Anne Sexton Her Kind

Imagine a woman that is so lost in her society that she compares herself to that of a witch and cave dweller. This conflict is defined through the ideas of acceptance and strength in the short poem “Her Kind” by Anne Sexton. The careful use of words and phrases in Sexton’s poem reveals the identity and opinions she has through the speaker. Symbolism is shown through the descriptions of the other outsiders that the speaker in “Her Kind” compares herself too. Lastly, the dynamic tone of the poem changes from a dark first stanza to a concluding sense of resilience in relation to its dynamic character. Sexton uses the poem “Her Kind” to describe her own emotions through another woman’s perspective on her place in society with the use of diction,

Sexton gives readers an example of this choice of diction when she writes, “I have ridden in your cart driver / waved my nude arms at the villages going by” (15-16). These lines provide a thought-provoking statement about the speaker’s opinion of society as readers will consider the words “nude arms” to be somewhat controversial. Sexton uses this phrase to show her true distaste of these people by making her actions seem more offensive than they really are. Sexton provides more examples of her specific use of diction when the speaker states, “where your flames still bite my thigh / and my ribs crack where your wheels wind” (18-19). The use of present tense in these lines suggest that the acts done to the speaker are still occurring or have had a lingering pain. This quote acts as a comparison of the pain that Sexton feels as a female author fighting back against the male-dominated society she lives in. These emotions, conveyed through word choice, are what Sexton uses to describe how she is willing to face the consequences that come with being a trailblazer in

The first stanza of Sexton’s poem features the speaker stating, “dreaming evil, I have done my hitch” (3). The phrase “dreaming evil” develops a darker tone in the first stanza through the malevolent desires of the witch. This quote could also symbolize Sexton acknowledging that she has had her own moments of greed that have affected her judgment in the past. Towards the end of the poem, the tone shifts to resilience when the speaker states, “A woman like that is not ashamed to die” (Sexton 20). These words reveal the strength of the speaker that Sexton wants other women to display when they are challenged by those that want to see them fail. Sexton gives readers a sense resilience to show that she is not disappointed of who she is or the legacy that she leaves behind. The opinions of those that have oppressed her hold little influence when compared to her own self-worth. This use of tone in Sexton’s writing clearly emphasizes her own identity through the feelings her poem gives to