CONFESSIONAL POETS AND WOMEN POETS SYLVIA PLATH ANNE

CONFESSIONAL POETS AND WOMEN POETS SYLVIA PLATH, ANNE SEXTON HOW AND WHY WERE THE CONFESSIONAL POETS A REACTION TO THE MALE DOMINATED BEATS?

WOMEN’S PORTRAYAL • Beat writings of Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs: – Women as boring, traditional gender roles, 50 s American housewife – Marginalized, repressed women • Women beatnik writers did exist, but not widely published or know because of prevailing sexism – Also harder to live ‘bohemian’ lifestyle as a woman in this era – Not really beat women, more confessional poets

WHAT IS CONFESSIONAL POETRY? • Emerged during the late 1950 s and continued through the 1970 s • Rhyme, rhythm, meter, and/or other common elements of poetry are still used • Uses the personal “I” • Subject matter: Often Intimate and autobiographical (very personal) – Family life, infidelity, mental disorders, gender roles, suicide, trauma, death, and sexuality – Some of these poets suffered from depression, suicidal tendencies, alcoholism, drug abuse – these struggles are reflected in their poetry

• Read “Mad Girl’s Love Song” by Sylvia Plath • Smith College, over 400 poems written just while in college, attempted suicide junior year, later married and had two children, but ultimately killed herself at age 30 • Read “Housewife” by Anne Sexton • No formal college education, feminist writer, struggled with depression and suicide attempts, idolized Plath, some shocking language for the era, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, ultimately ended her life at age 46

“MAD GIRL’S LOVE SONG” - PLATH • "I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again. (I think I made you up inside my head. ) The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. (I think I made you up inside my head. ) God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade: Exit seraphim and Satan's men: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I fancied you'd return the way you said, But I grow old and I forget your name. (I think I made you up inside my head. ) I should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again. I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. (I think I made you up inside my head. )"

“MAD GIRL’S LOVE SONG” • How is this poem a love song? • Who are the “you” and “I” in the poem? • How would you characterize the speaker and why? • Note a pattern in the lines – what is the effect? • Define seraphim • There are many examples of personification – choose the most effective – what is being personified and why is a good choice? • How is this a confessional poem?

“HOUSEWIFE” - SEXTON • Some women marry houses. It's another kind of skin; it has a heart, a mouth, a liver and bowel movements. The walls are permanent and pink. See how she sits on her knees all day, faithfully washing herself down. Men enter by force, drawn back like Jonah into their fleshy mothers. A woman is her mother. That's the main thing.

“HOUSEWIFE” • What might the house represent? (symbolism) • How does it have a skin, a heart, a mouth, a liver and bowel movements? (extended metaphor) • Explain the last two lines of the poem. • Find and define the allusion. • What is the poet’s message? • What is the poet’s tone? (her attitude toward the subject matter)

SYLVIA PLATH AND ANNE SEXTON • Discussion Questions 1. Why would it be difficult to be a female poet during the 1950 s? 2. What are they arguing or fighting for with their poetry? 3. How would the male beatnik poets respond to the female poetry? 4. How would females of the 1950 s respond to the female poetry? 5. Brainstorm any song lyrics (a form of poetry) of today that promote similar ideas presented in the poems studied this week.