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Poet: Anne Sexton (Anne Sexton Art)
Poem: Ghosts
Comment 11 of 11, added on May 18th, 2008 at 12:00 PM.
"Ghosts" is one of Sexton's second collection of poems "All my pretty ones". Sexton begins to write with less formal, but more initiative approach. The themes of this poem, the collection's themes, are suffering, break down, and loneliness. "Ghosts" is autobiographical poem.
General idea
Sexton wrote this poem as a result of her divorce, sending her daughters to boarding school and her parent's death. Consequently she lives alone in empty house. She is very depressed and desperate because of her bad state.
Analysis
*The first stanza
Some ghosts are women,
neither abstract nor pale,
their breasts as limp as killed fish.
Not witches, but ghosts
who come, moving their useless arms
like forsaken servants.
Sexton begins to describe herself in this desolate house. Therefore she sees ghosts in every place in the house. At the first time, she sees these ghosts as women. May be "Some ghosts are women" these ghosts are the ghosts of her dead mother and dead aunt. By saying "their breasts as limp as killed fish" Sexton proves that these ghosts are dead people. She does not compare them to witches "Not witches, but ghosts", because witches have special power, and these ghosts are very weak "their useless arms like forsaken servants". They are also ostracized.
*The second stanza
Not all ghosts are women,
I have seen others;
fat, white-bellied men,
wearing their genitals like old rags.
Not devils, but ghosts.
This one thumps barefoot, lurching
above my bed.
In this empty house, Sexton also sees ghosts of men who may be her dead father and ex-husband. She describes them with ugly features "fat, white bellied men". Sexton may describe them with all these hideous features, because her husband divorced her and her father left her alone in this life. The evidence of their death is that their stomachs were bellied, and their genitals were worn. The reader can feel that Sexton dislikes these ghosts, men. They also dislike her, because they annoy her as she says "This one thumps barefoot, lurching above my bed".
*The third stanza
But that isn't all.
Some ghosts are children.
Not angels, but ghosts;
curling like pink tea cups
on any pillow, or kicking,
showing their innocent bottoms, wailing
for Lucifer.
Ghosts are not only women and men, but also children "But that isn't all" "Some ghosts are children". These children may be her daughters who also left her. Sexton denies that these children can be angles "Not angles, but ghosts", because angles are kind and nice. These ghosts, children, are crying for the devil "wailing for Lucifer".
Poetic technique
Language
Sexton uses a special language to make the reader feel her miserably life and her loneliness. She mentions the word "ghosts" seven times to prove her loneliness with all aspects of ghosts "women, men, and children". She also uses bad and ugly characteristics to describe them, which show that Sexton does not like them
Their breasts as limp as killed fish
Who come, moving their useless arms
Like forsaken servants
Fat, white-bellied men
Wearing their genitals like old rags
(3, 5, 6, 9, 10)
Sexton's gloomy life imposes on her, knowing witches, devils and Lucifer. She also knows that these ghosts are neither devils nor witches, because they have nothing to do except annoying her.
Imagery
Images are not so many in this poem, because Sexton only describes her bad state. However, she uses some figures of speech to give the reader the whole image of her state, as she employs some similes
• Simile
their breasts as limp as killed fish.
who come, moving their useless arms
like forsaken servants.
wearing their genitals like old rags.
curling like pink tea cups
(3, 5, 6, 10, 17)
In these similes, Sexton compares ghosts to ugly and disgusting features. She also uses her favorite figure of speech, anaphora:
• Anaphora in "Some ghosts are" and "not….., but ghosts" in every stanza.
Musicality
Sexton uses neither a lot of musical words nor rhyming in this poem, but there are some sound patterns and assonance.
• Assonance "pillows, kicking".
(18)
• Sound pattern
neither abstract nor pale,
Not witches, but ghosts
Not angels, but ghosts;
Not devils, but ghosts.
(2, 4, 11, 16)
Although these musical words are in few positions, they give the reader good musicality.
Tone
The major theme of "Ghosts" is loneliness which prevails on Sexton's life. Consequently she uses sad tone, because of the atmosphere which the one can feel during reading or hearing this poem.
Form
"Ghosts" is a free verse poem that divides its eighteen lines into three sestets (six -line stanza).
Conclusion
Poets are very sensitive people. Sexton is evidence of that, because she well describes her bad state in this empty house. She can not forget her old life and her family. Therefore her mind creates these ghosts to live with them, and to feel that she lives among her family. However, the ghosts are very annoyed that she suffers from their existence. She also introduces the ghosts, her family, in bad appearance, because she may hate them in her deep mind.
yaso from Egypt
Comment 10 of 11, added on April 23rd, 2006 at 4:30 PM.
This poem shows there is no other way to describe ghost but by using the word GHOST. It tells the reader that they can not be compared to angels or demons. Not only that but it also emphasizes that ghost can be of any shape and of any age...no restrictions...
*JOY* from United States
Comment 9 of 11, added on April 22nd, 2006 at 2:49 PM.
I'm fourteen and even though I'm forced to look up friendly critizisum for my College English 1 course, I have become fond of Anne Sexton, for I too write poetry.
Figurelogics from United States
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Comments
"Ghosts" is one of Sexton's second collection of poems "All my pretty ones". Sexton begins to write with less formal, but more initiative approach. The themes of this poem, the collection's themes, are suffering, break down, and loneliness. "Ghosts" is autobiographical poem.
General idea
Sexton wrote this poem as a result of her divorce, sending her daughters to boarding school and her parent's death. Consequently she lives alone in empty house. She is very depressed and desperate because of her bad state.
Analysis
*The first stanza
Some ghosts are women,
neither abstract nor pale,
their breasts as limp as killed fish.
Not witches, but ghosts
who come, moving their useless arms
like forsaken servants.
Sexton begins to describe herself in this desolate house. Therefore she sees ghosts in every place in the house. At the first time, she sees these ghosts as women. May be "Some ghosts are women" these ghosts are the ghosts of her dead mother and dead aunt. By saying "their breasts as limp as killed fish" Sexton proves that these ghosts are dead people. She does not compare them to witches "Not witches, but ghosts", because witches have special power, and these ghosts are very weak "their useless arms like forsaken servants". They are also ostracized.
*The second stanza
Not all ghosts are women,
I have seen others;
fat, white-bellied men,
wearing their genitals like old rags.
Not devils, but ghosts.
This one thumps barefoot, lurching
above my bed.
In this empty house, Sexton also sees ghosts of men who may be her dead father and ex-husband. She describes them with ugly features "fat, white bellied men". Sexton may describe them with all these hideous features, because her husband divorced her and her father left her alone in this life. The evidence of their death is that their stomachs were bellied, and their genitals were worn. The reader can feel that Sexton dislikes these ghosts, men. They also dislike her, because they annoy her as she says "This one thumps barefoot, lurching above my bed".
*The third stanza
But that isn't all.
Some ghosts are children.
Not angels, but ghosts;
curling like pink tea cups
on any pillow, or kicking,
showing their innocent bottoms, wailing
for Lucifer.
Ghosts are not only women and men, but also children "But that isn't all" "Some ghosts are children". These children may be her daughters who also left her. Sexton denies that these children can be angles "Not angles, but ghosts", because angles are kind and nice. These ghosts, children, are crying for the devil "wailing for Lucifer".
Poetic technique
Language
Sexton uses a special language to make the reader feel her miserably life and her loneliness. She mentions the word "ghosts" seven times to prove her loneliness with all aspects of ghosts "women, men, and children". She also uses bad and ugly characteristics to describe them, which show that Sexton does not like them
Their breasts as limp as killed fish
Who come, moving their useless arms
Like forsaken servants
Fat, white-bellied men
Wearing their genitals like old rags
(3, 5, 6, 9, 10)
Sexton's gloomy life imposes on her, knowing witches, devils and Lucifer. She also knows that these ghosts are neither devils nor witches, because they have nothing to do except annoying her.
Imagery
Images are not so many in this poem, because Sexton only describes her bad state. However, she uses some figures of speech to give the reader the whole image of her state, as she employs some similes
• Simile
their breasts as limp as killed fish.
who come, moving their useless arms
like forsaken servants.
wearing their genitals like old rags.
curling like pink tea cups
(3, 5, 6, 10, 17)
In these similes, Sexton compares ghosts to ugly and disgusting features. She also uses her favorite figure of speech, anaphora:
• Anaphora in "Some ghosts are" and "not….., but ghosts" in every stanza.
Musicality
Sexton uses neither a lot of musical words nor rhyming in this poem, but there are some sound patterns and assonance.
• Assonance "pillows, kicking".
(18)
• Sound pattern
neither abstract nor pale,
Not witches, but ghosts
Not angels, but ghosts;
Not devils, but ghosts.
(2, 4, 11, 16)
Although these musical words are in few positions, they give the reader good musicality.
Tone
The major theme of "Ghosts" is loneliness which prevails on Sexton's life. Consequently she uses sad tone, because of the atmosphere which the one can feel during reading or hearing this poem.
Form
"Ghosts" is a free verse poem that divides its eighteen lines into three sestets (six -line stanza).
Conclusion
Poets are very sensitive people. Sexton is evidence of that, because she well describes her bad state in this empty house. She can not forget her old life and her family. Therefore her mind creates these ghosts to live with them, and to feel that she lives among her family. However, the ghosts are very annoyed that she suffers from their existence. She also introduces the ghosts, her family, in bad appearance, because she may hate them in her deep mind.
yaso from Egypt