Anne Sexton Articles/Poetry - R. Abbott

One theme mentioned in the articles was the purpose for many writers' work - are they writing because they are 'mad' or are they writing as a form of therapy. For Sexton, I believe it was a bit of a combination. Again, the articles reinforced the research which supported the fact that of all writers, poets (more specifically female poets) had the highest rate of psychiatric abnormalities. Sexton certainly supported this assertion. She clearly ran a very high risk of depression which ultimately resulted in her suicide. As the articles concluded, depressed/suicidal poets (or artists in general i.e. Kurt Cobain) started using the first person singular in their work. This is evident in many of Sexton's poems from a later portion in her life such as: in 'Sylvia's Death' - "...the death I wanted so badly and for so long," along with many other uses of I in the poem; in 'Wanting to Die' - "...even then I have nothing against life," along with other uses; and in 'Suicide Note' - "...I will have to sink with hundreds of others...I will be a light thing. I will enter death." Sexton clearly used first person singular a great deal in her writing, but not just in her works closest to death. Another interesting point brought up in one of these articles (along with the Plath one from a few weeks ago) was the fact that female writers are more affected by extrinsic constrainst. I particularly believe Plath's suicide added to the mental stress of Sexton. Overall, from the select writing we have read of Sexton, I believe it has a similarity to that of Plath in reference to what the articles explained of female poets/their writing styles.