Confessional Poetry Information
KNOWN POETS
Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton are some of the most popular poets of this genre.
Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton are some of the most popular poets of this genre.
Type of Poem
Poetry of the mid 1900s (1950s and 1960s mostly) dealing with subject matters that before this era were not openly discussed in American poetry. This poetry style tries to express personal matters more openly then they usually are. For the first time, American poets were tackling personal relationships problems through their work. Divorce was no longer an unspeakable topic, death became more humanized, suicidal thoughts began to be written about at length along with mental illnesses, such as deep depression.
Poetry of the mid 1900s (1950s and 1960s mostly) dealing with subject matters that before this era were not openly discussed in American poetry. This poetry style tries to express personal matters more openly then they usually are. For the first time, American poets were tackling personal relationships problems through their work. Divorce was no longer an unspeakable topic, death became more humanized, suicidal thoughts began to be written about at length along with mental illnesses, such as deep depression.
Requirements
In all Confessional poems it has to be told through a first person point of view, more often than not it will contain "I" statements; for example "I" statements can predominately be found in the poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. Unlike other poem styles the confessional style is meant to show what the poet is going through, in other words it means that the poet and speaker are one in the same. Since the confessional poetry is told through first person (in the eyes of the poet) this style more often than not contains personal topics (as referenced to above.)
In all Confessional poems it has to be told through a first person point of view, more often than not it will contain "I" statements; for example "I" statements can predominately be found in the poem "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath. Unlike other poem styles the confessional style is meant to show what the poet is going through, in other words it means that the poet and speaker are one in the same. Since the confessional poetry is told through first person (in the eyes of the poet) this style more often than not contains personal topics (as referenced to above.)
Most notable by each poet
"Epilogue" by Robert Lowell
"Daddy" by Sylvia Plath
"The Black Art" by Anne Sexton
These poems can be found in the drop down menu of the "Confessional Poems" tab
"Epilogue" by Robert Lowell
"Daddy" by Sylvia Plath
"The Black Art" by Anne Sexton
These poems can be found in the drop down menu of the "Confessional Poems" tab