Ariel by Sylvia Plath

On the surface, it talks about a horse ride at dawn that picks up speed and becomes increasingly wild until the rider seems to vanish into light. However, it's also about letting go of the self—breaking free from the body, social roles, grief, and limitations—and racing toward something that feels like both death and freedom at once.

Many readers and critics interpret it this way, particularly given that Plath passed away just four months after writing it. The imagery of self-dissolution, the "perfected" woman, and the arrow flying into the sun all suggest an ending. However, the poem is careful not to be solely that — it also conveys genuine ecstasy, and Plath herself described the horse rides as joyful. It embraces both elements simultaneously.

Ariel was the actual name of a horse that Plath rode in Devon. It also refers to the spirit of air in Shakespeare's The Tempest—a reluctant servant who yearns for freedom. Additionally, in Hebrew, ariel translates to "lion of God." Plath selected this word, fully aware of the three meanings it encompasses.

"Perfected" refers to both achieving completion and attaining perfection. In the poem, this signifies that the woman has completed her transformation — she has let go of everything and reached a definitive state. The term feels cold and clinical, adding a layer of unease that a more emotional expression wouldn’t convey.

Lady Godiva rode naked through Coventry as a sacrifice to secure tax relief for her people. Plath portrays her as a symbol of a woman shedding everything — her clothes, her identity, her sense of safety — while riding a horse. This imagery links the speaker's experience to a rich history of women's sacrifice and vulnerability.

An arrow is shot, moves forward, and cannot come back. By becoming an arrow headed toward the red eye of the morning sun, the speaker has made a choice that can't be undone. The sun as a target also hints at self-destruction — similar to Icarus getting too close to the sun, but in this case, the speaker makes this choice intentionally.

The short tercets (three-line stanzas) and clipped syntax capture the rhythm of a galloping horse and the thrill of speed. Plath removes connective tissue—like conjunctions and explanations—allowing the images to strike like hoofbeats. The form reflects the content: all unnecessary elements are stripped away.

The Ariel collection navigates through feelings of rage, grief, and dark humor, ultimately leading to this poem, which acts almost like a conclusion. Following the intense confrontations in poems such as "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus," "Ariel" captures the feeling after the fight has ended — not quite peace, but a sense of release. This poem stands out as the collection's most lyrical and its most ambiguous.