Anne Sexton's Witchy Verse: Gender Dynamics and Intimate Relationships

The historical events of the 1950s-1960s exerted a profound influence on literature and artistic expression, shaping the thematic concerns, stylistic innovations, and activist impulses of female American poets. The Civil Rights Movement galvanized poets across racial and gender lines, inspiring a wave of activism and social consciousness in American literature. Moreover, the Feminist Movement provided fertile ground for female poets to challenge patriarchal structures, reclaim female agency, and articulate a vision of gender equality. Beyond the socio-political landscape, fairy tales emerged as a significant source of inspiration and subversion for female poets of the era. Anne Sexton, in particular, engaged with the fairy tale genre in her poetry, offering reinterpretations that exposed and challenged traditional gender roles and societal expectations. Through her provocative and often darkly humorous verses, Sexton deconstructed fairy tale archetypes, revealing the inherent power dynamics and gendered narratives of these tales.