Edna Millay's and Anne Sexton's Poetry Analysis

In the poem, “Her Kind,” Anne Sexton confesses to having desires of unconventional roles of women and focuses on the depressing isolation that comes along with societal pressures. On the other hand, in “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed”, Edna Millay explores the conflicted feelings of a woman towards her lover, all while portraying sexual desire to have a relationship with another person, possibly from the opposite gender. It is “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” Edna Millay and 'Her Kind' Anne Sexton analysis paper where these poems are reviewed. The poems “Her Kind” by Sexton and “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed” by Millay both deal with the theme of gender in different ways; however, when combined, the second poet builds on how women were treated in society in the first poem. Both of these poems reflect on the constraints that have been put on women and the harsh expectations of society that women must conform to.

In “Her Kind,” Sexton uses comparing imagery and allusion to describe being a woman who has multiple facets: a witch, a mother, and an adulteress, thus arguing that she among many other women were forced to abide by societal rules. She uses imagery, “braver at night”, to show the readers the restrictions upon her unfulfilling life since she can not even be brave during the day. Not only that, those lines also carry a deeper implication on her current state; in order to overcome the dullness of her life, she has to escape to the darker, demonic side of her dreams and desires. The second stanza further showcases the imagery and emphasizes her determination to free herself and escape into “the warm caves in the woods”. Unlike her norm of “fixing supper” at home, she wants to flee to a place where she can lose herself and become someone totally different. By comparing her usual boring life to the exhilarating freedom in her imagination, the narrator condemns the stereotypical duties (that have burdened women for ages)--doing housework and caring for children--and justifies her beliefs that women should be more than just that; they should have the courage to break social norms and disregard conventional views of them.

Sexton also uses allusion to address the unjust consequences of women who do not follow the social norm or have different ways of thinking. In the third stanza, the author writes, “Your flames still bite my thigh / and my ribs crack where you wheels wind”, which refers to the historic witch trials and the grave aftermath from the false accusations, burning witches at the stake. Despite the possibility of being punished by death, the narrator courageously holds her belief of going against society and “is not ashamed to die”. Because of these strong-minded role models that Sexton portrays as victims, readers become aware of the societal pressure, thus they feel compelled to stand up for themselves, eventually bring change to gender roles and expectations in society.

In the poem, “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed,” Millay explores the conflicted feelings of women in relationships and denounces the social norm, by incorporating tone and comparison, ultimately showing the unbalanced power dynamic between the two genders. The author uses tone to illustrate women in a typical relationship. She writes, “Am urged by your propinquity to find / bear your body’s weight upon my breast”. Society holds an expectation for women to find a male companion and submit herself to him since women are viewed as dependent on men. Women are expected to assume roles as a homemaker, a caregiver, and a subordinator. These lines also instill a sense of hopelessness. Because of the well-established traditional values in society, making drastic changes to society’s standards for women, such as having the right or power to choose her companion instead of having her life being determined by others, is near impossible at the time of the 1900s.

Millay uses comparisons in the later part of the poem to emphasize the restrictions and limitations for women to search for love and find out my about their true selves. The author compares women’s state of mind to a “cloud”, “possessed”, and “stout blood against [a] staggering brain”. The unbalanced power dynamic between men and women coerce women to rely financially and emotionally on their male counterpart. As a result, the male dominance hinders women to step up, come out of their comfort zones, and live for themselves. Even though, many efforts are taken to gain equality between male and women, it is difficult to achieve and maintain the balance. The author also uses the words “my scorn with pity / I find this frenzy insufficient reason” to argue that women become blinded by love, making them impulsively submissive. Despite this, the author encourages women not to blindly follow the rules, but to reflect on their decisions and choices in life. Women must not be afraid to oppose the idea that they need men and rely on them for survival. Women have the option to leave a relationship, and they can always have “conversations when we meet again”. Being part of society and equally contributing to it, women have the choice and right to walk away from the lover’s presence unpossessed if there is no longer love or connection.

When reading both poems, “Her Kind” and “I, Being a Woman and Distressed,” together, they work in conjunction to compare women’s roles in society and women’s dutiful assumption of those roles to fit in the society, thus making readers ponder on the potential freedom that they might experience if those norms are broken. Both Sexton and Millay uses syllogism, as they first address the problem: unfairness and inequality between men and women; then, they provide a possible solution. In “Her Kind,” Sexton uses “warm caves in the woods / fixed suppers” to suggest that gender inequality hinders women to make use of opportunities and climb up society with their own efforts. According to the poem, women need to go to a great extent to escape from the societal constraints. The author believes that to fully live one’s life and follow his or her own rules, one must not regret sacrificing his or her life for that. Likewise, in the other poem, Millay uses “bear your body’s weight” and “undone, possessed” to call attention to the inferiority of women’s role. They have no control over their lives. As a supportive figure of the main head of the family, she submits to him as if her mind is clouded. Women can overcome that state if they can make their decisions, and have their own state of mind by deciding when to leave a relationship. With these similarities between these poems, these efforts to help women achieve better treatment and more equality is. Both poets motivate readers to not be afraid of the possible consequences to their actions since these small deeds will eventually change society and benefit everyone. Although, both poets advocate for justice for women in society, they use different ways to achieve that. Sexton alludes to the witch trials and focuses more on women’s roles in the family and home, while Millay uses love to shed light on the unbalanced expectations and reality of women in relationships.

Both poets advocate for women’s freedom in society. Sexton uses comparing imagery and allusion to describe having complex personas; on the other hand, Millay utilizes tone and comparison to show the unbalanced power dynamic between the two genders. Sexton and Millay encourage women to break the societal norms, thus revolutionizing women’s role in society.