Your Own, Sylvia

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print.

ISBN 9780375837999

 2. Evaluation

Your Own, Sylvia is a collection of poetry that recounts the life and death of the famous poet Sylvia Plath. In this collection, Hemphill creates an autobiography told through poetry in which she includes both a poem and a short excerpt that inspired her poetry. This is very fitting because Sylvia expressed her feelings and life through poetry. The verses represent a variety of emotions from the humorous to the dark, with each being told through different people’s voices. While the collection is fiction, Hemphill brings life to the characters and situations she creates.

The poetry is presented simply, without frills or pictures for the most part. In the center of the book Hemphill included several photographs of Sylvia to accompany the story being told. The book is a bit lengthy at 240 pages, but reads very easily. The novel also includes several different forms of poetry. The book also includes an Author’s Note, a section describing the source material for each poem, and suggestions for further reading.

3. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Rather than write in Plath's voice, Hemphill channels the voices of those who knew the poet in chronologically arranged poems, written from the perspective of family members, friends, colleagus, even Plath's doctor. Plath's own voice is evident in the poetic forms, though, with many of the poems written "in the style of" specific works. The result is an intimate, comprehensive, imaginative view of a life that also probes the relationships between poetry and creativity, mental fragility, love, marriage, and betrayal…Plath's dramatic genius and personal struggles, particularly the difficulties of reconciling the writing life with the roles of wife and mother, have long attracted teen interest, and this accomplished, creative story may ignite new interest in Plath's original works.” – American Library Association

 4. CONNECTIONS

I would suggest using this book for students in grades 8 and up because of some of the poem topics. Hemphill suggests several other selections that would accompany the novel well.

For this collection, I do not think I would share the entire book with a class. However, I would read selections to both introduce Sylvia Plath and to show that poetry may stand on its own or be part of an ongoing story. After reading a selection, I may ask students to compile a collection of poetry in different styles, from different perspectives that tell the story of their lives.