Context

This passage comes from the poem "Daddy," written by Sylvia Plath (1962).

Sylvia Plath's own daddy died when she was only eight years old. Years later, she wrote the poem "Daddy" after her husband, Ted Hughes, had left her for another woman. Plath had always suffered from depression and, shortly after writing "Daddy," she would take her own life. Yeah, her story is about as cheery as this poem.

The line we've highlighted here comes toward the end of the poem. Plath has taken a whole lot of stanzas to criticize her dead dad—such as calling him a scary Nazi—and raged at her husband, too, who she compares to a vampire sucking her dry.

But now Plath tells us that she's just done freaking out about her dad and her husband. She's killed one man—her dad—and she's gonna kill two—her husband. This is Plath's ode to letting go. She's angry, but she's resolving to put these jerks out of her mind and decide she's better off without them. It's easier written than done.

Where you've heard it

You'll probably hear this quote when people are talking about this poem or the genius of Sylvia Plath. Let's hope the speaker doesn't mean it literally.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Okay, this is a little strange to drop in the middle of a friendly get together. Unless, of course, you're rocking out with a bunch of confessional poets. Then you're golden.