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Analysis and comments on Anna Who Was Mad by Anne Sexton

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Comment 10 of 40, added on November 28th, 2005 at 7:02 PM.

Schizophrenia as a theme for this poem does not ring true to me.
But it does seem to be asking for help.
Mary, mother of God, help me now in my hour of need, speak to me in my
pillow (dreams) and help me outta this hell!
Also, she is seems to be opining about depression/madness being an
"infection" that one catches from being in close proximity to someone who
is depressed/mad. Or perhaps sent down through the genes as an inherited
illness.
She is suffering from the disease as well as the loss of someone she loved.
Anne lost her Nana first mentally through the illness then physically
through the death.
My feeling is that she is describing her suffering and looking for relief
from heaven or earth.

Anna from Canada
Comment 9 of 40, added on November 9th, 2005 at 7:32 PM.

In This poem Anne recognizes her problem of going deeper into the unknown
psyche; she was trying to grasp her illness and wring it out, dry it out,
relieve the sprinkle of oddity; of running to close the door; and never
reaching it; the door to order was open; she could not reach it. Anna's
death caused her never to reach the open door to overcome the dreadful
knowlege of insanity; complete sanity was inside the door... She became
this Aunt in her mind ,and that was to be her early fate. Fabulous Mind,
Her sight of the earthy things, and write about, it is so unique; things
we only talk about in secret... Her reveling ability to do this was
absolute courage without being afraid to expose what really happens to
people. Now peace enters in; she reached the open door in death.

RainDew East from United States
Comment 8 of 40, added on August 24th, 2005 at 10:39 AM.

she's not schizophrenic... she's talking to her maiden aunt, Anna Dingley,
whom she was close with during her adolescence years (until she was 13,when
Anna, or "Nana", went mad), and whose death caused Anne Sexton to face a
major breakdown. i'm doing a research on her, anyone who want to share
infos do e-mail me~

Atique from Malaysia
Comment 7 of 40, added on May 25th, 2005 at 5:52 PM.

she freaks me out

ritza from United States
Comment 6 of 40, added on May 25th, 2005 at 2:45 PM.

I don't really understand how anyone can hate this poem, but even if you
hate it you should appreciate it. This poem screams schizophrenia. When she
says "Speak Mary-words into our pillow," it's obvious. She is alone
physically, crying out for God into her pillow. "I" and "you" are both her.
"I" is confused, wondering how and why she went insane. She is a silent
observer, she doesn't know what is going on. She is trapped in herself.
"You" is the source of her madness, the one being blamed, the other side of
herself, suicidal, knowingly insane, the antagonist. One cannot "Whisper
like a buttercup." She is screaming out her confusion and frustration in
her own head, because no one else can hear her.
There.

Jessica Elise from United States
Comment 5 of 40, added on April 24th, 2005 at 2:20 PM.

I am so confused when it comes to this poem, I want to scream for her, but
i am unsure if that is what she really wants. I have a different
perspective on this work, for some reason i feel as if she is speaking to
her mother, and in n out, her mother is asking her about her suicide. "am i
some sort of infection?" what is this telling us? Depression is a powerful
daze.


Maria from United States
Comment 4 of 40, added on April 20th, 2005 at 2:10 AM.

I feel like she is crying out for herself. the woman she once was. She
knows she is cought up in illness and shed eosn't like it.

Josh from United States
Comment 3 of 40, added on April 14th, 2005 at 10:05 AM.

Oh My Goodness! I believe I have just found my new favirote poem (written
by someone else other than me) I swear me and Anne's style are nearly alike
and this is the first time I have discovered her. Her Poetry so beautifully
orchestrated. My style is like her but there is no way I can reach her
level of expertise on such deep and sentimental piece of writting.

Ernest from United States
Comment 2 of 40, added on April 3rd, 2005 at 7:43 PM.

wonderful and disturbing. i like this the most of all her poems. reminds me
of alice and wonderland in a strange way.

anja from United States
Comment 1 of 40, added on October 13th, 2004 at 10:27 PM.

Seems like this is an abstract cry against some intrusive probe or some
seemingly but not really justified medical procedure. Fortunately, we can
also sigh a breath of relief that we didn't have ♥Biscuits and
Pussy♥ (http://fatalthot.com/writings/poems/biscuitsandpussy.htm)

Fatalthot from United States

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Information about Anna Who Was Mad

Poet: Anne Sexton
Poem: Anna Who Was Mad
Added: Feb 20 2003
Viewed: 23082 times
Poem of the Day: Nov 19 2004


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