Makayla WilliamsMrs. Mandy Feasel AP English IIIMay 11, 2015“Lady Lazarus: “Free to Die “Lady Lazarus,” a poem widely known for its dark imagery and symbolism, captures the reader's attention and draws them in with a sense of familiarity with Lazarus ; However, the feeling of comfort is shattered when the reader embarks on a frightening journey through the life and death of Lady Lazarus. "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath is semi-autobiographical in that through the pseudonym Lady Lazarus, Plath uses her personal problems and growing frustration with her oppressive father as a starting point to express her ideas about larger issues such as 'Holocaust, universal oppression and the inhumanity of modern warfare. Lady Lazarus, the narrator, dies. However, in “Lady Lazarus” she branches out using a blend of her personal style and a Roman confessional style (qtd. in “On 'Lady Lazarus'” 11). She pairs the image of her disintegrating body and worms with the image of a shell and pearls: it's almost as if the worms are her reward for almost dying. Plath demonstrates many literary devices in “Lady Lazarus” including: allusion, simile, metaphor, assonance, irony, sarcasm, and hyperbole. The allusion to John 11:1-44 in the title Lady Lazarus refers to a biblical parable in which Jesus Christ raised from the dead a man named Lazarus just as Lady Lazarus' enemy, Herr Doktor, raised her from the dead as his "pure golden child” (Plath 69). The speaker is called Lady Lazarus; showing and embracing her femininity and power with an authoritative title such as Lady and, also, relating to Lazarus. Several times throughout the poem Plath alludes to Nazis and the Holocaust by saying, “my skin shines like a Nazi lampshade” (Plath 4-5) and “a soap cake, a wedding ring, a padding of gold” (Plath 76-78). also on many of the popular rumors: it mentions "soap", which is said to be made from Jewish fat, and a "Nazi lampshade", which is said to be made from Jewish skin. Real issues are also mentioned to lend credibility to poetry and demonstrate the harshness of humanity; "wedding ring" and "gold filling" – objects known to be pulled from the ashes at the crematorium or snatched from Jews when entering a concentration camp – are used to represent love by Plath.