One of our leading interpreters of ancient literature, acclaimed translator Sarah Ruden (the Aeneid) has long had a passion for Sylvia Plath's poetry. In this profound reconsideration of Plath's genius, Ruden argues that Plath is more than a consummate mythmaker; the poet herself takes on the role of the classical hero: striving, suffering, descending to an underworld that threatens meaninglessness and despair, and returning to speak the previously unspoken. For the first time, a writer and a woman becomes that hero.

For Ruden, this achievement, like the deep learning and driving ambition that fueled it, has been overshadowed by the sensational and tragic details of Plath's life, especially her ill-starred marriage to British poet Ted Hughes and her suicide at the age of thirty. Ruden offers a much-needed corrective through close readings of 6 poems

• "Mushrooms"
• "You're"
• "The Babysitters"
• "The Applicant"
• "Ariel"
• "Edge"

Devoted fans will find many new insights here, while readers looking to discover Plath's poetry for the first time will find no better introduction to her work.