Feminine liberation, a concept which secedes much of Plath's poetry is explored in the final stanzas of 'Lady Lazarus'. ... In the poem's final stanza, Plath again plays on a familiar allusion to explore the concept of individual liberation. ... Hughes, known until the publication of Birthday Letters as a somewhat impersonal poet uses his final work to explore an unfamiliar theme of guilt and culpability. ... Hughes use of the familiar to heighten such an idea is continued in 'A Picture of Otto', a poem at the end of Birthday Letters. ...

• Word Count: 2183
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate