The literary criticism that Sylvia Plath received for being untrained in poetry, which in turn hindered the final outcome of her poems, seems to overlook the whole idea of poetry and the confessional style she was writing in. Poetic guidance for a writer is obviously a positive trait to have, but the fact that Sylvia Plath, an untrained writer, was so widely read denotes the natural ability she had for writing and expressing her emotions with strong images and themes. As was discussed in class, Plath was accessible to the public. People who were reading her poetry did not have to be educated in poetic forms or concepts to understand and relate to her poetry. Also, this trait did not limit the success of her poetry because it appealed to the educated and uneducated alike. The fact that someone who was not trained, besides workshops, etc. gives hope to people that anyone can write if they feel so compelled and can do it well. This idea of course is limited in the sense that not everyone can write good poetry, but regardless of what you are writing and what type of criticism you receive, the actual feeling of writing and expressing your thoughts for others, or just for yourself, is liberating. Putting your thoughts onto paper can have a tremendous effect on your mind and personal well-being. Whatever the themes of your poetry, the chance to express yourself creatively opens new doors to your own consciousness. You can see a part of yourself from outside your own perception. There is a certain type of removal that takes place. The fact that Plath, and others, were confessional poets, gives way to the thought of poetry as medicine. Dr. Martin instructed Plath to write down her thoughts, to get them to surface outside of her own personal consciousness, to try and release her from her manic state. This in turn helped her, for a period of time at least, regain herself and once again give her control of her feelings, which led to the publication of To Bedlam and Part Way Back. Sylvia Plath as a person may not be educated in poetry, but it does not effect the emotion and power she presents as a confessional poet.