Poetry for Beginners: Anne Sexton

This month's poet is Anne Sexton

Check out Kelly from Book's I'm Not Reading's video about Anne Sexton:

#PoetryforBeginners

[HardcoverHearts]

This is just wonderful. I feel so lacking in my knowledge and appreciation of poetry so finding people who are willing to share their thoughts and break the poems down is a marvel. I appreciate it!

[gaildoughty]

Great video. Lovely short poem.
One thing: I thought the “snoring beetles” referred to the cicadas which buzz endlessly in the northeast summers.
Otherwise we seem to agree about this one.
A long time ago, I came across that great line of Sexton’s: Not waving but drowning. I’ve loved her work ever since.

[tortoisedreams]

Just saw Kelly's video. I love the physicality of this poem, the realness. Since Sexton wrote so much & for varied reasons, not all of her poems are of equal quality. A truly brilliant bio of Sexton was written by Diane Middlebrook -- incredible book. Two of her equally good contemporaries are (along with Plath) Denise Levertov & Adrienne Rich. I have some catching up to do on your channel ...

[AlexBlackReads]

This is a lovely poem! I haven't enjoyed too many of the poems you've read, but this one feels so real and specific.

[ianp]

That was a beautiful poem. I first heard of Anne Sexton via the Peter Gabriel song 'Mercy Street' that was written in her memory and bought a book of her poems but it must be somewhere on the shelves gathering dust- I should dig it out!

[JayShayy]

Thanks Brian, I've read and heard a lot about Plath but only know Sexton by her name and profession.

[gracenurse]

Anne Sexton resonates with those who’ve been through dark experiences. Robert Frost may write about a path or a fence or a tree… but what if your life went beyond paths and trees and fences? Well then, Sexton’s voice and life experience may speak to you.

[Nyledam]

I have yet to read any Anne Sexton but this video on her was great and the poem beautiful!

[marianryan]

I love what Anne Sexton I've read, but I really want to go deeper. Great chat! It's such a sweet poem, and in that respect surprised me considering the Sexton I've encountered.

[brian_nirvana]

I enjoyed this. I call it the Berryman Trap when someone puts their own feelings into a poem by a stranger. When I say the word RED, you and I have different thoughts. When I think you think this and you didnt, this is the Berryman Trap. or something like that.

[acruelreadersthesis]

Never read this poem before even though I love Sexton. This is a great series. What poet are you planning to cover next? If Mark can join in, surely I can subject you to my presence as well 😜

[mikefrost]

I'm with Britta: I love this series!

[SamuelDaram]

Excellent video about Anne Sexton. I love 'The Fury of the Rainstorms.' Bryan, I just subscribed to your channel. When I created a new tag called 'A Poem for Every Agony', I tagged you. I think you'll find it interesting to respond to those eleven questions.

[RashmikaLikesBooks]

Mark compared Anne Sexton to Sylvia Plath, and said I might like Sexton if I liked Plath. I'm a fan of neither, so maybe he has a point in comparing them. 😈 There's definitely a quality to American poets that sets them apart from poets from other places in Europe and the UK though. Immediacy? A lack of pretension? I'm not sure. Maybe it's all too much of a generalisation to even bother asking that question.

Plath made the interesting observation that British writers felt the heaviness of history and tradition, whereas American writers were free in some ways. I think that seems to be true of a lot of English speaking countries. We have poetic inspiration from Britain, sure, but develop traditions that are all our own.

Is Sara Teasdale well known on your side of the world, Brian? I read that she's American. I remember reading something of hers and thinking it was quite pretty: she seems to be in a similar line to this sort of thing. It's so serene, and I'm not sure I've read anything like it (most South African poetry is quite political.)

Sara Teasdale comes up in search with Billy Collins. He's an absolute delight: I had no idea he existed, let alone that he was so well known. I've only read Questions about Angels, but apparently his later anthologies have a lot more depth?

Okay, after a bit of Googling, I see that Diane Burns seems quite well known. (I was going to ask if you've heard of her because a lot of this is new to me.) Still, her poem "Sure you can ask me a personal question" is amazing (and so relatable. 😂) I hope she gets at least a little hype over there. If not in Texas, then hopefully California, where she was born?

This is a great series, not necessarily just for poetry beginners, but for those of us unfamiliar with American poetry specifically. It's so vastly different from the other stuff I've read.

[bighardbooks]

That is a _great_ poem (one sentence)! Hemp and gin and ... Whatelse does a young man need? O, yeah ... My fav Sexton poem is probably "The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator" (yes, 'tis a "form poem") Wanna hear it here it go:


I love John Berryman, too, another "confessional" poet ... Get me a new copy of his _Dream Songs, _ soon, me ...

[ghostreader]

Great video. Shame she had a tragic life