ich nur wenige Gedichte am Stück lesen, bevor ich eine Pause einlegen muss. Begeistert vom ungeheuren Wortschatz, aus dem die Autorin schöpft, ohne jemals zu dick aufzutragen, kämpfe ich mich durch den Gedichtband wie durch besonders tiefen Schlick und verschwinde bei der Lektüre langsam zwischen den Fluten: “The only thing to come now is the sea.”

Lieblingsgedichte: Leaving Early, Candles, Face Lift, I Am Vertical, Blackberrying, Last Words, Mirror, Three Women.