The Life and Influence of Anne Sexton
             What is Confession? By definition confession is the ritual of discourse in which the speaking subject is also the subject of the statement. Anne Sexton is said by some to be the greatest confessional poet of all time. Her well-documented life helps us to analyze her work. Anne Sexton used personal life experiences and symbols in her writing to connect to the reader through a confessional style.
             Anne Sexton was born on November 9, 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts. As a child, Anne was abused and possibly sexual harassed. She was very depressed and had many suicide attempts throughout her life. She attended Garland Junior college for one year. At the age of nineteen she married Alfred Muller Sexton II, even though she was already engaged to somebody else. The Sexton's had their first child in 1953. This led to Sexton's first mental breakdown, which forced her to be hospitalized. She was diagnosed with postpartum depression. After being released Anne began to write poetry as a therapeutic exercise. In 1955 she had her second child. This also led to another mental breakdown and again she was hospitalized. She was again released and on her birthday in 1955 Anne Sexton attempted suicide. She was immediately committed to therapy and her doctor strongly recommended that she continue writing poetry as a way to reduce the amount of stress in her life. At the age of 46 Anne decided she could no longer go on with life. Anne Sexton gave up the struggle with mental illness and committed suicide by suffocating herself with carbon monoxide.
             Critics' say her first book ("to Bedlam and Part Way Back") published in 1960, "illustrates her journey into madness and suicidal thoughts with sharp, biting clarity." Anne Sexton published over 18 books including 4 children's books and she won a Pulitzer Prize for her poems in her book "Live or Die.". H...