CONFESSIONAL POETS Raynece Evans, Jairazel Flores, Jacqueline Mascardo, Vanja Rodriguez Period 1

 1950s – 1960s  Subjects not openly discussed in poetry before  Personal, autobiographical poems shared to the world Definition

Themes and techniques  Themes:  Love affairs  Suicidal thoughts  Fears of failure  Ambivalence …and other sensitive material  Techniques  First person  Influenced by personal issues

John Berryman ( )  Family frequently moved  Father’s committed suicide in 1926  1929 stock market crash  attempted suicide 1931  Columbia University and Cambridge University in GB  Poems published in various magazines and was a poetry editor  Suffering from nervous exhaustion; alcoholism  rehabilitation/hospitalization & deteriorating personal life  Lifelong infidelities  Highly recognized poetic and academic life  instructor/speaker at many colleges (Wayne State, Princeton, Brown)  won many awards (Academy of Am. Poets and Nat. Book award, Pulitzer Prize)  Committed suicide by jumping off a bridge

John Berryman ( ) cont. NOTABLE WORKS:  Dream Songs (1964): 385 sonnet style, 18 lines, 3 stanzas, rhyme  Discusses Berryman’s issues through character “Henry”  “Dream Song 1, Dream Song 4, Dream Song 29”

Robert Lowell ( )  American Poet; Boston Massachusetts  Founder of confessional poetry movement  Attended Harvard College (2 Years)  Transferred to Kenyon College  Appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress ( )  Won Pulitzer Prize (1948 & 1974)  National Book Award (1960)  National Book Critics Circle Award (1977)  Died of a heart attack

Robert Lowell ( ) cont. Notable Works:  The Dolphin (1973)  For The Union Dead (1964)  Land Of Unlikeness (1944)

Sylvia Plath ( )  Born on Oct 27, 1932; lived in Boston, Massachusetts  1940: Plath’s father died due to complications from diabetes mellitus  Strict father; his death defined her relationships and poems  She carried his cold and distant attitude towards her onto her relationship with her own children  Kept a journal from the age of 11  What made her different from the other confessional poets was that at a young age she became familiar with the sea and understood its beauty and power  1963: at the age of 20 she suffered from depression, martial separation and committed suicide

Sylvia Plath ( ) cont. Notable Works:  “Daddy”  "Lady Lazarus"  "Balloons"  "Ariel"

Anne Sexton ( ) Born in Newton, Massachusetts on November 9, 1928 & died in October 4, 1974 Attended Garland Junior College for one year then dropped out Married Alfred Muller Sexton II Also became a model Diagnosed with postpartum depression Was admitted to Westwood Lodge for therapy repeatedly Started writing poetry when her doctor encouraged her to help her cope 1957: joined Boston writing groups Both parents died on the same year, 1959, adding to her depression Mother died in March from cancer Father died in June from alcoholism Committed suicide by carbon monoxide gas in her home garage

Anne Sexton ( ) cont. Notable Works: "Wanting to Die" "The Truth the Death Know" "For My Lover, Returning to his Wife"

AP Style Prompts  1. Carefully read “Dream Song 1” by John Berryman. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Berryman conveys the relationship between the world and Henry through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.  2. “The Truth the Death Knows” is by the confessional poet Anne Sexton. Read the poem carefully. Then write a well developed essay in which you analyze the poet’s attitude towards death.  3. Read the poem, “To Speak of Woe that is in Marriage” by Robert Lowell. Then, write an well developed essay in which you analyze the literary devices the poet uses to convey his message about lust.

Visual Representation  The Ego Needs Time by Greg Calise

Interactive Poetry Lesson  Make a list of at least 3 things that you could confess that relates to this poetry movement  Choose 1 to write a theme about as if you were to write a poem around that theme

Quiz 1. Was Confessional Poetry… A) Intimate B) Intimidating C) Intense D) All of the above E) A and C 2. What time period was Confessional poetry during? 3. Which poet did not commit suicide?

Resources  Confessional Poetry:  Robert Lowell:  Sylvia Plath:  Anne Sexton:  John Berryman:  man/life.htm man/life.htm