The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Plath, Sylvia. “Cinderella.” AllPoetry, https://allpoetry.com/poem/8498493-Cinderella-by-Sylvia-Plath.

Note that all parenthetical citations within the guide refer to the lines of the poem from which the quotations are taken.

“Cinderella” takes its name from the traditional fairy tale originally set down by the Grimm Brothers and further popularized by Charles Perrault. It uses a traditional fairy tale setting to explore the uncertainty and displacement of the central figure. This poem comes from Plath’s earlier, more structured work before she evolved into the more free-verse confessional poetry she is best known for today.