Death, Depression, and Divine Faith: Contrasting The Confessional Poetics of Sylvia Plath and Anne Saxton with Emily Dickinson's Spiritual Vision

Abstract

Abstract

Sylvia Plath and her poetry always remained a matter of discussion not only in her life but even after her death. Her tragic suicide made more enigmatic the probing of her personality through her work to find out whether her philosophy imprinted her life or her bitter experiences forged her personae. Although, feminists hold Ted Hughes, her ‘unfortunate husband’, responsible for this tragic waste, Plath’s own knack for aggression cannot be set scot free for her own tragic demise. However, this article compares the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton with that of Emily Dickinson from a psychological perspective. It argues that silence and violence function as two powerful emotional forces that simultaneously shape the body and mind of these remarkable poets. While both Plath and Sexton predominantly employ aggression as a means of expressing their emotions, personal conflicts, and perceptions of those close to them as well as the wider world, Dickinson's poetry is primarily governed by introspection and spiritual vision.