Anne Transformed

A tribute to my favorite poet, Anne Sexton

Anne Transformed

 

When an entire genre of poetry is attributed

To the practitioner of such verse,

The die is cast, what is known is reversed.

“Confessional Poetry” is the medium, the brand;

Personal revelations - - never before revered

Were cracked and splintered, flowing from her hand.

Adultery, drug abuse, menstruation - - no longer verboten;

Personal emotions, cries of pain wailed from her pages,

Her manic depression left lofty ideas bent and broken.

 

A dinner date with Anne Sexton, genius exposed, unfulfilled;

Would ramble with fascination, poetically trembling with icy fingers;

I’d gallantly attempt to pick up the check, but she would foot the bill.

She’d regale me with stories of “Transformations,” my favorite Sexton collection,

Twisted versions of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, replete with her childhood transgressions;

Wanting for these transparencies to represent her eclectic guide.

But the genius was trapped in a web of psychosis, forever her nemesis - -

Her beautiful light was extinguished by her tragic suicide.

Her strong yet bedraggled legacy singing love songs from inside.

 

riki © 2014

 

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

Wow, what a dinner conversation THAT would be! If it ever happens within the context of a dream, you must email me!

"...trapped in a web of psychosis, forever her nemesis." So much of that could apply to Plath, as well. I often wonder why the need was so driven, in Plath, or poets like Hemingway, to extinguish the light from within. My friend, of only one day, you've given me much to ponder with this one. It's quite a revelation, and raises the bar of your caliber of work.

Now, do you get why I deemed you a diamond in the rough?


My best,
Kelly

[dan]

How about a diamond in a cheap setting? Works for me! 8^) Thanks again for the warm review. Flattery is not something I am used to, but it does feel good. Thank you for THAT! take care...dan

[ms. barrie]

stellar write...you delved into the very psyche of Anne herself...a few days ago i was watching
a biography on her on you tube...and your words pretty much painted a portrait of her.

"She’d regale me with stories of “Transformations,” my favorite Sexton collection,

Twisted versions of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, replete with her childhood transgressions;

Wanting for these transparencies to represent her eclectic guide.

But the genius was trapped in a web of psychosis, forever her nemesis - -

Her beautiful light was extinguished by her tragic suicide.

Her strong yet bedraggled legacy singing love songs from inside."
----
sheer brilliance! -- thanks for sharing :) - b.

[dan]

violet, Thank you for your terrific review, any fan of Sexton is alright by me. I've bookmarked your page and I will visit soon and return the read/review favor. Looking forward to it. take care...dan

[ms. barrie]

you're very welcome jacob. i meant to add, i haven't read much of her art but one
that stood out: "Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty" - haunted me -- and i love those *after all
these years* - Grimm's Faerie Tales. i use to have an excerpt of that poem
on my aol profile, eons ago. -- and please, read at your own leisure. & this
was a pleasure to read. happy writings to you :)

[dan]

Thanks again, but I'm dan, not Jacob. His hair is a lot grayer than mine. 8^) take care...dan

[ms. barrie]

oh lord, i'm sincerely apologize, lol oops...my eyes must of crossed. either way, this tis a
great poem

[jacob erin-cilberto]

as she and sylvia planned to take that ride in the cab "with our boy death"---
it waited in her cupboard and then got her in the end.

you really did a fabulous job of capturing this woman's psyche...
those frustrations of being her...
interesting how she and sylvia would get together with their friend george at that bar in boston and talk about their suicdes, not attempts, but actual suicides....fascinating...

[dan]

Jacob, I'd like to see that thesis, it would be like Christmas in Poet's Corner. I've read far more Sexton than Plath, but if I picked up one of their pieces unnamed I think I'd be hard pressed to tell which one wrote it. Sexton described herself as "a middle-aged witch," which I learned from a non-fiction account of her life and death, "Anne Sexton: A Biography" by Diane Wood Middlebrook...a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, bit of interviews, some of her work...a bit dry at times but still fascinating. I think that this is going to prompt me to seek a book of Plath's work to see the similarities and differences between the two. I'm glad you got me on this thread, I'm excited to go to the bookstore. I may have to go to Pittsburgh (55 miles away) since I live in Indiana, PA, a small but quaint college town. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, my alma mater, has a wonderful library that I still have access to, but can only read there, no take home lends. My son lives outside Pittsburgh and I go to see him so I'll probably hit some of the great bookstores down there. I'm sorry to have rambled, this charge has me wired for Plath, maybe more Sexton....I better let you go. Thanks for the great review. take care...dan

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and thank you for sharing this with me...there are similarities to their work...i think plath wrote much deeper, hard to get to stuff...more between the lines and under the surface.
Sexton was more out there...open, more confessional as such.

i only have pieces of the thesis left---not sure where it all is...
unfortunately...probably on file at the college still...

[MsJewel]

I'm only slightly familiar with Anne Sexton, having only read a small amount of her work, but I found her very personal style of writing quite appealing. You have inspired me to read more of her poetry.
Love the line - Her strong yet bedraggled legacy singing love songs from inside - a perfect description.

:) julie

[dan]

Julie, Anne Sexton's book, 'Transformations,' is her adaptation of Grimm's fairly tales. If you care to, you can try to find her "Briar Rose," her interpretation of Sleeping Beauty. Her version depicts an incestuous relationship between Briar Rose and her father that is widely accepted to be Sexton's exposing of the real abuse she went through with her own father. It is so starkly beautiful! Ms. Sexton's sad ending by suicide seemed to have mirrored the sad endings replete in her life. Thank you for the read and review. take care...dan

[Matching Socks]

I had read that she was very troubled, what a shame it is when someone takes their own life.
I've not read a lot of hers, I'm fairly new to poetry so I'm a bit late discovering 'the greats'