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Anne Sexton
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The Complete Poems Kindle Edition

by Anne Sexton (Author), Maxine Kumin (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 493 ratings
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The collected works of Anne Sexton showcase the astonishing career of one of the twentieth century’s most influential poets

For Anne Sexton, writing served as both a means of expressing the inner turmoil she experienced for most of her life and as a therapeutic force through which she exorcised her demons. Some of the richest poetic descriptions of depression, anxiety, and desperate hope can be found within Sexton’s work. The Complete Poems, which includes the eight collections published during her life, two posthumously published books, and other poems collected after her death, brings together her remarkable body of work with all of its range of emotion.
 
With her first collection, the haunting To Bedlam and Part Way Back, Sexton stunned critics with her frank treatment of subjects like masturbation, incest, and abortion, blazing a trail for representations of the body, particularly the female body, in poetry. She documented four years of mental illness in her moving Pulitzer Prize–winning collection Live or Die, and reimagined classic fairy tales as macabre and sardonic poems in Transformations. The Awful Rowing Toward God, the last book finished in her lifetime, is an earnest and affecting meditation on the existence of God. As a whole, The Complete Poems reveals a brilliant yet tormented poet who bared her deepest urges, fears, and desires in order to create extraordinarily striking and enduring art.
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  1. Print length
    658 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  5. Publication date
    April 5, 2016
  6. File size
    2567 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sexton drew her poems from a great depth in herself, and they continue to stir us. . . . Her voice remains a distinctive one in American poetry of the past half-century.” —J. D. McClatchy

Praise for Anne Sexton
“Anne Sexton is one of the writers by whom our age will be known and understood in times to come. . . . [Her poems] will be understood in time—not as ‘women’s poetry’ or ‘confessional poetry’—but as myths that expand the human consciousness.” —Erica Jong, The New York Times

“One of the most important American poets of her generation.” —Margaret Atwood, The New York Times

“[Anne Sexton] domesticates my terror, examines and describes it, teaches it some tricks which will amuse me, then lets it gallop wild in my forest once more.” —Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

About the Author

Anne Sexton (1928–1974) was a Pulitzer Prize–winning American poet born in Newton, Massachusetts. She attended Garland Junior College for one year and briefly worked as a model. She married Alfred Muller Sexton II at age nineteen, and in 1953 gave birth to a daughter. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression. When Sexton attempted suicide after the birth of her second daughter, her doctor encouraged her to pursue her interest in writing poetry, and in the fall of 1957, she enrolled in a poetry workshop at the Boston Center for Adult Education.

Like Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, W. D. Snodgrass (who exerted a great influence on her work), and other Confessional poets, Sexton offers the reader an intimate view of the emotional anguish that characterized her life. The experience of being a woman was a central issue in her poetry, and though she endured criticism for bringing subjects such as menstruation, abortion, and drug addiction into her work, her skill as a poet transcended the controversy over her subject matter. Sexton’s poetry collections include To Bedlam and Part Way Back, All My Pretty Ones, Transformations, and Live or Die, which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967. In 1974 at the age of forty-six, Sexton lost her battle with mental illness and committed suicide.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BXW8G18
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (April 5, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 5, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2567 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 658 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 493 ratings

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Anne Sexton

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
493 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States

T. L. Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking, Emotional, and Powerful
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014
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I listened to an interview in which Madonna mentioned that Anne Sexton's poetry influenced her. I was intrigued enough to research Anne Sexton because I'd never heard of her. Once I read a little about Sexton, I knew I needed to read her poetry, if for no other reason than to see if I could learn anything from her work that would help my own poetry writing. So I decided to buy The Complete Poems Anne Sexton. I opted to take my time and only read a few poems a day when I started The Complete Poems Anne Sexton. I wanted to think about the poems, to really internalize them, to study style, to learn from them. Some days it was tempting to read several. Other days I found it a struggle to read even one. Sexton played with words and social norms in ways that I can only imagine upset people when they were published. Her poems ripped into fairy tales and religion with the same irreverence in a way I found refreshing at times and uncomfortable at others, but those poems always made me think as good poetry should. She tackled life head-on in some poems and wrote all around topics in others. I found myself relating to her need to both expose and hide. Certain poems resonated with me on a deep level. Others had me scrambling for meaning. Still others inspired me to try new ideas in my own poetry. As I consciously and slowly worked my way through the over 600 pages of poems, I discovered some limits I didn't know I had. I thought how I'd never feel comfortable writing about some of the topics Sexton covered, but I also discovered a desire to push my work in different directions. The thing that's always interesting about a complete work is its range. There are poems in this book that will appeal to many as well as poems people will find offensive. And, while it shows a great deal of insight into the human condition, there are times when it feels incredibly, personally voyeuristic. I love poems that go to the depths of human experience, so this appealed to me.
31 people found this helpful
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stefanocima
5.0 out of 5 stars An exhaustive selection
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
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I am very interested in English/American poetry
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Sexton fans
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
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You like Sexton? If you are reading this review, you probably do. If you are a Sexton fan, you get this book. It's that simple.

I actually purchased it twice, once in hardcover and then in paperback so now I have a back up in case something happens to one of them. I have one cat with a spraying problem, so backups are a good idea.
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Esdras Barnivelt
5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Collection of Poems
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2011
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Sexton has often been criticized for creating "workshop" poetry. We shouldn't think of this as a negative. A workshop merely opens the mind to writing methods that haven't dawned on some of us. Those who jot down magnificent poetry with no formal education are a special breed, indeed. Some writers need a teacher to open the window for them. And for the lot of us, we can't afford an Ivy League Education, as is the case with some of our greatest poetic minds. Sexton, who attended these workshops, is a classic example of someone who needed a little push. And once that window was opened for her, she stepped into that other-world and never looked back. "The Awful Rowing Toward God" is, in itself, a masterpiece. The poetry is quite dark and brooding, grim even. Though Sexton suffered much of her life due to mental problems, she was able to express her inner-turmoil on paper, and for that I am grateful. Her writing is provocative at times, and she really pushed the envelope for her day. Much of her work is simple, and relatively easy to analyze and comprehend. It is enjoyment, pure and simple, though some of it can dampen even the most optimistic person's mood. It is unfortunate that we lost her as early as we did. Bottom line: Excellent collection, though the binding and paper-type is subpar, so you shouldn't expect it to last for decades.
9 people found this helpful
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Sarina
5.0 out of 5 stars Anne is an acquired taste....
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2019
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First, for the seller, Buckeye Tree Book and Media Emporium, you need to be less modest with your book quality. This book was used, rated as "acceptable," and was in fact, "very good," in my opinion. Signs of wear were minimum.

As to Anne Sexton's poetry, I knew what I was getting, as I read several poems from the online version, which is available to "borrow" through Amazon Prime.

Basically, if you like Sylvia Plath's poetry, you will probably like Anne Sexton. It's confessional, personal, and much of it is grim, but not all of it. I still prefer Sylvia, but I enjoy Anne as well. It is fairly easy to find her poetry online to see if one might like it. There are also YT videos of Anne reading some of her own poems. Definitely read or listen to some first to see if this is your cup of tea.
10 people found this helpful
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Floyd
5.0 out of 5 stars Just buy it NEW. Not worth the condition mine came in. SUCH A GOOD BOOK!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017
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I ordered this book used from Hyperion E.A. and the description claimed it was in good and acceptable condition. When I get the book however, there are several folded over pages and it looks as if the book has just been sitting out in the rain. So I am disappointed I paid about 75% of the price of the book to have it in such poor condition. And I cannot figure out how to return it to get it new now. However, with that being said. Anne Sexton is worth the read and I am glad I tried to repair the book so I could at least read through some of it. Again, had it not been the seller's lying about the quality of the book, this would certainly have been a five star rating from me. I highly encourage anyone to purchase this collection.
One person found this helpful
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Gary
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and painful.
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2014
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Anne Sexton is simply Anne Sexton- she is who she is. She is my favorite poet and this book contains an excellent compendium of her work as well as a biography of her life. I really have to be in the mood for this. She always struck me as more readable than Sylvia Plath to whom she is often compared. Her material written while in the psychiatric hospital resonates with the timbre of too much time, solitude and realization tempered with her talent and trauma.
This is best read in doses as the mood strikes.
8 people found this helpful
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Huy Do
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in Germany on July 14, 2023
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Great poetry. Finally i found this edition!
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j.
5.0 out of 5 stars finally! exactly what I'd been looking for.
Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2021
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I've been looking for a comprehensive collection of Sexton's work for several years. this is what I was looking for. hardcover would have been better, but that's not much of a downside.
this collection is absolutely wonderful, and I would highly recommend it.
One person found this helpful
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Thomas Hally Mensan
5.0 out of 5 stars Anne Sexton was a great poet. She died in 1974.
Reviewed in Mexico on September 21, 2020
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I will use the Complete Poems of Anne Sexton for my upcoming university class of poetry.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2021
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Ordered for someone else. Happy with purchase. Thank you
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SFP
5.0 out of 5 stars Un poeta eccezionale
Reviewed in Italy on August 7, 2021
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Questa è una collezione delle poesie della Sexton solo in inglese. Il suo lavoro è cambiato con il tempo-non necessariamente in meglio, ma avere tutte le sue pubblicazioni in um volume aiuta a tracciarne il percorso. La Sexton scrive con un senso di sfida e disperazione, di durezza e vulnerabilità. Le sue poesie sono dirette, immediate-bellissime quelle in cui affronta la malattia mentale ed il desiderio della morte per suicidio. Questa franchezza nei soggetti, unita alla formalità del testo rende i suoi primi lavori elettrizzanti. “L’unico poeta confessionale” per sua stessa definizione, consiglio questo libro a chi vuole esplorare i lati più oscuri dell’esperienza umana, senza il ricorso al gotico
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