A Crown for Ted and Sylvia

“In a book full of surprises, Kim Bridgford reveals herself to be a wonderful religious poet. The title crown is a tour de force marked by some deeply memorable lines, and the series of poems on biblical themes called ‘What Fresh Hell is This’ is especially moving, as form and meaning coalesce into something far more than the sum of their parts. ‘That’s how it is. You are what you most fear. / You think you know your shining, private name: / You don’t. It is the language of your secrets.’ In remarkable lines such as these, Bridgford speaks with candor and depth of mysteries that need to be revealed.”

Annie Finch

“‘You never know the truth, but try to guess.’ And guess Kim Bridgford does in these moving poems chronicling the life and death of Sylvia Plath. A Crown for Ted and Sylvia simultaneously explores and expands the mythos of the Hughes-Plath saga, conjuring the dead and giving them voices, allowing them to speak for themselves and tell their heartbreaking tale. Formally elegant, classically severe, Bridgford’s poems move by suggestion and indirection, implying much more than can be said, not just about these lost souls but about our own lives. There is a sibylline quality to this book. The repeating forms the poet favors—haunting villanelles, playful pentinas, and, of course, the regal crown—function like charms, strange enchantments hinting at mysteries that cannot be unraveled. It’s a fact: ‘You never know the truth, but try to guess.’ These splendid poems bring us closer to that knowing.”

Angela Alaimo O’Donnell