Sylvia Plath Height, Weight, Age, Husband, Bio, Family & More

Sylvia Plath (born October 27, 1932 – died February 11, 1963) was an American Poet, Novelist, and Short-Story Writer from Boston, Massachusetts. She is best known for her published collections titled “The Colossus and Other Poems” and “Ariel”.

The late poet started her career at the very young age of 8 after releasing her first poem in the newspaper “Boston Traveller”. During her school days, she wrote more than 50 short stories that appeared in various regional magazines.

In 1960, Plath made debut with her first poetry collections named The Colossus and Other Poems through Heinemann publication. Furthermore, in 1963, her semi-autobiographical novel “The Bell Jar” came out in the UK and later in 1971 in the USA.

On February 11, 1963, she passed away due to suicide as she was clinically depressed for most of her adult life. Sylvia died of carbon monoxide poisoning with her head in the oven.

At the time of her death, she was working on another literary work “Double Exposure”. Plath’s poetry collection titled “Ariel” rose her to fame. Unfortunately, she was not able to taste the success as Ariel published in 1965 by Faber and Faber.

Some of her other popular works are Winter Trees, Crossing the Water, Three Women: A Monologue for Three Voices, Letters Home: Correspondence 1950–1963, Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: Short Stories, Prose, and Diary Excerpts, The Magic Mirror, etc.

Early Life, Parents & Education

Born in 1932 Poet Sylvia Plath came to her parents’ life on the 27th of October (aged 30 years old, as of 1963) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Her father “Otto Plath” was an entomologist and a professor of biology at Boston University.

The writers’ mother “Aurelia Schober Plath” was a homemaker. She also had a younger brother named Warren Plath who took birth on April 27, 1935. Sylvia’s dad died on November 05, 1940 because of complications he faced after the amputation of a foot due to untreated diabetes.

The poet completed her school education from Bradford Senior High School (now Wellesley High School) in 1950. Later, Plath graduated from Smith College in 1955. She majored in English and won many major prizes in writing and scholarship.

On her graduation, Sylvia won the Glascock Prize for Two Lovers and a Beachcomber by the Real Sea. In fact, the writer even then penned for the university publication, Varsity. Plath obtained a Fulbright Scholarship for her further education at Newnham College.

Personal Life, Spouse & Children

According to a source, the novelist dated her ex-boyfriend Dick Norton (Yale senior) during her junior year. Moreover, the character Buddy from her only novel is based on him. Their relationship was not able to last long and the couple parted their ways.

Soon, Sylvia began a romantic affair with her ex-partner Dylan Thomas (Welsh Poet and Writer). However, they kept their love life very private. After splitting from Dylan due to his death, on June 16, 1956, she tied the knot with her husband “Ted Hughes” (poet).

The late pair first met each other on February 25, 1956, and began to date. Plath and Ted had two children together named Frieda Hughes (daughter) and Nicholas Hughes (son).

Frieda (born on April 01, 1960) is an English-Australian poet and painter. Nicholas (b. January 17, 1962) was an English-American fisheries biologist and he also passed away by hanging himself on March 16, 2009.

In July 1962, Sylvia found out that her spouse was having an extra-marital affair with their common friend Assia Wevill. The poet ended their marriage and moved to another home. Ted and Assia also produced a girl “Shura Hughes”. After their separation, Hughes married his second wife Carol Orchard (m. 1970 – 1998).

Some Lesser Known Facts about Sylvia Plath

• She endured a loss of faith after her dad’s demise and remained doubtful about religion.
• Sylvia received various electroconvulsive therapies for her depression.
• On August 24, 1953, the writer attempted suicide for the first time by taking her mom’s sleeping pills.
• Later, Plath admitted to psychiatric care for six months and received electric and insulin shock treatment under the care of Dr. Ruth Beuscher.
• Before her death, the novelist tried several times to take her own life.
• At Newnham, she studied with Dorothea Krook whom she admired a lot.
• Sylvia Plath stood at a height of 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m tall) and her weight is around 55 kgs (121 lbs).

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• In 1982, Plath won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for The Collected Poems.
• The poet even bagged a summer editor position at the young women’s magazine Mademoiselle.
• Google paid tribute on her birth anniversary by dedicating a doodle.