Possessions become a focus, from a skillet to silks, that is, objects from the middle-class kitchen to the perfumed bedroom. Women who are stigmatised for living life unconventionally are misunderstood by society. Anne Sexton's 'Her Kind' is a poem in which the speaker's pain is expressed through vivid imagery and dismal repetition. Repetition plays a notable role in this poem as it gives us a sense that the speaker relates to these different personas. As Sexton assures her readers, “I have been her (your) kind.” Are You on a Short Deadline? The poem attempts to capture this idea of the woman with multiple personalities, expected to conform to societal rules and norms yet unable or unwilling to restrict the self, which is unstable. The title of this poem is a portion of the refrain, “I have been her kind” seen in lines 17, 14 and 21. Her Kind: A Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis. This eludes the reader into thinking they are in the third person observing the speaker’s own life. A cave is an archetypal home or safe-place where traditionally things of great value are stored, such as gold or treasure. Like Anne Sexton, the speaker in this poem is an outcast woman. In "Her Kind" Anne Sexton uses a great array of language through poetic devices to employ imagery, syntax and diction. In the published volume of her poems, there is the attestation of many prominent men that they are acquainted with her and her work. Think of this poem as a walk down memory lane – a rather dark, twisted, and not-so-pleasant memory lane. And also not exactly. The third and most powerful stanza we see the martyr who is self-empowered and remains true to herself as she rides in a cart towards her death. It hints at death and sexuality. Using terms such as “twelve fingered” (5), “lonely thing” (5) and “haunting the black air”(2) to describe her alienation and how she floats through life as though nobody acknowledges her existence. This eludes the reader into thinking they are in the third person observing the speaker’s own life. In Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" the speaker of the poem embraces society's negative stereotype of modern, liberated women and transforms it into a positive image. The three verses in “Her Kind” do not describe three different types of women; instead, they elaborate on the persona of the witch. One voice, the voice of society, expresses the opinion that witches, or modern women, are evil. The title of this poem is a portion of the refrain, "I have been her kind" seen in lines 17, 14 and 21. Well, yes. Analysis of Anne Sexton's Poem "Her Kind" Anne Sexton was a poet and a woman, but most importantly, she was an outcast. Like Anne Sexton, the speaker in this poem is an outcast woman. A woman like that is misunderstood. Anne Sexton’s ‘Her Kind’ is a poem in which the speaker’s pain is expressed through vivid imagery and dismal repetition. She reassures her readers that as lonely as they may feel, they are anything but alone. Let a Professional Writer Help You, © New York Essays 2021. Her Kind has featured in all manner of anthology and has also been published in magazines such as The British Journal of Psychiatry. "Her Kind" is just a repetition of the poem's refrain, right? Subjected to nervous breakdowns and admitted to a neuropsychiatry hospital, Sexton must have been all too familiar with the staring eyes and the judging minds of the public. For starters, the poem's title doesn't exactly mimic the poem's favorite line. The speaker is certainly one who has, to quote Robert Frost, 'been acquainted with the night' and presumably returns to the real world, like some adventuring, malevolent vampire, once the sun is up. Like Anne Sexton, the speaker in this poem is an outcast woman. Analysis of the poem. His poems are published online and in print. This is no ordinary witch, she has twelve fingers (which makes her a bit freaky and is bound to alienate people), is lonely and doesn't function well in the daylight, doesn't get on in the 9 - 5 world, and doesn't quite feel a complete woman when she's in this mode of being. I feel sympathetic for Anne Sexton, who I have affirmatively believe the poem is regarding. "A woman like that is not a woman quite/ I have been her kind." The third stanza continues with the witch theme, this time introducing a medieval torture device, the wheel, and execution by fire. On the one hand, this emphasizes how unusual was her accomplishment, and how suspicious most people would be about its possibility. Her Kind is a short poem which, although not directly confessional, deals with the nature of the woman's role in life and the alienation that can bring. The phrases “ridden in your cart”(15) and “flames still bite my thigh”(18) are allusions to the Salem Witch Trials in which “witches” rode in carts to be burned at the stake. short summary describing. I have been her kind. One of the most popular poets of mid-20th century America, Sexton’s impressive body of work continues to be widely read and debated by literary scholars and cultural critics alike. Witches were tortured and burnt at the stake (notably in 17th century Europe and in Salem USA). Right off the bat we see “I have” in the first line of the first stanza which is repeated in lines 8 and 15 as a declaration; this shows that it is a direct confession from the speaker themselves. Hire a Professional to Get Your 100% Plagiarism Free Paper. I have been her kind. This poem has no representation of other characters but only the woman who … Definition terms. The last poem Sexton wrote for the manuscript of Bedlam, "Her Kind," shows her trying to do just that. The language is dark, weird and gothic; note the use of. Sexton is presenting the reader with the idea that she (the speaker) is the equivalent to a 17th century witch and that all women are potentially threatened by society if they are deemed unconventional or unworthy. Two voices, the voice of society and the voice of the speaker, duel about the issue of the stereotype of modern women. Written in the first person, Her Kind is a poem about subversity, the speaker acknowledging that she has been all three personas at some time in her life - the witch, the mother, the adulteress. "Her Kind" is a poem published in 1960 by American poet Anne Sexton. Although Sexton wrote this poem at a time when most women were expected to be queens of the domestic scene, before the onset of feminism, the issue still resonates today. and my ribs crack where your wheels wind. Her Kind by Anne Sexton. She does this well by using diction, and explains what she is feeling. Witch is a recurring theme in this poem, which is used to represent all that is evil in a woman.Sexton's Her Kind is a portrayal of a woman, likely herself, who has struggled to live her life freely but has been tortured by her endeavors to compromise herself with the standards and conventions of a male-dominated society. Something went wrong. I have been her kind”. Stevie Smith, Anne Sexton & Adrienne Rich, Analysis of Anthony Eaton's A New Kind of Dreaming. Explication of Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" tells the story of a woman progressing through 3 different situations of alienation, each provoking a different emotion (maybe 3 different women? And the offspring have to be fed, be they worm or elf, keeping everything in its right order. Her Kind has tight rhyme and loose rhythm. The boundaries are tested by such characters as the suburban witch, who is also the wild mother and the fateful femme fatale. Anne Sexton began writing poetry after suffering depression and was keenly aware of her different personas - she was a loving wife and mother as well as a performing poet, but her ongoing mental health issues forced her into very dark places from time to time. At the eleventh hour Sexton was still frantically shuffling poems in and out and worrying about Lowell's advice to supply fifteen or so new ones. The end rhymes are all full whilst the rhythm, the beats, are roughly iambic yet definitely off the beaten track, a reflection of the speaker's dance with alternative states of being. I have been her kind. In the second stanza we peer into the “warm caves”(8) which are where the tedious mother/wife resides who constantly perfects things due to the lack of structure in her own life. Bedlam was due at the printers on 1 August. The meaning of the poem is express her isolation of society which exemplifies the poet’s formal concerns. Her Kind by Anne Sexton (Analysis) Filed Under: Essays. It is stated matter of factly in the last line of each stanza: I have been her kind. Anne Sexton’s poem entitled “Her Kind” is a depiction of a woman’s life in the wild. ). Anne Sexton’s famous poem, Her Kind, explores the struggles of its persona to conform to the societal expectations and norms levied against women during the early to mid-20 th century. Anne Sexton’s ‘Her Kind’ is a poem in which the speaker’s pain is expressed through vivid imagery and dismal repetition. The witch is not merely just an image in this poem, it is an extended metaphor which lasts throughout the whole poem, otherwise known as a conceit, to represent women who feel detached from society. The speaker has been a witch, metaphorically of course, possessed by a demon spirit, which immediately suggests that this persona is supernatural, inhabiting a world beyond normal thought and culture. Also, the phrase “A woman like that” is used in lines 6, 13 and 20 to show a generalized spectrum of women who have felt detached from society. Essays for Anne Sexton: Poems. The narrator illustrated the life of the woman into the arms of day and night. 2 pages, 527 words. The judgemental eyes of surburbia are on her during the day, so best emerge at night. This shows that she is not the same person as the witch, housewife or martyr but instead they are all elaborate metaphors to portray what she herself is experiencing in life. Thank you for subscribing. Subscribe to our mailing list and get new poetry analysis updates straight to your inbox. Her Kind Analysis Anne Sexton critical analysis of poem, review school overview. about subversity, the speaker acknowledging that she has been all three personas at some time in her life - the witch, the mother, the adulteress. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select poems by Anne Sexton. The speaker of the poem is a women who is an outcast of her society. Fathers and Father Figures in Women’s Confessional Poetry; Jealousy in Jane Eyre, 'For My Lover Returning to his Wife', and 'After the Lunch' Also in her poem she conveys the point that throughout time all people (witches and people who are a bit different) can all feel like a “lonely thing” In closing, we should regard this poem, “Her Kind”, as a deep insightful glimpse into the life of Anne Sexton or … Her Kind Analysis Anne Sexton Characters archetypes. Two voices, the voice of society and the voice of the speaker, duel about the issue of the stereotype of modern women. Note the lines with nine syllables and some with ten and eleven, taking the reader further away from convention. ... Get more Poetry Analysis like this in your inbox. Anne Sexton: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. Andrew has a keen interest in all aspects of poetry and writes extensively on the subject. 1758 Words8 Pages Analysis of Anne Sexton's Poem "Her Kind" Anne Sexton was a poet and a woman, but most importantly, she was an outcast. She writes of twelve-fingered witches and elves. Essays for Anne Sexton: Poems. All rights reserved, Get a verified expert to help you with Her Kind by Anne Sexton (Analysis), Save Time On Research and Writing. The role of the lonely housewife, looking after the home and the kids, is brought into sharp focus in this second stanza. She is flying over the plain houses of suburbia, implying that down there life is ordinary and boring and tedious and the only way to overcome it is to live in the darker dream, to stretch the limits of sanity. I have been her kind. In Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" the speaker of the poem embraces society's negative stereotype of modern, liberated women and transforms it into a positive image. "Her Kind" is divided into three seven-line stanzas with the refrain "I have been her kind" every seventh line. Not necessarily coming right out with it, she makes others think about it and analyse what she is saying. Her Kind by Anne Sexton. It appears that she struggled with her illness and had to go through a lot to try to get some sort of mental stability. Through her poem, Her Kind, Anne Sexton gives voice and gravity to the experiences and the lives of women outside what has been afforded to them. Hi there, would you like to get such a paper? We understand that in the first stanza but more specifically in the sixth and seventh line of the poem. In Anne Sexton's "Her Kind" the speaker of the poem embraces society's negative stereotype of modern, liberated women and transforms it into a positive image. Fathers and Father Figures in Women’s Confessional Poetry; Jealousy in Jane Eyre, 'For My Lover Returning to his Wife', and 'After the Lunch' The speaker of this poem is remembering all the things that she has been in the past: a lonely witch, a clutter-obsessed cave … A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. “Her Kind” exemplifies this: begun in 1957, the poem was abandoned, redrafted, and then revised to its published form, which appeared in her first collection To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960). SETTING OF THE POEM: ‘Her Kind’ is a short poem which, although not directly confessional, deals with the nature of the woman’s role in life and the alienation that can bring. I have found the warm caves in the woods, filled them with skillets, carvings, shelves, closets, silks, innumerable goods; fixed the suppers for the worms and the elves: whining, rearranging the disaligned. Anne Sexton loved fairytales and myths and the second stanza takes the reader further out into this other world and an alternative role to that of the suburban housewife. “A woman like that is not a woman, quite. Through such imagery, … From The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton, published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Two voices, the voice of society and the voice of the speaker, duel about the issue of the stereotype of modern women. Two different voices deal with this persona throughout the poem’s three stanzas. The poem, “Her Kind”, this poem jumps out and shows the meaning of Anne’s life. How about receiving a customized one? The fact that this cave is in a wood adds another layer of symbolism to this story, the wood being the place where people get lost, meet good or evil entities, experience a breakthrough. Anne Sexton’s ‘Her Kind’ is a poem in which the speaker’s pain is expressed through vivid imagery and dismal repetition. It is a poem stating drastic times of Anne Sexton’s life. Society is to blame, for it forces individuals to conform and if they find fault then these individuals are put on trial, and ultimately, eliminated. Anne Sexton stands as one of American poetry’s ghostly madams, a victim of those wicked hunters—hunters of female obsessives, spiritualists, and healers— inside the mind. ." However, we are actually accompanying them as they peer into the lives of others who are each given different labels such as the witch, the distressed housewife and the persecuted. To start off the poem, Sexton utilizes different mediums of imagery to employ what seems to be a form of non- humanness. The poem describes a witch in the night, then describes her as an unconventional housewife, and concludes with reference to Carl Dryer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. What's your thoughts? The speaker has a multifaceted personality as she morphs from one identity to the other in order to feel accepted by society. The speaker, in candid fashion, admits that she has experienced society's wrong judgement. Again, this could be the metaphorical witch discovering the caves. This shows that she is simply going through the motions of life, a prosaic being devoid of emotion or motivation to live. The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABABCBC which is seven lines, an odd number, which shows that while there indeed is a pattern it is not an even amount of lines which is done purposely to represent the irregularity and imbalance in the life of the speaker. Sparknotes bookrags the meaning summary overview critique of explanation pinkmonkey. Anne Sexton: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. Why did he use? Her Kind Summary. Seven lines per stanza, the magical number, and three personas inhabiting the poem make for a rich if temptingly ambiguous read. In the first stanza the lines are split with commas which creates a choppy, monotonous effect. A woman like that is not ashamed to die. By using the metaphorical witch persona, Anne Sexton is connecting her current feelings as an outcast and oddball, with those of the historical witch, persecuted and misunderstood for being 'different.'. It has strong imagery, like that from a fairytale, and hints at death and sexuality. The title of this poem is a portion of the refrain, “I have been her kind” seen in lines 17, 14 and 21. I have ridden in your cart, driver, Subjected to nervous breakdowns and admitted to a neuropsychiatry hospital, Sexton must have been all too familiar with the staring eyes and the judging minds of the public. The title of this poem is a portion of the refrain, “I have been her kind” seen in lines 17, 14 and 21. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select poems by Anne Sexton. In the first stanza we see a lonesome witch who lurks her neighbourhood solemnly. Anne Sexton was born in Newton, Massachusetts and raised in Weston, Massachusetts. This eludes the reader into thinking they are in the third person observing the speaker's own life. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem’s plot and conflicts with its structural features. One of the most important devices used in this poem is the refrain which is “I have been her kind”. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. Prev Article. Her Kind by Anne Sexton Let It Go by Kristen and Robert Lopez By: Tim Michuda and Frances Kaler Historical & Cultural References Both Contrast: Imagery Structure Formal structure Stanzas flow chronologically 1: acceptance of witchcraft 2: conducting witchcraft 3: persecution as a In a bold sixth line the speaker claims that she is not ashamed to die (for living an alternative life) because she has done no wrong. Imagery is a significant device in this poem which assists in helping the reader understand the speaker’s suffering from the isolation she faces from society. literary terms. “Her Kind” is a very strong poem and is a very insightful look into a woman’s head ho is unbalanced and a bit unhinged.

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