Anne Sexton Overview

Anne Sexton was a confessional poet who consistently drew from her personal experiences when creating new and inventive poems. Sexton went through many difficult situations growing up; her father sexually abused her, her mother was a drunk, and her aunt Anna, whom she considered to be her “true mother” was admitted into a psych ward. These experiences forced Anne to channel her emotions into poetry. Poetry was not always a sufficient release for her, however, because in 1974, she committed suicide. Sexton struggled with depression and anxiety through out her life, and in tern, was able to create relatable, inspirational, emotional, and dark poetry. Anne’s personal experiences allowed her to write poems like “Anna Who Was Mad”, in reference to her Aunt Anna’s death and admission to the hospital, along with many other poems which allowed readers to understand her, and her thought process more accurately.