Anne Sexton and Confessional Poetry

Anne Sexton was born in Newton, Massachusetts, on November 1928. She briefly attended junior college, and worked for a time as a model in Boston. At the tender age of 19 she married Alfred Sexton, and five years later gave birth to her first child, a daughter.

Sexton's writing career hadn't even begun when, in 1954, one year after the birth of her daughter, she suffered a mental breakdown requiring hospitalization and therapy. In order to combat her severe depression, her therapist suggested writing. “My analyst told me to write between our sessions about what I was feeling and thinking and dreaming,” Sexton told a friend. These exercises turned into poetry, which soon turned into a hobby and then a serious interest.

After attending several poetry conferences, and showcasing her poems, Sexton fell in with a relatively star-studded crowd, including poets Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and Maxine Kumin. Eventually she was mentored by W. D. Snodgrass himself, and drew inspiration from his work to use in her own. Her crowning achievement occurred in 1967, when she received the Pulitzer Prize for her book Live or Die.

Sexton is considered one of the 'confessional' poets. The confessionals, as the name implies, write very autobiographical poetry, that focuses on internal thoughts, conflicts, and personal memories. The 'I' in confessional poetry (as opposed to most others) is very often the poet him or herself, or at least a figure very similar and meant as a direct representation. Sexton's poetry began as therapy, as a way to work through her emotions and experiences, and that aspect is seen very clearly in her work.

One great example is her poem “Wanting to Die”, in which she explains her particular way of looking at and thinking about suicide. “I have nothing against life,” the poem states calmly. “I know well the grass blades you mention, / the furniture you have placed under the sun.”

It must be noted, however, that while Sexton and the other confessionals wrote poems about themselves and their feelings, these poems are not to be considered as inferior. Despite the highly personal nature of these poems, Sexton's works maintain the high quality of professionalism. Studied, her poems reveal a deep understanding of proper syntax and structure, as well as expertly applied poetic devices.

Sadly, Anne Sexton succeeded in committing suicide in 1974, at the age of 46. While she left behind several collections of beautiful works, one cannot help wondering what other masterpieces she may have produced, had the world been able to hold onto her just a little bit longer.

To read more of her poetry, follow the links below:
Wanting to Die
Her Kind (accompanied by an excellent audio clip of the poem read by Sexton herself)
More about Anne Sexton