Confessional Verse Options

[Tinker]

Confessional Verse was first identified as a genre in the 1950s however it can be found as far back as 45 B.C. in the works of Sextus Propertius. It is as its name implies poetry that reveals intimate and often unflattering truths about the poet. In the 50s and 60s it gained popularity with poets such as Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsberg, Ann Sexton and Theodore Roethke.

It is not the subject matter that defines confessional poetry but how the subject matter is shared through the lines. It is a self exploration travelling into the darkness as well as the light, and allows the reader to follow along. The details are not approached timidly but with a direct honesty that connects with the reader. Most of modern Confessional Poetry is in free verse.

Simply writing about an emotion or disclosing an intimate or shocking experience does not automatically make great poetry. The “confessional poets” paid a great deal of attention to craft and construction.

Daddy by Sylvia Plath