by Sylvia Plath (1932 - 1963)

Mad Girl's Love Song
Language: English 
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead, 
lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, 
And arbitrary darkness gallops in.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. 
(I think I made you up inside my head).

God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade: 
Exit seraphim and enter Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you’d return the way you said. 
But I grow old and I forget your name. 
(I think I made you up inside my head).

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again. 
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head).

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Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Stanley Grill (b. 1953), "Mad Girl's Love Song", subtitle: "a villanelle by Sylvia Plath", copyright © 2018 [ duet for soprano and alto ], confirmed with an online score [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-07-18
Line count: 19
Word count: 162