The Letters of Sylvia Plath Volume 1 Read online

  Wellesley 81, Massachusetts

  United States of America

  The World – Planet Earth

  Solar System No. 1

  Universe

  How ’bout writing.

  Drop me a line huh!

  Don’t you think that you could drop me a line!

  To My most esteemed (very)

  Margot Loungway

  How about writing me old

  Sender – Miss Sylvia Artemis Platouski

  My letters to you would fill a book

  TO Marion Freeman

  Monday 4 November 1946

  ALS, Smith College

  November 4, 1946

  Dear “Marion,”

  I still have a left-over glow from the lovely time I had at your house. It is a weekend I will never forget. The movie* is one that I had wanted to see, and the evening dinner was like a happy dream. Ruthie was a peach to entertain me as she did, although everybody helped. It was so thoughtful of you to invite Wayne over, too. You will always be like a second mother to me, you know, and even though it was “precipitating” outside it was so sun-shiny inside that I hardly noticed.

  I do hope that the next time I come I will be able to see Mr. Freeman at “work” on his oil painting. I know that I need to learn everything possible about oil painting if I ever intend to use it as a worthwhile hobby.

  Now that Ruthie and I “know our way around Boston”, I hope that I will see her out here very soon.

  Love,

  Sylvia

  1947

  TO Margot Loungway Drekmeier

  Saturday 11 January 1947*

  ALS with envelope,

  Estate of Margot Drekmeier

  January 11, 1946

  Dear Margot,

  Do not disturb yourself over wondering what prompted me to use this shade of delicate blue ink. I feel just fine! One of my favorite weaknesses is colored ink, and, having received a few bottles, (of colored ink) don’t be surprised if my next letter is written in bright pink on green paper. (I’ve tried green on blue paper, but It just doesn’t seem to work!)

  The party I went to on the night you left* was just wonderful! There were four (4 that is) boys and two girls.* We sat around a cosy fire and played loads of games, mostly guessing games. Since two boys were in the twelfth grade, that made the games harder, but more fun. For refreshments we had oatmeal cookies and gingerale. It was strictly a sporty party – no dancing, for which I was slightly greatly grateful, because of my dilapidated shoes! However, the other girl wore shoes even “dilapidateder” than mine. I got home at twelve o’clock and slept late Sunday morning.

  On the Tuesday after you left* I helped clean the house from top to bottom, in preparation for the coming of my dear friends. Wayne, David, and Ruthie arrived at 11:30. After a delicious lunch we all went toboganning! Oh! What fun! When we came home we played games and pulled molasses candy. After dinner we played forfeits. Wayne happened to get the old one “Bow to the wittiest, kneel to the prettiest, and kiss the one you love the best!” Oh, brother! He sure was funny – his attempts, you know. The two boys left at nine o’clock, and Ruthie stayed until the next day. It was partly due to Ruthie that I am off on this colored ink spree, for she brought me a pale green, a pale pink, and a pale blue bottle, in addition to the navy blue, black, and red ink that I have already. To add to my collection I need brown, yellow, orange, deep purple, and fuschia!

  We’re going to have our senior class elections this week, and as you probably know I’m running for secretary.* There really is no chance of my winning, because I’m running against the most popular boy in school. I’ve had loads of fun campaigning, though! I have four posters (that were made for me) hanging up in school, as well as 130 campaign tags in circulation. I am giving my speech in assembly with all the rest. Prissy spent all afternoon helping me with the stunt I’m giving in assembly also. My whole campaign is on the Indian-sailing motif, so we took a huge clothes basket and covered by tacking white cloth over it. Then we made a sail by tacking a triangular piece of white cloth over some poles. We printed “Sylvia for” on the sail, and “Secretary” on the basket in huge black ink letters. To give you an idea of the size of the “sailboat,” the sail stands a good 5 feet high. Some of my friends will pull it across the stage, while Prissy is inside the basket holding the sail. I only hope the sail doesn’t collapse in the middle of the stage!

 

  Priscilla has kept rather silent about the whole incident of your little skating trip. I guess that she just didn’t appreciate your suttle humor – or something!

  The next time I write to you that will be after I receive the next long letter to you, I will send you some valuable stamps to sell and get enough money to set me on Easy Street with. Perhaps I will even quote my latest masterpiece of poetry that appeared in our school magazine,* and was approved by an eminent author. Until our next meeting or your next letter.

  Au revoir,

  Sylvia Artemis Platowsky

  TO Hans-Joachim Neupert*

  Sunday 13 April 1947

  ALS (photocopy), Smith College

  April 13, 1947

  Dear Hans,

  I received your letter today, saying that you wished to correspond with an American high-school pupil so – here I am.

  It will be so enjoyable to write to each other, and discuss our interests, ideas and ambitions.

  We American students do not know about your personal lives, although we study your country in our history classes, so I would be interested to find out how you live – how you eat.

  First, I will tell you about myself. I am almost sixteen years old, tall, brown hair and eyes. I am a girl in the tenth grade, that is, tenth year altogether, of high-school. My interests are many. I like to draw, write stories, play piano, go sailing in the summer and play basketball in the winter. Do you have games like football and baseball in your gym classes? In school, now, I am studying English (creative writing, mostly), French (first year), Latin (second year), Geometry and Art. This not seem like a very hard program, does it? But, oh! we spent a great deal of time doing home-lessons. Do you take either Latin or French? Or only English?

  I, personally, do not know what war is like. I have heard sad stories, it is true, but I have never experienced the horror of being bombed. I hope I never will. Does it not seem strange that young people, such as you and I, can correspond and be friends at distant corners of the earth, while countries wage war and murder each other’s young, most promising men?!

  You are, perhaps, under the impression that American youth is frivolous – caring only for parties and luxuries. Well, most of us are not that spoiled.

  Do you know a great deal about America? In your reply to this do tell me what you would like to know – what you are interested in. In this way I will be better able to write to you.

  In your letter to Washington you indicated no preference as to whether a boy or girl should write. I trust you do not mind my being a girl.

  In Germany, do you have much leisure time? I get up about 6:30 each morning and go to bed by ten o’clock. I have lunch at school. The school day lasts from 8:30 to 2:30, and we go home to work, play, or do home-lessons. We have school five days a week – Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag and Freitag I believe you call them. I do not know German or study it, but my mother does know the language very well.

  Do you have difficulty obtaining supplies? I mean, like clothes, food, paper, utensils and tools. Our costs for food are very high, but if one is rich one can buy almost anything. I, of course, am far from rich. We have a huge middle class in America, and comparatively few very-rich and very-poor.

  We want so much to have peace – we students. We love our land of woods, fields and free citizens, and wish to aid the countries ravished by war. We have had many discussions about war, and believe that another world
war would be fatal. Do you not feel as I do – that war is futile in the end?

  What is the land like where you live? In Wellesley there are rolling green hills, shady woodlands, blue lakes and little white houses. Do you read much? I like to read quite a lot. Are you mechanical-minded? I await your next letter with greatest interest.

  When I “grow-up” I hope to be a foreign correspondant, a newspaper reporter, or an author or artist. Are you able to choose your own occupations?

  As I write at my desk, I wonder what you are doing. I am enclosing two pictures of me and my house, hoping you will get a little idea as to what my surroundings are like. The arrow in the winter picture indicates the window of the room in which I write.

  Please send me

 

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Friday 27 June 1947*

  AL (postcard), Indiana University

  Epistle 2

  June 27, 1947

  2

  Dear Mother,

  The weather is heavenly and it is so wonderful to have the smell of salt in the air! The water is a beautiful shade of briny green. One girl in my tent, June Smith, reminds me lots of Betsy – she’s 4'9" and talks with a cute little lisp. Do write me cheery letters. I felt a wave of homesickness pass over me at breakfast – we just had cold wheat sparkies, and I missed the squiggles in my eggnog! The girls are so nice that it’s hard to feel badly, and June takes the place of Betsy (a little bit) and Ann* takes the place of Ruthie (a little bit, too.) It will be better when we start doing things, so far we’ve just slept and ate. I’ve just come back from our first swim. We had to swim 100 yds. and tread water for 1 min. in order to go sailing on Monday. I thought I’d never make it, But I did. Water is cold but refreshing. No arts & crafts at all.

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Saturday 28 June 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  Epistle 1

  June 28, 1947

  1

  Saturday

  Dear Mummy,

  I am fine. All my baggage is here, including my bike. I am in a tent with three other girls – two of whom are simply loads of fun. The other one doesn’t talk much. We three go around together. Friday supper was very good – hot fish, beets, and salads. The boatride over was delicious. I sat on the top deck and drank a bottle of milk that I bought down in the boat’s lunchroom. I ate my sandwiches on the train and on the ship. Boy! Were they good! I was very glad to have them cause we had a long wait for the boat and didn’t have supper until about 7. The bedtime, by the way, is 9:30. We didn’t get to bed until late last night, but I slept well, after we three got through talking. Now that you have got all the essentials, pulease send me a packet of about 4 or 5 bobpins and a flashlight. I found 1 facecloth!

  Love,

  Sherry

  Sherry is my new name.

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Sunday 29 June 1947*

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  3

  June 28, 1947

  Sunday

  Dear Mother,

  We got our coupon books today. I put in $9 for spending money and got a $3 book with only $.97 in it, $1 for the boat trip, $1 for the camp truck ride (all both ways) and $.03 for the book were taken out! Remember to send me the directions for sending my stuff home. Today is Sunday, and this morning it was damp and foggy, but now the sun is out. So I hope I can go sailing tomorrow! I could never even think of being homesick with June and Ann around. Ann is so funny, and June is more like Betsy all the time. It’s so surprising! I’m wearing my good blue slacks today, and one of my new white shortsleeved shirts. June is wonderful. She practices fixing my hair and I massage her back just like Betsy and I used to do. I feel so lazy. My bottle of magn. is supposed to be turned in to the nurse, of all things, but I haven’t yet as I haven’t had to use it. Do write & send those things I wrote about – flashlight & hair bobpins.

  Love,

  Sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Sunday–Monday 29–30 June 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  Sunday and a little bit of Monday

  4

  Dear Mummy,

  The weather has cleared and is nice and warm now. As you can see, I’m numbering all my postcards to you. I have written a few cards to Betsy and hope to get mail when it comes tomorrow. June is wonderful. She likes to do everything Betsy does, and doesn’t eat much candy and feels the way I do about a lot of things. I just had sunday dinner. I eat all I possibly can get, which isn’t overmuch. I had: a chicken bone, 2 helpings of rice, peas, a little salad of spinach & carrots, vanilla icecream, and 2 cups of milk. I feel fine, only a little tired once in a while. I was only 114 pounds when they weighed me here and 5'8" tall, but I don’t feel too bad cause one thin girl here is 5'11" and Ann, in my tent, is 5'8", too. Ooh! My bed is so comfy. There is something – an atmosphere – about camp that just can’t be got at home. I love it.

  xxx

  Sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Monday 30 June 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  Monday June 30

  5

  Dear Mummy,

  Shame on you! No letters today. It is glorious out – the sky is blue and there is cool east wind although the day is warm. I went sailing this morning for the first time. It was just heavenly. We have six boats and I went out for 3 hours in the “corallina” with another girl and an instructor. I had alternate turns at the jib halyards and the tiller. I’m getting really nautical in my vocabulary am I not?! It was lots of fun when we keeled way over. I got my pants splashed and I guess I turned a little green the first time, but now I really love it. I can’t wait until we go on one of our bike trips, which we haven’t as yet since all the bikes haven’t come (mine has tho’.) Now I’m getting used to the morning fogs and the clearing weather. I have plenty of warm clothes, so don’t worry! My toe had swelled up and I had to limp yesterday, but now it’s down again and doesn’t hurt so much. Do remember to wish grammy a Happy Birthday for me.

  xxx

  sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Monday 30 June 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  Monday

  6

  Dear Mummy,

  I am eating all I possibly can. For our Sunday nite picnic supper I ate six slices of bread with lettuce & mayonnaise, peanut butter, olives, and egg fillings respectively. I topped this with one apricot, half a pear, two cookies and 2 cups of milk. Water is a little awkward to get a lot of, but I make it up almost with milk. I have a nice sunburn on my face from sailing, and if I do say so, it makes me look lots better – not so pale you know. Also my thighs are red from the position I sat in while sailing. I’m sorry I claimed I had no mail. I got your 2 page letter and package just this evening. My toe has stopped hurting. Do save my postcards so I can write in my diary when I get home – I haven’t much time here. I do want to stay here a month next year – I’m having such a swell time (and I mean wonderful). June and I explored the bluffs at our picnic supper. We found sand & oak trees (that’s all). Our crew came in 3rd in a scavenger hunt for things from A to Z.

  xxx

  Sherry

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Tuesday–Thursday 1–3 July 1947

  ALS with envelope,

  Indiana University

  July 1, 1947

  Tuesday

  Dear Mummy,

  Oh! I am pooped! I’ve just come back from our unit’s first bicycle ride. We left this morning after a refreshing ½ hour swim. It was about 10:15 and the sun was out, but a cool breeze was blowing in from the sea. We started out and rode for about ¼ mile over a dirt road, and I suddenly realized that I had not used my leg muscles as much as I thought I had! We quickly got on a paved road and the going was much easier. We passed little country farms and gardens on the way, luxuriant with placi
d spotted cows and bright yellow daisies. The warm, sweet moist smell of the wayside grass was wafted to our nostrils as we rounded a bend and came smack against the blue curve of the ocean, blowing a salty breeze in our faces. The ride along the flat shore road was pleasant. The houses were built in an odd manner – quaint little gables and turrets crowding in at every possible angle of the roofs. The shingle were silvered and gray by the sea air, and roses and daisies and petunias bloomed in profusion in all the gardens. After panting and pumping furiously up a hill we reached a small water tower, and down below lay East Chop. Because of the private homes obstructing the view we were not able to go near the swirling waters or to get a close view of them, but I looked out into the misty blue ocean and took in the land of West Chop opposite me, remembering the foggy horizon and the bright sunny sky, with the brilliant glossy white clouds blowing by. That will always be my picture of east Chop. Tomorrow (If everything goes as planned) our unit will bike to West Chop and watch the sailboat races! On the way home we stopped at a public beach and took pictures of each other. I so want to bring a camera next year – It means so much to have pictures, and the scenery around these parts is lovely. At last we reached camp again and collapsed on our beds before lunch. I had a big lunch and lay on my cot propped up comfortably by my white duffel bag, and wrote cards for most of rest hour. I’ve just got to gain weight – I eat ever so much, only I use alot of it up in exercise.

  Last night tent two (my tent) was visited by tent three after taps for about 10 minutes. They got in our beds and divided two chocolate bars between the 8 of us, as well as some of Andy’s salt water taffy. I was not in a very receptive mood since I was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but what can one do and not be unpopular? So – I entered in to the fun. I had previously made up my mind to put the chocolate under my pillow and eat only one piece of taffy to be sociable, thus imagine my enjoyment when June said, “Sherry and I don’t want any chocolate; we’ve sworn it off for the summer.” She is the one who looks like Betsy and is very popular, so the girls didn’t say anything adverse and they were really quite glad cause they got more chocolate.