Breaking the Mirror: Anne Sexton’s Poetic Self-Construction: Selected Poems

Abstract

This study analyses Anne Sexton’s poetry using Linda Hutcheon’s theory of narcissism, as presented in “Narcissistic Narrative: The Metafictional Paradox”. Hutcheon's concept of narrative narcissism, highlighting self-referentiality, self-awareness, and the indistinction between the text and the author, provides an insightful framework for examining Sexton's confessional style. However, this paper examines how Sexton’s poems interact with the self as subject and object, revealing the contradictions of narcissism inherent in her work. Sexton’s poetry often intertwines personal tragedy with extensive creative contemplation, using self-exposure to examine her identity and poetic production mechanics. The conflict between autobiography and metafiction in Sexton’s poetry reflects Hutcheon’s claim that narcissistic writings emphasise their own creation while highlighting identity's precariousness. Hence, this study illustrates how Sexton’s interplay of vulnerability, exhibitionism, and self-aware literary approaches reflects Hutcheon’s notion of narrative narcissism, situating the poet’s confessional voice as both profoundly personal and meta-literary in nature. Moreover, this paper seeks to provide a literary viewpoint on Sexton’s examination of the self while expanding Hutcheon’s theoretical framework to include a poetry medium.

Keywords: Anne Sexton, Narcissism, The Double Image, For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further