Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

Abstract

The research question that I am investigating is “To what extent is the confessional poetry

of Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath bound and fused by context, technique, and themes?”

The methodology for my research involved the critical reading of both Sylvia Plath and Anne

Sexton’s poems, and a respectful study of their personal life. This resulted in a gradual

appreciation of the power and objectivity of their work. Five poems were carefully selected

which were perceived to showcase their commonalities and synergies. Three of these poems

are by Sylvia Plath; “Tulips”, “Lady Lazarus” and “Daddy”. The remaining two poems are by

Anne Sexton; “Again and Again and Again”, and “Wanting to Die”. The body of my essay is

split between an analysis of Sylvia Plath’s poetry, which is then followed by Anne Sexton’s

poetry, finishing with a comparative analysis of the two poets and poems together, before my

final conclusion.

Whilst undertaking the analysis of each poem, I compared the connotations linking each poet’s

life and work. The links to each poet’s life unveiled the emotional depth and personal

investment of each poem. It became evident in my research that the early life of Anne Sexton

and Sylvia Plath impacted heavily on their respective psyches, and was a factor that led to

considerable angst resulting in powerful albeit irreconcilable poetic outlet. Thus, their

confessions are just that; poems that confess intimate, hidden and most often disquieting

secrets, which in their objectivity, continue to resonate with readers down the ages. Ultimately,

my final conclusion answers the research question; that Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath are

inextricably bound by context, technique and theme.