Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton (November 9, 1928 – October 4, 1974) was an American poet known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1967 for her book Live or Die. Sexton's work details her long battle with depression, suicidal tendencies, and intimate details from her private life, including relationships and her struggles with mental illness.

Biography

Anne Sexton was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Mary Gray Staples and Ralph Harvey Sexton. She attended Boston University and Radcliffe College, but did not complete a degree at either. Sexton married Alfred Muller Sexton II in 1948, and they had two daughters. Her battle with mental illness began after the birth of her first daughter, leading to several hospitalizations.

Sexton's interest in poetry was sparked by her therapist, Dr. Martin Orne, who suggested she write as a form of therapy. She joined a poetry workshop led by Robert Lowell at Boston University, where she met fellow poet Sylvia Plath. Lowell's workshop was a turning point for Sexton, helping her to develop her voice and hone her craft.

Career

Anne Sexton's first collection of poetry, To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960), was critically acclaimed and established her as a significant figure in contemporary American poetry. Her poetry is known for its confessional style, a term associated with the work of Lowell and Plath as well. Sexton's subsequent collections, including All My Pretty Ones (1962), Live or Die (1966), and The Book of Folly (1972), explore themes of death, sexuality, and the quest for personal identity.

Sexton taught at Boston University, Colgate University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Her teaching and readings were well-received, and she was known for her charismatic presence.

Themes and Style

Sexton's poetry is marked by its frank and intimate exploration of personal experiences, making her a central figure in the confessional poetry movement. Her work often blurs the lines between the personal and the universal, making her personal experiences resonate with a wider audience. Themes of death, suicide, and the female experience are recurrent in her work, alongside a deep interrogation of her own identity and mental health.

Her style is noted for its directness, intensity, and the use of conversational language, which made her work accessible and compelling. Sexton also experimented with form and was known for her use of free verse.

Death

Anne Sexton died by suicide on October 4, 1974, at the age of 45. Her death was a profound loss to the literary world, but her work continues to be celebrated for its emotional depth and its contribution to American literature.

Legacy

Sexton's influence on American poetry and the genre of confessional poetry is significant. Her openness about mental illness and the struggles of womanhood paved the way for future generations of poets to explore personal and often taboo subjects. Her work remains a subject of study in literature courses and continues to inspire poets and writers.