Sylvia Page #4

I love you.

Do you?

A month in advance.

That'll do as a deposit.

You've got a bedroom, kitchen,

another bedroom, or study, or

whatever you want to use it for.

This is the living room,

which you've seen already.

That's it. Not much

to it, I'm afraid.

No, it's fantastic.

It could be great for David.

Why, what is it that you do?

- I'm a poet.

- Oh.

So are we.

- You're - Ted Hughes

I'll get some wine.

- I'm Sylvia Plath.

- Oh, my God. That's

I gave Assia a copy of

your book, "The Colossus."

That's amazing.

- Yes, I love your poems.

- Hmm.

They're very beautiful.

They're frightening.

They have this haunting quality.

What?

No, it's just

that's the best review

I've ever gotten.

I'm looking forward

to moving to the country.

- I think the fresh air

- You don't think it will be isolating?

- Devon, I mean.

- You should come down and spend a weekend with us.

- Thank you.

- Absolutely, shouldn't they?

- Shouldn't they what?

- Come down to Devon and spend a weekend.

- Yeah, they should.

- Get out of the city. It would be nice.

I'd love to.

Do you want to go higher?

Whoo!

I'll get it.

Hello?

Hello.

No, I'm fine.

We're both fine.

How are you?

How's David?

Oh, he has.

Oh, that's good.

No, that would be

that would be great, yes.

Well, Saturday's fine.

Yes, yes.

Yes.

I'll look forward to it.

Cheerio.

Bye-bye. Bye.

That was Assia and David.

They want to come down

this Saturday.

That would be nice, no?

God, it's so inspiring up here.

It's good to see

you and Ted again.

Here, take my hand.

It's muddy.

Oh, my God.

Would you mind?

- There you go.

- Thank you.

Thank you, Ted.

Oh, this country air.

Well, this soup

is extraordinary.

Mmm.

- Have some more.

- No, I couldn't, thank you.

Please, here.

Let me help you.

There's plenty.

Just a little, please.

- There you go.

- Whoops, thanks.

Always loved my food.

Ted says you have the new

Robert Lowell recording.

What?

The new Robert Lowell

recording.

What about it?

Well, perhaps we could

listen to it later.

Fine.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

You mind telling me

what's going on?

- I see you.

- You see what?

Why do you insist

on humiliating me?

Sylvia, nobody's

humiliating you.

I mean, why bother?

You're doing such a bloody

good job of it yourself.

- Can I give you a top up?

- Please.

Oh, My God. Look at this.

You shouldn't have gone

to all this trouble.

I'm beginning to think

the same thing myself.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Thank you.

That's enough for me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're not eating.

No, I'm waiting for you.

I shall be very insulted

if you don't eat.

Would you like some?

No, you you help yourself.

Thanks.

So, are you managing

to write at all with the baby?

Me? Oh, no.

No, but Ted is.

And that's really

all that matters, isn't it?

I mean, he's the real poet

in the house.

"The sea was

still breaking violently"

And night had steamed

into our North Atlantic fleet,

When the drowned sailor

touched the drag-net.

Light flashed from his

matted head and marbled feet.

He grappled at the net

with the coiled,

Hurdling muscles of his thighs.

"The corpse was bloodless,

a botch of red"

- I'm going to do the washing up.

- I'll help.

- No, I'm fine.

- No, I insist.

"Lights or cabin windows

on a stranded hulk,

Heavy with sand"

I'll wash, you dry.

Yes, yes.

"Close its eyes and heave

it seaward whence it came,"

Where the heel-headed dogfish

barks its nose

On Ahab's void and forehead

"And the name is blocked

in yellow chalk."

What is going on?

Nothing's going on.

Assia was just telling me

about a dream she'd had.

Can I help with anything?

I'd like you and Assia to leave

first thing in the morning.

It's just that I'm tired.

I'm so tired, and I

you don't know what I've been through.

I've got two small children.

If you had children of your

own, you would understand.

I'm sorry.

Of course.

When will you be back?

I don't know.

A couple of days, maybe three.

It depends how long it takes.

What number will you be at?

I haven't decided who I'm

going to stay with yet.

I think people are getting pretty

sick of me sleeping on their floors,

so I'll probably just check

into a bed and breakfast.

You don't have to go, you know.

Yes, I do.

Sylvia?

The truth comes to me.

The truth loves me.

Hello?

I know who you are.

Hello?

Get out.

"This is the light of the mind"

"If the moon smiled

she would resemble you"

"Their redness talks

to my womb"

"She would drag me,

cruelly, being barren"

"Thick, red and slipping"

"Your nakedness shadows"

"Whose is that long

white box on the grove?"

"And I,

I need feed them nothing"

"I sizzled in his blue"

"Our cheesecloth gauntlets

neat and sweet"

"Bare-handed,

I hand the combs"

"The man in white smiles"

"So I can't see

what is in there"

"Some god got hold of me"

"Lightly, through

their white swaddlings"

"A world of bald white days

in a shadeless socket"

"I cannot undo myself"

"And the train is steaming"

"Upflight of the murderess"

"Never liked you."

They are dancing

and stamping on you.

They always knew it was you.

"Daddy, Daddy,

you bastard, I'm through."

It's

It's what?

What is it?

Is it any good?

Good?

God, yes.

That "Daddy" poem

the use of metaphor

the way it builds the end

out of the blackness

into an explosion of fury.

It's just stunning.

I'm thinking

of moving back to London.

I'll send you some more

as soon as I'm settled.

I'd like that.

Sylvia

I know this must have

been hard on you

No.

Really, I've never been happier.

And I've never written more.

It's as if

now he's gone, I'm free.

I can finally write.

I wake up

between 3:
00 and 4:00

because that's the worst time.

And I write till dawn.

I really feel like God

is speaking through me.

And now we need

the little purple star.

Go up here.

Put all of them on.

That seems much better.

You've got the snowflake.

All right.

Where's he going to live?

There.

Oh, oh.

She looks beautiful.

Hello?

- Hello?

- All right.

I'm very sorry to bother you.

I'm I live upstairs.

My lights have gone out,

I've got no hot water.

I've got my children up there

There's been a power cut.

The moment you need heat and

light to sustain life itself,

the government cuts

the electricity.

Why?

To build the national character.

Now leave your stove on for heat,

and to boil water for washing.

Here's some spare candles

yeah, and some matches.

There you are.

Thank you.

You must think I'm

some stupid American b*tch.

Oh, no, not at all. I

assumed you were Canadian.

- Yes, well, thank you.

- Pleasure.

- Thank you very much.

- Thank you. Bye-bye.

Hello, sweetheart.

This one's for you.

Happy Christmas, darling.

I didn't just come to see them.

I wanted to see you.

I want to see how you are.

I've missed you.

I've missed you all.

Christmas is bloody hard.

Can we can we talk?

Can we sit down?

Are you still f***ing her?

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