ipl-logo

Explication Of Her Kind By Anne Sexton

684 Words3 Pages

Explication of “Her Kind” by Anne Sexton
The poem “Her Kind” dramatizes the conflict between women and the roles that are placed upon them, especially in the time it was written in . This poem was written in 1960, during the Cold War. In this time period women occupied the role of being a housewife for their families. The speaker of the poem presents three different women’s experiences within each stanza of the poem. Each stanza ends with “I have been her kind” (Lines 7, 14, and 21). Ending each stanza with this phrase tells the reader that the speaker relates with many other women’s stories and experiences, illustrating a universal connection. These examples of women who are described as witches and cave dwellers illustrate that women feel …show more content…

The speaker sees this witch and herself as a wicked figure “dreaming evil” (3). This evil character is separated from society, but enjoys the loneliness that she lives in. By living apart from others she has learned valuable information that others do not know of. However, although she learns from her distance from people, she is still a, “lonely thing, twelve-fingered, out of mind” (5). Describing herself as “twelve-fingered” Throughout this stanza the speaker uses a mysterious tone that fits the image of a magical witch in the night (5). At the end of this stanza the poet presents that she has been in this type of outcast experience before by stating, “I have been her kind” …show more content…

She has been accused of doing something, causing her to be punished and captured. In the first stanza the speaker refers to herself as a “possessed witch” (1), now, in this third stanza she describes, “where your flames still bite my thigh” (18). This woman who they deem as a witch is being burned as a consequence for something she did. At the end of the stanza the speaker states, “A woman like that is not ashamed to die. / I have been her kind” (20-21). This misunderstood, distanced woman is not afraid to die as she has nothing to be ashamed

Show More
Related
612 Words | 3 Pages

In summary, the structure of this poem enables the reader to relate to the poem, as the poem consists of information that the readers would agree to, partly because they may have experienced or witnessed the accuracy of the information, in real life. For instance, the poem suggests that “Women offer themselves” – this line can be viewed as being accurate as the reader would be aware about women offering themselves – to men, “for [whom], she is the keeper of mystery, with the power to charm and to poison” – through the prostitution – that takes place within Melbourne’s red-light district area of St

Read More
1018 Words | 5 Pages

In the beginning of the poem, she just sounds like a whinny little girl, but as you get further into the poem the girl is actually looking for some attention. Audre Lorde’s “Hanging Fire,” is about a teenager with a longing for adult guidance. Lorde’s tone is kind of like a young woman who is frustrated by her aloneness and need for support. The titles gives a clue, calling it hanging fire; she is stuck and has no clue what to do about her problems. She is full of anxiety and this shows dominantly in this poem.

Read More
1809 Words | 8 Pages

The different key features also plays an important role for example the tone that is being formed by the lyrical voice that can be seen as a nephew or niece. This specific poem is also seen as an exposition of what Judith Butler will call a ‘gender trouble’ and it consist of an ABBA rhyming pattern that makes the reading of the poem better to understand. The poem emphasizes feminist, gender and queer theories that explains the life of the past and modern women and how they are made to see the world they are supposed to live in. The main theories that will be discussed in this poem will be described while analyzing the poem and this will make the poem and the theories clear to the reader. Different principals of the Feminist Theory.

Read More
431 Words | 2 Pages

Though the poem is written in the aftermath of Native American conflict and by a women of half-German descent, the poem mirrors multiple aspects of the story. One mirrored aspect is the spirituality of the women. In both the narrative and poem, the captured women are of English descent and are Puritan. Puritans are deeply spiritual people who have faith in God, and this is evident

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

She asks her readers to rise above their defeats, to not allow anyone to stop their dreams. In demonstrating how she succeeded she has been a role model for women of all cultures and races. The “Phenomenal Women” poem is a celebration

Read More
711 Words | 3 Pages

While reading the story, you can tell in the narrators’ tone that she feels rejected and excluded. She is not happy and I’m sure, just like her family, she wonders “why her?” She is rejected and never accepted for who she really is. She is different. She’s not like anyone else

Read More
235 Words | 1 Pages

Amy Tan's personal story "Two Kinds" is a part of her life when she was between her mother's expectation and frustrations. Her mother always wanted to teach her somethings such as religion and geography. When her mother fascinated by music, she wants her daughter to play piano. The author did not want to play piano, but she cannot resist her mother. After the talent show fiasco, she did not follow her mother's wish anymore.

Read More
1329 Words | 6 Pages

5,6) the issues that have been mentioned above are expressed. Since, especially black women, are considered to be living in the shadow this passage exposes the feelings and representation of black women in society. Their existence in the world which is not considered and respected. Considering especially the fact that the lyrical I is a black maiden, she seeks for recognition and acceptance among the other figures of the poem. Referring to contemporary issues, the lyrical I would be classified as a lower ranked person since she is black and being occupied as a maid, which clearly makes her powerless and voiceless in society.

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

I believe that the main idea of “The Fury of Overshoes” is that guidance and advice is necessary, even into adulthood. In the poem, Anne Sexton writes, “Remember when you couldn’t buckle your own overshoes or tie your own shoe or cut your own meat and the tears running down like mud because you fell off your tricycle?” She implores the reader to remember their childhood, and the feeling of helplessness that accompanied it. She goes on to say, “... the world wasn’t yours. It belonged to the big people.”

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

In detailing the events that led up to her change in perspective, she made note of the honeysuckle that covered the walls of the well-house, the warm sunshine that accompanied going outdoors, and the cool stream of water that she felt as she placed her hand under the spout. These details kept the reader with her in the moment as she felt something less simple, but still universal; the returning of a, “ misty consciousness as of something forgotten.” In using rich diction, she maintained a sense of intimacy with the reader which allowed her to call on personal details from her own life and theirs. Later in the passage, she described how, once the reality of language was opened to her, and she returned to the house, “every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life.” She had gone through a complete shift of perspective, one that, to her, was felt entirely through senses other than sight or sound.

Read More
857 Words | 4 Pages

She ends the stanza with a rhetorical question, ‘Does her survival mean a thing to him?’ suggesting how the fire provokes the persona to question this along with a literal awakening from a fever dream. Feaver also conveys culpability in the next stanzas after an escalation of the situation, ‘Your hands reek of gun oil and entrails’ a grotesque imagery which is also a allusion to Lady Mcbeth to suggest connections to readers. She continues to reveal that throughout the poem she was exploring sexuality with violence. ‘Theres a spring in your step; your eyes gleam like

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

Additionally, the narrator realizes her consciousness is constantly changing as she “loves the thing untouched by lore…the thing that is not cultivated… the thing built up” (473). The narrator’s consciousness faces another struggle between trying to find equal good in both the culture of her people and the new culture that has been introduced to her. Yet, she stands boldly “one foot in the dark, the other in the light” (473), as she forms a bridge between the two cultures and is stuck while she tries to understand her sense of self. Finally, the silent voice, a metaphor for her faith, calls out to her.

Read More
816 Words | 4 Pages

In “Acquainted with the Night”, it embodies the abyss of despair that the narrator finds themselves in. The poem centers on the qualities of the night, and the night’s defining characteristic is its never-ending darkness. The poem’s very title shows how deeply bogged down in darkness the narrator is; the speaker has, ironically, become friends with it. The motif of darkness manifests itself in other examples as well. The speaker writes, “I have outwalked the furthest city light,” showing that he or she has transcended the limits of a normal person’s misfortune and instead exposed himself to complete and utter desperation (3).

Read More
553 Words | 3 Pages

This quote draws an emotional experience to many readers. Many young people grow up with fairy tales and the idea of unconditional love, regardless of our flaws. So, this emotional connection can see the tone reflects the speaker 's unconditional love for the woman. The poem 's form, diction, imagery, and tone relay the speaker 's attitude toward the woman. The order of the stanzas and the word choice makes it apparent that the speaker loves the woman.

Read More
762 Words | 4 Pages

This is shown in the opening line when she says, “If you grow up the type of women...” Throughout this poem, Kay explores the themes of empowerment and identity, through the use of repetition and connotation. Through the frequent use of repetition, Kay puts emphasis on how women are defined in relation to males. Additionally, she also uses connotation to remind women they are more than what they are perceived to be in relation to others and they have the power to define themselves. Therefore the main idea of the poem is to perhaps remind women of their worth and inspire them to define themselves on their own terms, and not through the eyes of men or in comparison/relation to their relationship with others.

Read More

More about Explication Of Her Kind By Anne Sexton

Related Topics

Open Document