Close reading anne sexton

Anne Sexton (1928-1974)

Join us to study the brilliant poetry of Anne Sexton through close reading. With Mariah Whelan.

Two x 2-hour sessions, Wednesdays, 15 and 22 January 2025, 14.00-16.00 pm British Time.

…I am your daughter, your sweetmeat,
your priest, your mouth, and your bird,
and I will tell them all stories of you
until I am laid away forever…

– Anne Sexton, ‘The Sun’, 1962

Join poet and lecturer Dr Mariah Whelan to explore the poems of one of the most read (and most debated) poets of the twentieth century.

During the sessions you will be introduced to Sexton’s biography and a number of key themes and ideas in her work. Together, we will explore key poems using close reading strategies. Mariah will guide participants to identify and discuss the poetic methods and techniques that give Sexton’s poetry its unique qualities.

The two sessions are ideal for those keen to develop their close reading skills and expand their knowledge of how poems work in a warm and engaging atmosphere. No prior experience of close reading is necessary.

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‘When Anne Sexton is at the top of her form, she writes a poem which no one else could have written.’
- Erica Jong

Links

• Guardian article on rediscovered early works by Anne Sexton, 2018
• Poetry Foundation on Anne Sexton
• On Sexton, Plath and Lowell, NEH (2024)
• Recording of Anne Sexton reading her poem ‘Her Kind’

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