What Motivated Sylvia Plath To Write Tulips?

“Tulips” is a personal and confessional poem by American poet Sylvia Plath, written in 1961 after going through an appendectomy at the hospital. The poem, originally named “Sickroom Tulips in Hospital”, explores Plath’s innermost emotions and mental state while in the hospital. It reflects broader social attitudes and feminist identities of midcentury America and aligns with Plath’s quest for autonomy within her previous works.

The poem delves into profound themes such as life, death, and self-identity, reflecting her personal struggles, particularly with mental health. Published posthumously in 1965 in her most famous collection of poems, Ariel, “Tulips” burns with the vivid imagery and unrestrained fervor that was Plath’s trademark.

Plath won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1982, almost 20 years after writing the poem. The poem finds Plath lying in an all-white room as she considers a bouquet, contrasting the whiteness and sterility of the hospital room with the liveliness of the tulips. The poem is rich and evocative, with a strong autobiographical element to it.

In conclusion, “Tulips” is a powerful and personal poem that explores themes of identity, emotion, and the struggle for self-acceptance. It was written after Plath’s hospitalization for an appendectomy, and it is considered one of her late poems.