Confessional Poetry Essay -- Poems Poetry poets Essays Confessions Pla

Confessional Poetry I have done it again. One year in every ten I manage it – A sort of walking miracle, my skin Bright as a Nazi lampshade, My right foot A paperweight, My face featureless, fine Jew linen. This excerpt comes from the poem â€Å"Lady Lazarus† by Sylvia Plath, one of the most famous – and infamous – poets of the 20th century. Many of Plath’s poems, such as this one, belong to a particular school of poetry known as Confessional Poetry. With a distinct style all their own, Plath and her fellow Confessional poets will be forever remembered for their brutal honesty, emotionality, and the personal quality of their poems. Confessional poetry emerged in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and was identified by its use of the personal pronoun â€Å"I†. At the time, T.S. Eliot and other poets were advocating an impersonal style in their poetry, and a detached loss of connection with the reader. Confessional poetry emerged partly as a reaction to this train of thought; rather, the Confessional poets originated their school on the idea of themselves as unique individuals bringing something personal and distinctive to readers. The rise of this brand of poetry also coincided with the notorious political and social changes that occurred at the same time, and much of this was reflected in the poems. These changes allowed the Confessional poets to explore issues in their work that had previously been taboo, and had never been discussed before in such a public forum, such as abortions, divorces, mental disorders, and suicide. Moreover, these poets were able to use their real lives as â€Å"inspiration† for their art, giving it an intimate diar... ...r white, middle class backgrounds, and are also highly educated, prompting some critics to claim that this style of poetry is merely a bunch of whiney middle-class white folk, complaining about their miserable lives. Others wonder if the use of â€Å"I† excludes some readers rather than forming an intimate connection. Still others believe that confessional poetry is almost a method of false advertising: they point to evidence that some of the poets may have actually exaggerated their true life events to make for a more interesting read, and that the use of the autobiographical style makes for a false sense of connection with the reader. As with any style of poetry, the merits of Confessional poetry are often passionately debated, but the fact remains that these poets maintain a powerful and significant influence over poetry and other works about poetry to this day. Confessional Poetry Essay -- Poems Poetry poets Essays Confessions Pla Confessional Poetry I have done it again. One year in every ten I manage it – A sort of walking miracle, my skin Bright as a Nazi lampshade, My right foot A paperweight, My face featureless, fine Jew linen. This excerpt comes from the poem â€Å"Lady Lazarus† by Sylvia Plath, one of the most famous – and infamous – poets of the 20th century. Many of Plath’s poems, such as this one, belong to a particular school of poetry known as Confessional Poetry. With a distinct style all their own, Plath and her fellow Confessional poets will be forever remembered for their brutal honesty, emotionality, and the personal quality of their poems. Confessional poetry emerged in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and was identified by its use of the personal pronoun â€Å"I†. At the time, T.S. Eliot and other poets were advocating an impersonal style in their poetry, and a detached loss of connection with the reader. Confessional poetry emerged partly as a reaction to this train of thought; rather, the Confessional poets originated their school on the idea of themselves as unique individuals bringing something personal and distinctive to readers. The rise of this brand of poetry also coincided with the notorious political and social changes that occurred at the same time, and much of this was reflected in the poems. These changes allowed the Confessional poets to explore issues in their work that had previously been taboo, and had never been discussed before in such a public forum, such as abortions, divorces, mental disorders, and suicide. Moreover, these poets were able to use their real lives as â€Å"inspiration† for their art, giving it an intimate diar... ...r white, middle class backgrounds, and are also highly educated, prompting some critics to claim that this style of poetry is merely a bunch of whiney middle-class white folk, complaining about their miserable lives. Others wonder if the use of â€Å"I† excludes some readers rather than forming an intimate connection. Still others believe that confessional poetry is almost a method of false advertising: they point to evidence that some of the poets may have actually exaggerated their true life events to make for a more interesting read, and that the use of the autobiographical style makes for a false sense of connection with the reader. As with any style of poetry, the merits of Confessional poetry are often passionately debated, but the fact remains that these poets maintain a powerful and significant influence over poetry and other works about poetry to this day.