FREE ESSAY ON ANNE SEXTON

ANNE SEXTON

Anne Sexton
The third decade of the twentieth century brought on more explicit writers than ever
before, but none were as expressive as Anne Sexton. Her style of writing, her works, the
image that she created, and the crazy life that she led are all prime examples of this.
Known as one of the most "confessional" poets of her time, Anne Sexton was also one of
the most criticized. She was known to use images of incest, adultery, and madness to
reveal the depths of her deeply troubled life, which often brought on much controversy.
Despite this, Anne went on to win many awards and go down as one of the best poets of all
time.
Anne Sexton was born Anne Gray Harvey on November 9, 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts to
Ralph Churchill and Mary Gray Staples Harvey (Discovering Biographies 1). From then on,
Sexton spent most of her life in the affluent, upper-middle class suburbs of Boston
(Discovering Biographies 2). According to many of the experiences described in her poems,
she led a very unhappy childhood that's horrifying memories affected her throughout her
life. 
To overcome her troubles, she married at age nineteen and attempted to settle into the
role of housewife and mother (Discovering Biographies 2). Shortly after her marriage,
Anne enrolled in a modeling course at the Hart Agency and lived in San Francisco and
Baltimore (Academy of American Poets 1). During this time Anne was also educated at
Earland Junior College from 1947- 1948 (Twentieth Century American Literature 2). Through
out her early twenties, Sexton began to experience bouts of depression that eventually
led to hospitalization (Discovering Biographies 2). In 1955, after the birth of her
second daughter, Sexton attempted suicide (Discovering Biographies 2). She was then
placed under the care of Dr. Martin Orne, who encouraged her to write poems as a form of
therapy (Discovering Biographies 1). "Poetry gave me a rebirth at age twenty-nine"
(American Literature 3591), Anne quoted many times during her career. Anne deeply admired
and attempted to emulate the confessional poem "Heart's Needle" by Shodgrass (Discovering
Biographies 2). Sexton decided to enroll in Robert Lowell's graduate writing seminar at
the Boston Center for Adult Education (Discovering Biographies 2). She then went on to be
a scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Independent Study from 1961- 1963 (American
Literature 3596). During the nineteen-sixties, Anne gave spirited public readings
accompanied by the music group, "Her Kind" (Discovering Biographies 1). Despite her
literary success, Sexton continually battled depression and psychosis. She began writing
extremely personal verse concerning her experiences as a mental patient (Discovering
Biographies 1). The chronic mental illness that controlled Anne's life was the anguished
center of her family's life (Linda Sexton 1). Anne was extremely possessive of her
daughter Linda and also confessed to having murderous impulses towards her (Linda Sexton
1). "I made myself numb, made my body like stone in exchange for my mother's love" Anne's
eldest daughter exclaimed (Linda Sexton 1). In 1974, Anne committed suicide using carbon
monoxide (Discovering Biographies 2). Even though Anne led an extremely confusing life,
she was said to have lived it as a "treasury" that would be remembered forever.
Anne's "open" style of writing was a very debatable issue. Some thought Sexton was one of
the best known and most controversial of the confessional poets, a group composed of New
England writers who rose to prominence in the nineteen-sixties (Contemporary Literary
Criticism 311). While others believed as her notoriety grew, Sexton became unable to
separate her life and her art (Litz 669). Sexton's work offers the reader an intimate
view of the emotional anguish that characterized her life (Academy of American Poets 1).
Anne's early poetry was said to be hopeful and joyful while it became much darker in her
latter years (American Literature 3591). She was said to see poetry as a physical
experience and she used imagery as the "heart of poetry" (Anne Sexton 1). Her favorite
topics were sex, illegitimacy, guilt, madness, and suicide (Roth Publishing 1). Anne was
often compared to Sylvia Plath but distinguishes herself from Plath in her interest in
the flesh rather than in emblem of pain and mutilation (American Literature 3596). Some
people believed Anne's style made her a bad artist while others saw it as an amazing
gift.
Through out her career, Anne wrote not only poetry but also short stories and books for
children as well. Sexton's first book, To Bedlam and Part Way Back, was published in
nineteen-sixty, a year after her mother and father died. It was said to be very
autobiographical in nature (Anne Sexton 2). Anne's Love Poems were published in
nineteen-sixty nine (Academy of American Poets 2). The book, Transformations was
published two years later (Academy of American Poets 2). Many other works were created in
the years that followed including "The Double Image" which evokes rage, guilt, and love,
and Live or Die which was said to be one of her best works (Anne Sexton 1). Sexton
believed that complete honesty and self-revelation were an essential to creative work, so
this was often the basis of her poetry. Upon the publication of Anne's Selected Poems,
she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (The Complete Poems 8). She
also won the Pulitzer Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award as well (Anne
Sexton 1). Although many of Anne's works were somewhat explicit, they were an extremely
important contribution to the collection of art.
In my opinion, Anne Sexton was a very talented writer. Although her work consisted of
extremely personal issues, I feel it was just her own way of expressing her pain. It
seems that poetry was the only way that Anne experienced some kind of freedom from her
life. From what I have read, Anne had a terrible life, from her childhood to her
adulthood, the struggles she went through seemed endless. Sexton's early poetry, from
what I have read, is very happy and hopeful. I enjoyed reading some of her earlier
pieces. The poems she had written the last couple years of her life were depressing and
much different then her earlier works. I do not feel Anne is a very good influence on her
readers, because by killing herself, she put off the image that when there seems to be no
way out, just give up. People that are admired and placed high in society are greatly
influential, and hopefully others that read her work that are going through hard times
will not give up as she did, but see the whole picture, and be strong. Overall, Anne
Sexton was not a bad person. She had a rough life and was very confused, and although not
all of her work is very positive, Anne herself can be looked at as a lesson. Even when
everything is going wrong, don't give up, because doing that is not going to make
anything any better. This is what I have personally learned from Anne Sexton and I hope
other readers may see this as well. 
Anne Sexton was known to be one of the most "confessional" poets of the nineteen-sixties,
and also one of the most debated. She used explicit images of sex, suicide, and madness
that revealed the struggles she had overcome throughout her life. Even though very
controversial, her works were well appreciated and will be remembered in times to come.
The expressive style Anne used and her own personal experience that she reflects on in
her writing, attracts many readers and provides them with the encouragement they need to
go on. No matter how graphic, qualities like this will attract many generations to come.