Anne Sexton’s poem, “Her Kind,” is a portrayal of a women who do not fit into society. The women of the poem are independent and powerful. Sexton uses two voices in each stanza. Each stanza describes a woman who is an outcast. These descriptions are based on stereotypes of women who go against the norms of society. The repetition of “a woman like that” and “I have been her kind” uncovers the true speaker of the poem. “Her Kind” reveals the expectations society has placed on women and how denying these expectations result in alienation.
The speaker begins the poem with vivid imagery of a witch. Sexton uses words such as “possessed,” “haunting,” and “dreaming evil” to describe the woman in the first stanza. Opening the poem with “possessed witch” …show more content…
It is a lyric poem that is also a one-off poem. It gives the illusion of a formal poem, but when looked at closely it deviates. It appears to be in tetrameter, but most of the lines consist of nine syllables instead of eight. The rhyme scheme of the poem is completed with an odd seven lines instead of six or eight. The first and last stanza follow the rhyme scheme of ABAB CBC whereas, the second stanza drifts from stanza one and three. The rhyme scheme for stanza two is ABAB CAC. The change of rhyme scheme emphasizes the word “misunderstood” (line 13) because the speaker of the poem is misunderstood. The repetition of “I have,” (lines 1,8, and 15) “A woman like that,” (lines 6, 13, and 20) and the closing phrase of each stanza “I have been her kind” (lines 7,14, and 21) exemplifies the speaker’s belief that she is misconceived by society. The repetition creates a chant-like rhythm throughout the poem. The repeated lines of the poem are almost like a chorus connecting the stanzas together. The chant-like rhythm builds quickens the pace of the poem. As the pace gets faster and faster, so does the anticipation. The audience knows what to expect, but the increasing flow of rhythm momentarily distracts the readers from their own expectations. Despite the increasing beat of the rhythm, Sexton’s last monosyllabic line abruptly concludes each stanza and the poem. Because the growing pace immerses the reader, when it stops there is an eerie silence
The speaker begins the poem with vivid imagery of a witch. Sexton uses words such as “possessed,” “haunting,” and “dreaming evil” to describe the woman in the first stanza. Opening the poem with “possessed witch” …show more content…
It is a lyric poem that is also a one-off poem. It gives the illusion of a formal poem, but when looked at closely it deviates. It appears to be in tetrameter, but most of the lines consist of nine syllables instead of eight. The rhyme scheme of the poem is completed with an odd seven lines instead of six or eight. The first and last stanza follow the rhyme scheme of ABAB CBC whereas, the second stanza drifts from stanza one and three. The rhyme scheme for stanza two is ABAB CAC. The change of rhyme scheme emphasizes the word “misunderstood” (line 13) because the speaker of the poem is misunderstood. The repetition of “I have,” (lines 1,8, and 15) “A woman like that,” (lines 6, 13, and 20) and the closing phrase of each stanza “I have been her kind” (lines 7,14, and 21) exemplifies the speaker’s belief that she is misconceived by society. The repetition creates a chant-like rhythm throughout the poem. The repeated lines of the poem are almost like a chorus connecting the stanzas together. The chant-like rhythm builds quickens the pace of the poem. As the pace gets faster and faster, so does the anticipation. The audience knows what to expect, but the increasing flow of rhythm momentarily distracts the readers from their own expectations. Despite the increasing beat of the rhythm, Sexton’s last monosyllabic line abruptly concludes each stanza and the poem. Because the growing pace immerses the reader, when it stops there is an eerie silence