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All the Dead Dears Lyrics by Sylvia Plath

The Colossus and Other Poems

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Rigged poker-stiff on her back
With a granite grin my
This antique museum-cased lady
Lies, companioned by the gimcrack
Relics of a mouse and a shrew
That battened for a day on her ankle-bone.
These three, unmasked now, bear
Dry witness
To the gross eating game
We'd wink at if we didn't hear
Stars grinding, crumb by crumb,
Our own grist down to its bony face.
How they grip us through thin and thick,
These barnacle dead!
This lady here's no kin
Of mine, yet kin she is: She'll suck
Blood and whistle my marrow clean
To prove it. As I think now of her head,
From the mercury-backed glass
Mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother
Reach hag hands to haul me in,
And an image looms under the fishpond surface
Where the daft father went down
With orange duck-feet winnowing his hair--
All the long gone darlings: they
Get back, thoguh, soon,
Soon: be it by wakes, weddings,
Childbirths or a family barbecue:
Any touch, taste, tang's
Fit for those outlaws to ride home on,
And to sanctuary: usurping the armchair
Between tick
And tack of the clock, until we go,
Each skulled-and-crossboned Gulliver
Riddled with ghosts, to lie
Deadlocked with them, taking root as cradles rock.
Credits
Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath

About “All the Dead Dears” by Sylvia Plath

Read the complete lyrics to "All the Dead Dears" by Sylvia Plath from the album "The Colossus and Other Poems". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"All the Dead Dears" is performed by Sylvia Plath. from the album "The Colossus and Other Poems" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "All the Dead Dears", explore more songs by Sylvia Plath using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"All the Dead Dears" is credited to Sylvia Plath. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"All the Dead Dears" appears on "The Colossus and Other Poems".

Visit the Sylvia Plath artist page at /artist/sylvia-plath for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.