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Analysis and comments on Baby Picture by Anne Sexton

Comment 2 of 2, added on February 12th, 2006 at 6:22 AM.

How many of us adults feel ourselves as simply kids surviving? (I for one
raise my hand.) Anne touches upon a universal theme there, illness or no
illness.

David J. Kunz from United States
Comment 1 of 2, added on September 24th, 2004 at 9:31 AM.

In articulating the dumbing down of children, Anne Sexton's poem introduces
the polar opposites of growth and decay in Baby Picture. Smiles lie, kids
keep themselves alive and Yeat's notion 'the centre cannot hold' are echoed
in the lines 'it falls apart like dust balls'. The startling line 'sitting
dumbly pushing the enemas out like ice cream' is absolutely unbearable and
yet so many children have been given sweeties to help them feel better...
afterwards. Like so many of Sexton's poems, this one also delivers another
emotional grenade!

Elaine Hartigan from Ireland



Information about Baby Picture

Poet: Anne Sexton
Poem: Baby Picture
Added: Feb 20 2003
Viewed: 12570 times
Poem of the Day: Sep 5 2004


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By: Anne Sexton

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