Revisiting the Themes of Death and Identity in the Poetry of Kamla Das and Sylvia Plath- A Comparative Study

Abstract

Kamla Das and Sylvia Plath are two poets who have much in common and yet are distinct. Das is an Indian confessional feminine poet and Plath an American. Both explore their identities as women in their poetry and deal with the theme of death in their own different ways. Kamla Das has earned a secure place as a pioneer in the expression of feminine sensibility against the conservative background of Indian cultural ethos. The poetry of Kamla Das reflects the gender inequality persisting in the socio-cultural Indian milieu to the very core; Committed to the language of the common woman, Kamla Das attempts to explore the deepest and permanent aspirations and doubts of a woman. In most of her poems Sylvia Plath rebels against the social conventions and feudal relationship nurtured by the society. In her poems she emphasizes the conflict between the social boundaries and woman’s creative aspirations. Kamla Das also portrays the conflict between passivity and rebellion against the male dominated world and her poetry is an acknowledgement and celebration of the beauty and courage of being a woman.The research paper attempts to revisit the themes of death and identity in their poetry in a comparative assessment.