The Starry Night Anne Sexton's

Death is an abstract concept for humans. The aftermath as well as the emotions while going through the journey of death are unknown because those who have undergone the process can no longer communicate their understanding of the experience. Anne Sexton was a poet who has experienced the death of many loved one’s and had suicidal thoughts which prevailed throughout much of her work. Sexton discusses death in her book All My Pretty Ones and, more specifically, in her poem “The Starry Night” (McClatchy). Anne Sexton’s poem “The Starry Night” describes Van Gogh’s famous painting “The Starry Night”. She using the description of the painting to express her ideas regarding the journey of death. Sexton suggests humans should not consider death an

The stars in the starry night Sexton describes “are all alive," implying they have purpose and existence even after the stars die or are “swallow[ed] up” by “the old unseen serpent,” referring to god (l. 7,10). The stars are “swallowed up” and “sucked up” into the night (l. 10,14). “There is the suggestion not of diminishment” or end to existence but rather an “assimilation into a larger whole,” the night (McGrath 371). Once in the night, the stars cause the night to “boil”, “exciting” the night and giving the night energy and motivation (l. 4) (“Boil”). There is also the implication that death is not an end to existence because when “split” or dies with “no flag” (l. 14, 15) . A white flag is often a symbol for surrender, which implies an end. Therefore, with “no flag” there is no end associated with death

Throughout the poem Sexton uses repetition of the phrase “This is how/ I want to die” (l. 4-5, 10-11). The “longing for death is at the same time a longing for release and freedom,” two concepts with positive connotations (McGrath 371). Sexton also describes a “town” which “does not exist” (l.1). This town represents a greater entity, all of human life. The town does not “exist” or have a purpose, proposing that human life does no have purpose(“Exist”). Death would provide necessary relief and purpose to “silent”, nonexistent