Every classroom has its own difficulties and strengths, but studying the works of Sylvia Plath must inherently include content relating to depression, suicide, violence, and death that could prove triggering or difficult for some students. You may want to take some space and time in advance of the reading to prepare students for this heavy material through readings and/or careful guided discussions, and you may even want to allow for the possibility for students to opt out of some of the more difficult poems or receive extra support. Some of Plath’s poems reference Nazis and the Holocaust, and others discuss feminist issues. Both subject areas could require additional support from you.
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